put
her on a horse and took her to their own country. And when they got
there, the prince lived most happily with her.

But Bite thought that his daughter was eaten by wild beasts in the
wood, and he died of grief. And his wife died with him.

When he had told this story, the goblin asked the king: "O King, who
was to blame for the death of the parents: the prince, or the
counsellor's son, or Lily? You seem like a very wise man, so resolve my
doubts on this point. If you know and do not tell me the truth, then
your head will surely fly into a hundred pieces. And if you give a good
answer, then I will jump from your shoulder and go back to the sissoo
tree."

Then King Triple-victory said to the goblin: "You are a master of
magic. You surely know yourself, but I will tell you. It was not the
fault of any of the three you mentioned. It was entirely the fault of
King Ear-lotus."

But the goblin said: "How could it be the king's fault? The other three
did it. Are the crows to blame when the geese eat up the rice?"

Then the king said: "But those three are not to blame. It was right for
the counsellor's son to do his master's business. So he is not to
blame. And Lily and the prince were madly in love and could not stop to
think. They only looked after their own affairs. They are not to blame.

"But the king knew the law-books very well, and he had spies to find
out the facts among the people. And he knew about the doings of
rascals. So he acted without thinking. He is to blame."

When the goblin heard this, he wanted to test the king's constancy. So
he went back by magic in a moment to the sissoo tree. And the king went
back fearlessly to get him.

SECOND GOBLIN

_The Three Lovers who brought the Dead Girl to Life. Whose wife should
she be?_

Then King Triple-victory went back under the sissoo tree to fetch the
goblin. And when he got there and looked about, he saw the goblin
fallen on the ground and moaning. Then, when the king put the body with
the goblin in it on his shoulder and started to carry him off quickly
and silently, the goblin on his shoulder said to him: "Oh King, you
have fallen into a very disagreeable task which you do not deserve. So
to amuse you I will tell another story. Listen."

On the bank of Kalindi River is a farm where a very learned Brahman
lived. And he had a very beautiful daughter named Coral. When the
Creator fashioned her fresh and peerless loveliness, surely he must
have