when the Brahmans saw her supreme loveliness, they were
troubled and thought: "If the king should marry her, his kingdom
would be ruined. He would think only of her, and would doubtless
neglect his kingdom. Therefore we must not report her good
qualities to the king."

So they returned to the king and said: "Your Majesty, she has bad
qualities." So the king did not marry the merchant's daughter. But
he bade the merchant give his daughter to a general named Force.
And she lived happily with her husband in his house.

After a time the lion of spring came dancing through the forest and
slew the elephant of winter. And King Glorious went forth on the
back of an elephant to see the spring festival. And the drum was
beaten to warn virtuous women to stay within doors. Otherwise
they would have fallen in love with his beauty, and
love-sickness might be expected.

But when Passion heard the drum, she did not like to be left alone.
She went out on the balcony, that the king might see her. She
seemed like the flame of love which the spring-time was fanning
with southern breezes. And the king saw her, and his whole being
was shaken. He felt her beauty sinking deep in his heart like a
victorious arrow of Love, and he fainted.

His servants brought him back to consciousness, and he returned to
the city. There he made inquiries and learned that this was Passion
whom he had rejected before. So he banished from the country the
Brahmans who had said that she had bad qualities, and he thought
longingly of her every day.