29th Figure's Story - 29-Maanvatee
Vikram Reforms Thieves

As Raajaa Bhoj tried to sit on the throne again, this time the 29th figure whose name was Maanvatee burst into laughter and asked him - "Do you still think you are the right person to sit upon this throne?" Raajaa Bhoj again said with courage - "Yes." She said - "First listen to this story and then decide if you can sit on this throne. Listen, Once Raajaa Vikram was roaming around in his kingdom, that he came to the river's bank. Moonlight was shining on the water of the river. It was a beautiful scene, so the King just stood there and looked at the river.

At the same time he heard a voice "Help, help". He saw in the direction of the voice, he saw that two people were struggling in the water stream. They were one man and one woman and were trying to come to the bank of the river, but the flow of water was strong so they were flowing with it. Vikram immediately jumped in the river and brought them on the bank of the river. The woman was very beautiful, more beautiful than Apsaraa.

Both were looking at their rescuer. The man told him that they were going somewhere in the boat. They could not see the whirlpool in it and their boat fell in that whirlpool. They tried their best but they could not escape it. Rest of the people fell in the whirlpool, somehow they were able to swim and escape it. Raajaa asked them who were they. He told that they were brother and sister and lived in Saarang Desh. Vikram told them that they will be sent to their place, but now they should go with him to his palace. So he took them to his palace.

When the gatekeepers saw Vikram, they greeted him, then only that man knew that their rescuer was nobody else but the King himself. They were more grateful to him. Vikram took them inside and made arrangements of their stay and other comforts.

That man was very worried about the marriage of his sister. His sister was very beautiful, so he wanted that her marriage should be settled with some king, but his economic condition was not good That is why he was not able to carry out his plan. Now by chance he met the King, so he thought why not he should propose this to Raajaa Vikram. So he asked his sister to get ready and they both set off to meet Raajaa.

When his sister got ready in good clothes and jewelry her beauty increased multifold. When he came to see Raajaa, he asked his welfare and made the arrangement of his going. He told Vikram that he would never forget his obligation. Then he told Vikram to accept a small gift. Vikram asked what was that and said "Yes" to it. Seeing Raajaa pleased that man thought that Raajaa is attracted to his sister, he got encouraged to say that he wanted to give his sister as gift to him. Vikram accepted his gift. The man thought that now Vikram will treat her as his queen. At the same time Raajaa said to him - "From today your sister will be known as the sister of Raajaa Vikram and he will marry her to some able person with great pomp and show." The man got stunned to hear Vikram. He did not expect that such a king would declare her as his sister ignoring her beauty.

After a while he gathered himself and said to Raajaa - "Prince Udayan of Udayagiri loves my sister very much and has expressed his desire to marry her." So Raajaa called one Pandit, gave him lots of gifts and sent him to Udayagiri with the proposal of marriage of that woman. Pandit came back the same evening and told him that some robbers looted him on the way. Hearing this Raajaa got stunned that in spite of such a good administration in the kingdom how these robbers became active. So he sent him again, this time with some horsemen. And he himself set off in disguise to find the robbers.

He came to that uninhabited place where robbers looted the Pandit. He saw four men sitting on one side. Raajaa understood that they were the robbers. They thought Raajaa was a secret agent so they got scared. Raajaa assured them of their safety and told them that he was also a robber like them. But they told him they were not robbers but they were respectable people and gathered there in a lonely place for consultation on some special matter. Raajaa asked them not to lie to him but allow him to join them.

Then those robbers told him that they had four different kinds of specialties - one of them used to suggest auspicious time to steal things; the second understood the language of birds and animals; the third one knew the art of being disappearing; and the fourth one could tolerate any degree of affliction. Raajaa told them that he could see the wealth hidden anywhere. Hearing this they allowed him to join their group.

After joining their group, he himself planned to steal in his own palace. There they found some royal treasury wealth. Seeing that wealth the thieves got very happy, they collected all the wealth and set off to go outside but the alert guards caught them. Next morning they were presented as prisoner in Vikram's court, they trembled like leaves because they saw their new fifth friend sitting on the throne. They waited for the punishment but Raajaa did not punish them. He asked them not to teal again and use their specialties for some good work.

The thieves agreed to Raajaa and promised to spend their as he said. Raajaa employed them in his army. Udayan also married Vikram's adopted sister.