become an old hag." After the goddess had taken all three shapes,
Queen Chimadevrani called her into the palace and bathed and anointed
her. She gave her a silk skirt and a platform to sit upon. Then she
sent for Wonderways, and both of them worshipped the old beggar-woman
and blew on earthen pots in her honour. The king heard the blowing
on the pots and told a sepoy to find out why there was such a noise
in Queen Chimadevrani's quarters. The sepoy went there, and when he
saw what was happening joined also in the worship. After a little
while he went back and told the king. The king said that he would
go there too. He followed the sepoy, and Queen Chimadevrani came
to the steps and met him and took him upstairs, where both played
at saripat until dawn. And all the time Mahalaxmi sat by and watched
them. At dawn Queen Chimadevrani asked Mahalaxmi for her blessing. She
blessed the queen and said, "The king will take you back with him to
the palace, and your co-wife will become half frog, half human being,
and will have to croak outside your bath-room while you bathe." But
Queen Chimadevrani begged the goddess not to place such a terrible
curse on Patmadhavrani. The goddess relented a little, but said,
"The king will drive her into the jungle for twelve years." At these
words she vanished and flew to Kolhapur. When the sun rose the king
placed Queen Chimadevrani in his chariot and drove her to his own
part of the palace. He then sent a message to Queen Patmadhavrani
asking her to join them. Shortly afterwards Queen Patmadhavrani
appeared, dressed all in rags with a skirt round her legs and her
hair all unfastened. On her head was a pot full of burning coal,
and she began to shout and scream at the top of her voice. The king
became very angry and roared out, "Who is this that is shouting
and screaming? Is it a ghost or a she-devil or what?" The sepoys
replied, "O King, it is neither a ghost nor a she-devil, it is your
Queen Patmadhavrani." "Take her into the jungle," roared the king,