d life be to us otherwise?"

Then the goddess said: "My son, there is no other man devoted to his
master as you are: so you may learn how to save him. There is a temple
to the Dreadful Goddess built by that king near his palace. If you
sacrifice your son to her at once, then the king will not die. He will
live another hundred years. If you do it this very night, then the
blessing will come, not otherwise."

And Hero, the hero, replied: "Then I will go, Goddess, and do it this
moment." And the Goddess of the Earth said: "Good fortune go with you,"
and she vanished. And the king, who had followed secretly, heard it
all. So he still followed to find out how Hero would behave.

But Hero went straight home, woke his wife Virtue, and told her all
that the Goddess of the Earth had said. And his wife said: "My dear, if
so much depends on it, wake the boy and tell him." Then Hero woke the
little boy, told him all, and said: "My boy, if you are sacrificed to
the Dreadful Goddess, our king will live. If not, he will die in three
days."

And the boy was true to his name. Without fear and without hesitation
he said: "My dear father, I am a lucky boy if the king lives at the
cost of my life. Besides, that would pay for the food we have eaten.
Why then delay? Take me quickly and sacrifice me to the goddess. May
the king's evil fate be averted by my death!" And Hero was delighted
and congratulated him, saying: "Well said! You are indeed my son."

So Hero's wife Virtue and his daughter Heroic went through the night
with Hero and Trusty to the temple of the Dreadful Goddess. The king
too followed them, disguised and unnoticed. Then the father took Trusty
from his shoulder in the presence of the goddess. And Trusty worshipped
the goddess, and bravely saluted her, and said: "O Goddess, by the
sacrifice of my head may the king live another hundred years and rule a
thornless kingdom."

And as he prayed, Hero cut off his head and offered it to the Dreadful
Goddess, saying: "May the king live at the cost of my son's life!" Then
a voice cried from heaven: "O Hero, who else is devoted to his master
as you are? You have given life and royal power to the king at the cost
of your only son, and such a son." All this the king himself saw and
heard.

Then Hero's daughter Heroic kissed the lips of her dead brother, and
was blinded with sorrow, and her heart broke, and she died.

Then Hero's wife Virtue said: "My dear, we have done our duty by