is indeed dreadful. It is in the shape of a
beautiful girl, but it is really an evil spirit. Last 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 leg. 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 neither
air nor water could penetrate it. There and then the chest was made,
and, when it was ready, the jogi bade the king to bring the princess by
night; and they two thrust the poor little maiden into the chest and
fastened it down with long nails, and between them carried it to the
river and pushed it out into the stream.

As soon as the jogi got back from this deed he called two of his pupils,
and pretended that it had been revealed to him that there should be
found floating on the river a chest with something of great price within
it; and he bade them go and watch for it at such a place far down the
stream, and when the chest came slowly along, bobbing and turning in the
tide, they were to seize it and secretly and swiftly bring it to him,
for he was now determined to put the princ