And at nightfall the prince and the counsellor's son put off their
hermit disguise, mounted on horseback, and found her weeping.
They put her on a horse and took her to their own country. And
when they got there, the prince lived most happily with her.

But Bite thought that his daughter was eaten by wild beasts in the
wood, and he died of grief. And his wife died with him.


When he had told this story, the goblin asked the king: "O King,
who was to blame for the death of the parents: the prince, or the
counsellor's son, or Lily? You seem like a very wise man, so
resolve my doubts on this point. If you know and do not tell me the
truth, then your head will surely fly into a hundred pieces. And if
you give a good answer, then I will jump from your shoulder and
go back to the sissoo tree."

Then King Triple-victory said to the goblin: "You are a master of
magic. You surely know yourself, but I will tell you. It was not the
fault of any of the three you mentioned. It was entirely the fault of
King Ear-lotus."

But the goblin said: "How could it be the king's fault? The other
three did it. Are the crows to blame when the geese eat up the
rice?"

Then the king said: "But those three are not to blame. It was right
for the counsellor's son to do his master's business. So he is not to
blame. And Lily and the prince were madly in love and could not
stop to think. They only looked after their own affairs. They are