punished, while nobody can stop the mouth of any rascal who
chooses to slander the King.

GRANDFATHER. The slander cannot touch the King. With a mere
breath you can blow out the flame which a lamp inherits from the
sun, but if all the world blow upon the sun itself its effulgence
remains undimmed and unimpaired as before.

[Enter VISHVAVASU and VIRUPAKSHA]

VISHU. Here's Grandfather! Look here, this man is going about
telling everybody that our King does not come out because he is
ugly.

GRANDFATHER. But why does that make you angry, Vishu? His King
must be ugly, because how else could Virupaksha possess such
features in his kingdom? He fashions his King after the image of
himself he sees in the mirror.

VIRUPAKSHA. Grandfather, I shall mention no names, but nobody
would think of disbelieving the person who gave me the news.

GRANDFATHER. Who could be a higher authority than yourself!

VIRUPAKSHA. But I could give you proofs ...

FIRST CITIZEN. The impudence of this fellow knows no bounds!
Not content with spreading a ghastly rumour with an unabashed
face, he offers to measure his lies with insolence!