“Polly,” answered the merchant, “what nonsense you talk!” But he took a fancy to the bird, and paid the hunter a thousand gold mohurs, and taking Vicram Maharajah home, hung him up in his shop.
Then the Parrot took on him the duties of shopman, and talked so much and so wisely that every one in the town soon heard of the merchant’s wonderful bird. Nobody cared to go to any other shop—all came to his shop, only to hear the Parrot talk; and he sold them what they wanted, and they did not care how much he charged for what he sold, but gave him whatever he asked; insomuch, that in one week the merchant had made a thousand gold mohurs over and above his usual weekly profits; and there Vicram Maharajah Parrot lived for a long time, made much of by everybody, and very happy.
It happened in the town where the merchant lived there was a very accomplished Nautch girl,[62] named Champa Ranee.[63] She danced so beautifully that the people of the town used always to send for her to dance on the occasion of any great festival.
There also lived in the town a poor wood-cutter, who earned his living by going out far into the jungle to cut wood, and bringing it in every day, into the bazaar to sell.
One day he went out as usual into the jungle to cut wood, and being tired, he fell asleep under a tree and began to dream; and he dreamed that he was a very rich man, and that he married the beautiful Nautch girl, and that he took her home to his house, and gave his wife, as a wedding present, a thousand gold mohurs!
When he went into the bazaar that evening as usual to sell wood, he began telling his dream to his friends, saying, “While I was in the jungle I had such an absurd dream; I dreamed that I was a rich man, and that I married the Champa Ranee, and gave her as a wedding present a thousand gold mohurs!” “What a funny dream!” they cried, and thought no more of it.
But it happened that the house under which he was standing whilst talking to his friends was Champa Ranee’s house, and Champa Ranee herself was near the window, and heard what he said, and thought to herself, “For all that man looks so poor, he has then a thousand gold mohurs, or he would not have dreamed of giving them to his wife; if that is all, I’ll go to law about it, and see if I can’t get the money.”
So she sent out her servants and ordered them to catch the poor wood-cutter; and when they caught him, she began crying out, “Oh husband! husband! here have I been waiting ever so long, wondering what has become of you; where have you been all this time?” He answered, “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean. You’re a great lady and I’m a poor wood-cutter; you must mistake me for somebody else.”
But she answered, “Oh no! don’t you remember we were married on such and such a day! Have you forgotten what a grand wedding it was, and you took me home to your palace, and promised to give me as a wedding present a thousand gold mohurs? But you quite forgot to give me the money, and you went away, and I returned to my father’s house till I could learn tidings of you; how can you be so cruel?”
The poor wood-cutter thought he must be dreaming, but all Champa Ranee’s friends and relations declared that what she said was true. Then, after much quarreling, they said they would go to law about it; but the judge could not settle the matter, and referred it to the Rajah himself. The Rajah was no less puzzled than the judge. The wood-cutter protested that he was only a poor wood-cutter; but Champa Ranee and her friends asserted that he was, on the contrary, a rich man, her husband, and had had much money, which he must have squandered. She offered, however, to give up all claim to that, if he would only give her a thousand gold mohurs, which he had promised; and so suggested a compromise. The wood-cutter replied that he would gladly give the gold mohurs if he had them; but that (as he brought witnesses to prove) he was really and truly what he professed to be—only a poor wood-cutter, who earned two annas[64] a day cutting wood, and had neither palace nor riches nor wife in the world! The whole city was interested in this curious case, and all wondered how it would end; some being sure one side was right, and some equally certain of the other.