The Wanderings of Vicram Maharajah

"I noticed in the garden another beautiful parrot just died - a handsome bird, with a tuft of bright feathers on its head and ring about its neck. I shall take its form, and see as much of the world as possible."

So Vicram Maharajah arranged for the kingdom to be left in the vizier's sole charge. He cut a small incision in his arm and rubbed into it some of the magic preservative given him by the wizard to keep his body from decaying, transported his soul into the parrot's body, and flew away.

No sooner did the carpenter's son hear that the king was dead, than, knowing the power that both he and Vicram Maharajah owned, he felt certain that the king had made use of it, and decided likewise to turn it to his advantage. Therefore, as soon as Vicram Maharajah entered the parrot's body, the carpenter's son entered the king's body, and the world at large imagined that the king had only swooned and recovered.

But the vizier was wiser than they. Immediately he thought, "Someone beside Vicram Maharajah must have become acquainted with this spell and is now making use of it, thinking it would be very amusing to play the part of king for a while. Soon I'll discover if this is the case or not."

He confided his doubts that night to his wife Anar Ranee when they were alone.

"Yet what can we do?" said she.

"We cannot cast him into prison, since he inhabits the body of our Vicram Maharajah," said Butti, "but neither of us, nor any of the Maharajah's relations, must have any friendship with, or so much as speak to him; and if he speaks to any of us, let whoever it be, immediately begin to quarrel with him, whereby he will find the life of a rajah not so agreeable as he anticipated, and may be induced to return to his proper form."

Anar Ranee instructed all the servants and court officials as her husband had advised, and the carpenter's son began to think the life of a rajah not at all as pleasant as he had fancied, and would, if he could, have gladly returned to his own body again.