king, "another ruby like the one you sold me?" The lad replied: "No, I
have not got one. Why, do you want another? I can give you lots, if you
wish to have them. They are to be found in a whirlpool in the sea, far,
far away. I can go and fetch some for you." Amazed at the lad's reply,
the king offered rich rewards for procuring only another ruby of the
same sort.

The lad went home and said to his mother that he must go to sea again to
fetch some rubies for the king. The woman was quite frightened at the
idea, and begged him not to go. But the lad was resolved on going, and
nothing could prevent him from carrying out his purpose. He accordingly
went alone on board that same vessel which had brought him and his
mother, and set sail. He reached the whirlpool, from near which he had
formerly picked up the rubies. This time, however, he determined to go
to the exact spot whence the rubies were coming out. He went to the
centre of the whirlpool, where he saw a gap reaching to the bottom of
the ocean. He dived into it, leaving his boat to wheel round the
whirlpool. When he reached the bottom of the ocean he saw there a
beautiful palace. He went inside. In the central room of the palace
there was the god Siva, with his eyes closed, and absorbed apparently in
intense meditation. A few feet above Siva's head was a platform, on
which lay a young lady of exquisite beauty. The prince went to the
platform and saw that the head of the lady was separated from her body.
Horrified at the sight, he did not know what to make of it. He saw a
stream of blood trickling from the severed head, falling upon the matted
head of Siva, and running into the ocean in the form of rubies. After a
little two small rods, one of silver and one of gold, which were lying
near the head of the lady, attracted his eyes. As he took up the rods in
his hands, the golden rod accidentally fell upon the head, on which the
head immediately joined itself to the body, and the lady got up.