At the very moment when Poonguzhali, fuming with anger, stopped running and turned around, a sweet melody arose from the darkness of that forest.

“O golden-bodied one, who binds the tiger’s skin around your waist, O wearer of the radiant crescent, who adorns your shining red locks with blooming konrai flowers!”

Poonguzhali immediately recognized that voice as Senthan Amudhan’s. She burst into a peal of laughter. In that instant, she even forgot that the sound of footsteps had come from a different direction.

“Brother! Is it you?”

“Yes, Poonguzhali!”

“Where are you? Come here!”

“Here I am, I’ve come!” Saying this, Senthan Amudhan came and stood before her.

“You gave me quite a fright! Why did you follow me like this?”

“Poonguzhali! I traveled all the way from Thanjai, for many days, just to see you and to hear your sweet singing. Even after coming here, I waited all these days without seeing you! By chance, I saw you just now and ran after you. Why did you run away like that? Come, sing a song for me—let me listen!”

“What a fine place to sing; and what a fine occasion!”

“If you won’t sing, then I’ll sing another song myself. I’ll wake up all the animals sleeping in this forest and send them running, just watch!”

“Madman! O Lord who wears the crescent, O merciful one!”

“That’s enough, brother! Stop your singing for a bit!”

“Then will you sing?” Thus pleading, Senthan Amudhan immediately lowered his voice and said softly, “Poonguzhali! Someone else was following you. I sang out loud only to warn you. This evening, that man and your brother’s wife had some secret conversation. Do you know who he is?” Then again, in a loud voice, he pleaded, “What do you say! Are you going to sing? Shall I sing instead? Lord Shiva danced in the burning grounds; can’t you at least sing in this desolate forest?”

“Here, I will sing; do not be angry!” said Poonguzhali, and then she sang as follows:

“O our fluttering parrots! O our singing cuckoos! You who can reveal the sleeplessness, the slipping bangles, and the ceaseless memory of the Lord of Arur, who is the very eye of righteousness— Are you able to remind us so?”

After singing thus, in a soft voice, she asked, “Amudha! How did you know I was coming?”

“Poonguzhali! I saw a boat approaching from the top of the lighthouse. I guessed it might be you, so I came here searching for you. At the same time, some men from Pazhuvur also came this way. I did not see you in the boat. But I saw my friend Vallavaraiyan and the prince. I told Vallavaraiyan about the Pazhuvur men coming. Then, together, we carried the prince and hid him in a nearby mandapam.”

“Oh no! What a mistake you have made! What happened to the boat?”

“We overturned the boat in the canal so that no one would suspect if they saw it! Why, Poonguzhali,