have made to see what he could do. She rose and offered him half of her
seat. And he ate heavenly food and various fruits and chewed betel
leaves and sat happily with her on the couch.

In the morning he awoke and saw the temple to Shiva, but the heavenly
creature was gone, and the palace, and the women in it. So he went out
in distress, and the hermit in his hut smiled and asked him how he had
spent the night. And he said: "Holy sir, through your kindness I spent
a happy night, but I shall die without that heavenly creature."

Then the hermit laughed and said: "Stay here. You shall have the same
happiness again to-night." So Moon-lord enjoyed those delights every
night through the favour of the hermit.

Finally Moon-lord came to see what a mighty spell that was. So, driven
on by his fate, he respectfully begged the hermit: "Holy sir, if you
really feel pity for a poor suppliant like me, teach me that spell
which has such power."

And when he insisted, the hermit said: "You could never win the spell.
One has to stand in the water to win it. And it weaves a net of magic
to bewilder the man who is repeating the words, so that he cannot win
it. For as he mumbles it, he seems to lead another life, first a baby,
then a boy, then a youth, then a husband, then a father. And he falsely
imagines that such and such people are his friends, such and such his
enemies. He forgets his real life and his desire to win the spell. But
if a man mumbles it constantly for twenty-four years, and remembers his
own life, and is not deceived by the network of magic, and then at the
end burns himself alive, he comes out of the water, and has real magic
power. It comes only to a good pupil, and if a teacher tries to teach
it to a bad pupil, the teacher loses it too. Now you have the real
benefit through my magic power. Why insist on more? If I lost my
powers, then your happiness would go too."

But Moon-lord said: "I can do anything. Do not fear, holy sir." And the
hermit promised to teach him the spell. What will holy men not do out
of regard to those who seek aid?

So the hermit went to the river bank, and said: "My son, mumble the
words of the spell. And while you are leading an imaginary life, you
will at last be awakened by my magic. Then plunge into the magic fire
which you will see. I will stand here on the bank while you mumble it."

So he purified himself and purified Moon-lord and made him sip water,
and then he taught him the ma