Vikram and Vaitaal Stories-2 - Story 2-1 (Keral Version)
"Captain Sir Richard R Burton's Vikram and the Vampire: classic Hindu tales of adventure, magic and romance" / edited by his wife Isabel Burton. [etext Conversion Project, Nalanda Digital Library, NIT Calicut, Kerala State, India]

2-Relative Villany of Men and Women-1

Vaitaal again started telling a story - "There lived a Prince Raajaa Raam in Bhogavatee Nagaree. His father was old. Fathers and mothers can be of three types. Firstly, a parent of many ideas, amusing, pleasant, poor and idol of his children. Secondly, the parent with one and half ideas, speaks truth, thinks I will carry out his theory to see how far it goes, goes home and treats his children with these ideas, but they don't last long. Thirdly, having one idea, like yourself, an admirable example. You learn in your youth what you are taught, and in age you practice what you have learned. You cannot teach yourself till your beards sprout; when it grows stiff, you cannot be taught. If anyone attempts to change your opinion, you cry - "What is new, is not true; what is true, is not new."

When Raam's father died he cried a lot for him. Although he had left lots of treasure for his son, but he left one thing much more valuable than the gold and silver - that was a parrot Choodaamani, who knew the world and discoursed in good Sanskrit. One day the Prince asked him - "You know everything, tell me where lives my wife? Shaastra say that the girl should not be related to maternal or paternal family for six generations. Avoid such families also which are very great or very rich; or has not produced male children; or in which Ved have not been read." 

The parrot said - "O King, There is a king named Magadheshwar in Magadh Desh. His daughter's name is Chandravatee. You will marry her. She is very beautiful and very learned." Hearing the parrot, the Prince sent for an astrologer and asked him "Whom shall I marry?" He said - "You will marry Chandraavatee for sure." So he sent a Braahman to Magadh with his marriage proposal to marry Chandravatee.

Now it so happened that this Princess also had a bird (Mainaa) whose name was Madanmanjaree. She also, like parrot, possessed excellent knowledge and spoke good Sanskrit. One day Chandravatee asked her bird - "O Madanmanjaree, Is there a husband worthy of me?" The bird replied - "Yes Princess.." That the Princess interrupted - "No preaching, otherwise you will get salt for supper instead of sugar." She said - "I can see clearly. Raajaa Raam of Bhogavatee Nagaree will be your husband. Both will be happy to marry each other. He is young and handsome, rich and generous, not too clever and without a chance to be invalid." Although she had not seen him, the Princess immediately fell in love with him." Thus both were in love without seeing each other.

Dharmdhwaj asked his father - "How this is possible?", but Vikram interrupted him not to ask any silly questions again." Vaitaal continued - "Thus representatives from both families went to each other families, fixed the relation and soon both got married. The bird also accompanied Chandravatee to her husband's house.

Now Choodaamani leaned his head on one side and looked at the bird with a peculiar look, but Madanmanjaree kept her head high. At last the parrot broke the silence - "Tell me that you have no intentions to be married." "Probably."  "Why, May I ask?" "Because I don't choose to marry." The parrot said - "This is only a woman's reason. Can you elaborate it more?" The bird said - "None whatever, Sir Parrot. You people are treacherous, sinful, deceitful, and accustomed to sacrifice us to your smallest desire or convenience."

Raajaa Raam said to his bride - "Your pet bird is very smart." The parrot said - "Don't mind her, Master." Then said to the bird - "And you people are also treacherous, false, ignorant, and whose only wish to prevent life being as pleasant as it could be." Chandravatee said to Raajaa Raam - "Your bird expresses his opinion very freely." The bird whispered in the ears of the Princess - "I can prove what I am saying." So it was settled that both will prove what they had said by story.

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