327. THE TECHNIQUE OF SANSKRIT DRAMA 363

THE TECHNIQUE OF SANSKRIT DRAMA 363

both of them run after the bird. At this time the king comes with the fool to the garden and sees the picture- board. As they are surmising the cause of such a draw- ing, the Maina, as anticipated by Susangata, repeats the entire talk between Sagarika and her friend. This reveals the whole secret. The effect of such a revelation on the king needs no statement. As they sit, talking over the picture, Sagarika and her friend return to the bower to pick up the picture-board. The voice of the king and his fool is heard by them from a little distance. They conceal themselves behind a tree and overhear the conversation. Hope is naturally inspired into the heart of Sāgarikā.

Susangata then goes to the plantain bower under the pretext of picking up the picture-board, and informs the king of the presence of Sagarika nearby. The king rushes to the spot and the lovers meet. Hardly a few moments pass when the fool separates them by arousing the fear of the queen's arrival by a clever quibble : "Here is another queen Vasavadatta." Sagarika and her friend run away. The king soon understands the quibble. And while the King is reprimanding the fool, the queen actually arrives with her attendant. The fool conceals the picture-board in his arm-pit. The royal couple begins talking. A remark of the queen in the course of the talk makes the fool so elated that he begins to dance with his hands lifted up. The picture board, that he is hiding in his arm pit, therefore, falls down. It is picked up by the queen's attendant and is shown to the queen. It startles the queen. She asks the king all about it. He tries to explain it away. But she is not satisfied : on the contrary, she fully understands the situation and goes away, saying that the picture-board has caused her headache, and immediately commits Sagarika