th the funeral piles as flaming eyes. He bravely went
through the dreadful cemetery to the sissoo tree, put the goblin on his
shoulder, and started as before. And as he walked along, the goblin
said to him: "O King, I am very tired with these comings and goings,
but you do not seem to be. So I will tell you my Great Puzzle. Listen."

Long ago there was a king named Virtue in the southern country. He was
the best of righteous men, and was born in a great family. His wife
came from the Malwa country, and her name was Moonlight. And they had
one daughter, whom they named Beauty.

When this daughter was grown up, the relatives conspired to wreck the
kingdom and drive King Virtue out. But he escaped by night, took a
great many jewels, and fled from his kingdom with his beautiful wife
and his daughter. He started for his father-in-law's house in Malwa,
and came with his wife and daughter to the Vindhya forest. There they
spent a weary night.

In the morning the blessed sun arose in the east, stretching out his
rays like hands to warn the king not to go into the forest where
robbers lived. The king went on foot with his trembling daughter and
his wife, and their feet were wounded by the thorny grass. So they came
to a fortified village. It was like the city of Death; for there were
no righteous people there, and it was filled with robber-men who killed
and robbed other people.

As the king drew near with his fine garments and his gems, many robbers
saw him from a distance, and ran out armed to rob him. When the king
saw them coming, he said to his wife and daughter: "These are wild men.
They must not touch you. Go into the thick woods." So the queen with
her daughter Beauty fled in fear into the middle of the forest.

But the brave king took his sword and shield and killed many of the
wild men as they charged down, raining arrows on him. Then their leader
gave an order, and all the robbers fell on the king at once, wounded
every limb in his body, and killed him; for he was all alone. So the
robbers took the jewels and went away.

Now the queen had hidden in a thicket, and had seen her husband killed.
Then she fled a long distance in fear and came with her daughter into
another thick wood. The rays of the midday sun were so fierce that
travellers had to sit in the shade. So Queen Moonlight and Princess
Beauty sat down under an ashoka tree near a lotus-pond in terrible
weariness and fear and grief.

Now a gentleman nam