So King Triple-victory came to the monk Patience with the body on his
shoulder. And he saw the monk alone in the dark night, sitting under
the cemetery tree and looking down the road. He had made a magic circle
with yellow powdered bones in a spot smeared with blood. In it he had
put a jug filled with blood and lamps with magic oil. He had kindled a
fire and brought together the things he needed for worship.
The monk rose to greet the king who came carrying the body, and he
said: "O King, you have done me a great favour, and a hard one. This is
a strange business and a strange time and place for such as you. They
say truly that you are the best of kings, for you serve others without
thinking of yourself. This is the very thing that makes the greatness
of a great man, when he does not give a thing up, though it costs his
very life."
So the monk felt sure that he was quite successful, and he took the
body from the king's shoulder. He bathed it and put garlands on it,
and set it in the middle of the circle. Then he smeared his own body
with ashes, put on a cord made of human hair, wrapped himself in dead
men's clothes, and stood a moment, deep in thought. And the goblin was
attracted by his thought into the body, and the monk worshipped him.
First he offered liquor in a skull, then he gave him human teeth
carefully cleaned, and human eyes and flesh. So he completed his
worship, then he said to the king: "O King, fall flat on the ground
before this master magician in an attitude of reverence, so that he may
give you what you want."
And the king remembered the words of the goblin. He said to the monk:
"Holy sir, I do not know that attitude of reverence. Do you show me
first, and afterwards I will do it in the same way."
And when the monk fell on the ground to show the attitude of reverence,
the king cut off his head with a sword, and cut out his heart and split
it open. And he gave the head and the heart to the goblin.
Then all the little gods were delighted and cried: "Well done!" And the
goblin was pleased and spoke to the king from the body he was living
in: "O King, this monk was trying to become king of the fairies. But
you shall be that when you have been king of the whole world."
And the king answered the goblin: "O magic creature, if you are pleased
with me, I have nothing more to wish for. Yet I ask you to make me one
promise, that these twenty-two different, charming puzzle-stories shall
be known all over the world and be received with honour."
And the goblin answered: "O King, so be it. And I will tell you
something more. Listen. When anyone tells or hears with proper respect
even a part of these puzzle-stories, he shall be immediately free from
sin. And wherever these stories are told, elves and giants and witches
and goblins and imps shall have no power."
Then the goblin left the dead body by magic, and went where he wanted
to. Then Shiva appeared there with all the little gods, and he was
well pleased. When the king bowed before him, he said: "My son, you
did well to kill this sham monk who tried by force to become king of
the fairies. Therefore you shall establish the whole earth, and then
become king of the fairies yourself. And when you have long enjoyed
the delights of heaven and at last give them up of your own accord,
then you shall be united with me. So receive from me this sword called
Invincible. While you have it, everything you say will come true."
So Shiva gave him the magic sword, received his flowery words of
worship, and vanished with the gods.
[Illustration]
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Transcriber's Notes:
Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.
Minor punctuation and printer errors repaired.
Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully
as possible, including obsolete and variant spellings and other
inconsistencies.