Then King Triple-victory went back to the sissoo tree and saw the
body with the goblin in it hanging there just as before. He took it
down without being frightened by all its twistings and writhings,
and quickly set out again. And as he walked along in silence as
before, the goblin said: "O King, you are obstinate, and you are
pleasing to look at. So to amuse you, I will tell another story.
Listen."


There is a city called Ujjain, famous throughout the world. There
lived a king named Merit, who had as counsellor a Brahman
named Hariswami, adorned with all noble virtues. The counsellor
had a worthy wife, and a son named Devaswami was born to her,
and was as good as she. And they had one daughter named
Moonlight, who was worthy of her name, for she was famous for
her matchless beauty and charm.

When the girl had grown out of childhood, she was proud of her
wonderful beauty, and she told her mother, her father, and her
brother: "I will marry a brave man or a wise man or a clever man. I
should die if I were married to anyone else."

Now while her father was busy looking for such a husband for her,
he was sent by King Merit to another king in the southern country
to make a treaty for war and peace. When he had finished his
business, a Brahman youth, who had heard of his daughter's
beauty, came and asked him for her.

And he said: "My daughter will not marry anyone unless he is a