Thereupon the king of Panchāla sent forth invitations to the wedding. And he prepared food and drink, and infused into it divers kinds of poisons. When all was ready, he sent out messengers to the people to come forthwith.
When Mahaushadha heard that, he said to King Janaka, “It is not fitting that we should act hastily.”
“For what reason?”
“This king is a neighbour who has always been opposed to us, at variance with us. We must send a spy in advance.”
“Whom shall we send?” said the king.
“O king,” said Mahaushadha, “be at ease. I have a parrot called Charaka,[15] who is clever and honest. Him will I send. He will return after he has held converse with all.”
“Do so,” said the king.
The parrot flew off, and considered to whom he should draw nigh, with whom he should make friends and hold converse. In spite of looking around on all sides, he could detect nothing, and he had to consider how he should begin the usual style of business. Entering the palace, and there looking about him, he saw a maina[16] sitting on some timber-work, and flew up to her, and the two birds took pleasure in each other’s company. [[169]]
She asked him where he came from. He replied, “I come from King Śibi in the north. I was the guardian of a park, and I had as wife an excellent, beautiful, clever, devoted, and sweet-spoken maina. Having flown to a distance one day, she was carried off by a falcon. Full of grief and trouble on this account, I have gone wandering hither and thither, and so have come to where you are. Will not you, O good one, be my wife?”
“Never has it been heard or seen,” she replied, “that a maina became the wife of a parrot. I have heard that really the wife of a parrot is a parrot too.”