evening it came to visit me, and when I looked upon it its beauty
faded into hideousness, its teeth became horrible fangs, its eyes
glared like coals of fire, great claws sprang from its slender
fingers, and were I not what I am it might have consumed me.'

The king could hardly speak from alarm, but at last he said:

'How am I to distinguish this awful thing when I see it?'

'Search,' said the jogi, 'for a lovely girl with a lance wound in
her leg, and when she is found secure her safely and come and
tell me, and I will advise you what to do next.'

Away hurried the king, and soon set all his soldiers scouring the
country for a girl with a lance wound in her left. For two days
the search went on, and then it was somehow discovered that the
only person with a lance wound in the leg was the princess
herself. The king, greatly agitated, went off to tell the jogi,
and to assure him that there must be some mistake. But of course
the jogi was prepared for this, and had his answer ready.

'She is not really your daughter, who was stolen away at her
birth, but an evil spirit that has taken her form,' said he
solemnly. 'You can do what you like, but if you don't take my
advice she will kill you all.' And so solemn he appeared, and so
unshaken in his confidence, that the king's wisdom was blinded,
and he declared that he would do whatever the jogi advised, and
believe whatever he said. So the jogi directed him to send him
secretly two carpenters; and when they arrived he set them to
make a great chest, so cunningly jointed and put together that