r with tender words, and took care of
her and her daughter. His son helped the two ladies on horseback and
led them to his own city, rich as the city of the god of wealth. And
the queen seemed to be in another life. She was helpless and widowed
and miserable. So she consented. What could she do, poor woman?

Then, because the queen had smaller feet, the son Strong-lion married
Queen Moonlight. And Fierce-lion, the father, married her daughter, the
princess Beauty, because of the bigness of her feet. Who would break a
promise that had been made solemnly?

Thus, because of their inconsistent feet, the daughter became the wife
of the father and the mother-in-law of her own mother. And the mother
became the wife of the son and the daughter-in-law of her own daughter.
And as time passed, sons and daughters were born to each pair.

When the goblin had told this story, he asked the king: "O King, when
children were born to the father and daughter, and other children to
the son and mother, what relation were those children to one another?
If you know and do not tell, then remember the curse I spoke of before?"

When the king heard the goblin's question, he turned the thing this way
and that, but could not say a word. So he went on in silence. And when
the goblin saw that he could not answer the question, he laughed in his
heart and thought: "This king cannot give an answer to my Great Puzzle.
So he just walks on in silence. And he cannot deceive me because of the
power of the curse. Well, I am pleased with his wonderful character. So
I will cheat that rogue of a monk, and give the magic power he is
striving after to this king."

So the goblin said aloud: "O King, you are weary with your comings and
goings in this dreadful cemetery in the black night, yet you seem
happy, and never hesitate at all. I am astonished and pleased at your
perseverance. So now you may take the dead body and go ahead. I will
leave the body. And I will tell you something that will do you good,
and you must do it. The monk for whom you are carrying this body, is a
rogue. He will call upon me and worship me, and he will try to kill you
as a sacrifice. He will say: Lie flat on the ground in an attitude of
reverence.' O King, you must say to that rascal: I do not know this
attitude of reverence. Show me first, and then I will do likewise.'
Then when he lies on the ground to show you the attitude of reverence,
cut off his head with your sword. Then you