she was married to him in the regular way by her father in the
presence of her relatives. Master-mind married her secretly, like a
thief. And when a thief takes things from other people, it is never
right."

When the goblin heard this, he went back home as before. And the
king stuck to his purpose. He went back again, put the goblin on
his shoulder, and started from the sissoo tree.


FIFTEENTH GOBLIN

The Fairy Prince Cloud-chariot and the Serpent Shell-crest.
Which is the more self-sacrificing?


So the king walked along with the goblin. And the goblin said: "O
king, listen to a story the like of which was never heard."


There is a mountain called Himalaya where all gems are found. It
is the king of mountains. Its proud loftiness is everywhere the
theme of song. The sun himself has not seen its top.

On its summit is a city called Golden City, brilliant like a heap of
sunbeams left in trust by the sun. There lived a glorious
fairy-king named Cloud-banner. In the garden of his palace was a
wishing-tree which had come down to him from his ancestors.

King Cloud-banner had worshipped the tree which was really a