own hand I anoint you king of the fairies." And she
anointed Cloud-chariot with liquor from the jar, and then disappeared,
followed by the worship of the company. And showers of heavenly
blossoms fell from the sky, and the drums of the gods were joyfully
beaten in heaven.

Then Garuda reverently said to Cloud-chariot: "O King, I am pleased
with your more than human character. For you have done a strange thing
of unparalleled nobility, to be marvelled at throughout the universe,
to be written upon the walls of heaven. Therefore I am at your service.
Choose from me what boon you will."

The noble creature said to Garuda: "O Garuda, you must repent and eat
no more serpents. And you must restore to life those that you ate
before, who now are nothing but bones."

And Garuda said: "So be it. I will eat no serpents hereafter. And those
that I have eaten shall come to life."

Then all the serpents who had been eaten down to the bones, suddenly
stood up. And through the grace of Gauri all the leading fairies
learned immediately the wonderful deed of Cloud-chariot. So they all
came and bowed at his feet and took him, freshly anointed by the very
hand of Gauri, with his rejoicing relatives and friends to the Himalaya
mountain. There Cloud-chariot lived happily with his father and his
mother and his wife Sandal and Friend-wealth and the generous
Shell-crest. And he ruled the fairy world radiant with gems.

When the goblin had told this long, strange story, he said to the king:
"O King, tell me. Which was the more self-sacrificing, Cloud-chariot or
Shell-crest? If you know and do not tell, then the curse I mentioned
before will be fulfilled."

And the king said: "There was nothing remarkable in what Cloud-chariot
did. He was prepared for it by the experiences of many past lives. But
Shell-crest deserves praise. He was saved from death. His enemy had
another victim, and was far away. Yet he ran after and offered his body
to Garuda."

When the goblin heard this, he went back to the sissoo tree. And the
king returned to catch him again.

SIXTEENTH GOBLIN

_The King who died for Love of his General's Wife; the General follows
him in Death. Which is the more worthy?_

Then the king went back under the sissoo tree, put the goblin on his
shoulder as before, and started. And the goblin said to him: "O King, I
will tell you another little story to relieve your weariness. Listen."

Long ago there was a city named Golden