like you, who are merciful to all the world,
are very rare. Oh, pious being, I could not stain the pure family of
Shell-guard, as the dark spot stains the disk on the moon."

Then Shell-crest said to his mother: "Mother, return from this desolate
place. Do you not see the rock of sacrifice wet with the blood of
serpents, the terrible plaything of Death? I will go for a moment to
the shore and worship the god Shiva there. And I will return quickly
before Garuda comes."

So Shell-crest took leave of his mother and went to worship Shiva. And
Cloud-chariot thought: "If Garuda should come in this interval, I
should be happy."

Then he saw the trees stiffening themselves against the wind made by
the sweeping wings of the king of birds. "Garuda is coming," he
thought, and climbed the rock of sacrifice, eager to give his life for
another.

And Garuda straightway pounced upon the noble creature and lifted him
from the rock in his beak. While Cloud-chariot's blood flowed in
streams and the gem fell from his forehead, Garuda carried him off and
began to eat him on the summit of the Malabar hills. And while he was
being eaten, Cloud-chariot thought: "In every future life of mine may
my body do some good to somebody. I would not attain heaven and
salvation without doing some good first." Then a shower of flowers fell
from heaven on the fairy prince.

At that moment the blood-stained gem from his forehead fell in front of
his wife Sandal. She was in anguish at the sight, and as her
parents-in-law were near, she tearfully showed it to them. And they
were alarmed at the sight of their son's gem and wondered what it
meant. Then King Cloud-banner discovered the truth by his magic arts,
and he and his queen started to run with Cloud-chariot's wife Sandal.

At that moment Shell-crest returned from his worship of Shiva. He saw
the rock stained with blood, and cried: "Alas for me, poor sinner!
Surely that noble, merciful creature has given his body to Garuda in
place of mine. I must find him. Where has the great being been carried
by my enemy? If I find him alive, then I shall not sink into the slough
of infamy." So he followed weeping the broad trail of blood.

Now Garuda noticed that Cloud-chariot was happy while being eaten, and
he thought: "This must be some strange, great being, for he is happy
while I am eating him. He does not die, and what remains of him is
thrilled with delight. And he turns a gracious, benevolent look up