the
king. And you see how my daughter died of grief. So now I say: What
good is life to me without my children? I was a fool before. I should
have given my own head to save the king. So now permit me to burn
myself at once."

And when she insisted, Hero said: "Do so. What happiness is there in a
life of constant mourning for your children? And as for your giving
your own life instead, do not grieve about that. If there had been any
other way, I should of course have given my life. So wait a moment. I
will build you a funeral pile out of these logs." So he built the pile
and lighted it.

And Virtue fell at her husband's feet, then worshipped the Dreadful
Goddess, and prayed: "O Goddess, may I have the same husband in another
life, and may this same King Shudraka be saved at the cost of my son's
life." And she died in the blazing fire.

Then Hero thought: "I have done my duty by the king, as the heavenly
voice admitted. And I have paid for the king's food which I have eaten.
So now why should I want to live alone? It is not right for a man like
me to go on living at the expense of all the family which I ought to
support. Why should I not please the goddess by sacrificing myself?"

So Hero first approached the goddess with a hymn of praise: "O
Demon-slayer! Saviour! Devil-killer! Trident-holder! Joy of the wise!
Protectress of the universe! Victory to thee, O best of mothers, whose
feet the world adores! O fearless refuge of the pious! Kali of the
dreadful ornaments! Honour and glory to thee, O kindly goddess! Be
pleased to accept the sacrifice of my head in behalf of King Shudraka."
Then he suddenly cut off his own head with his dagger.

King Shudraka beheld this from his hiding-place, and was filled with
amazement and grief and admiration. And he thought: "I have never seen
or heard the like of this. That good man and his family have done a
hard thing for me. In this strange world who else is so brave as that,
to give his son, his family, and his life for his king: If I should not
make a full return for his kindness, my kingdom would mean nothing to
me, and my life would be the life of a beast. If I lost my virtue, it
would all be a disgrace to me."

But when he started to cut off his own head, there came a voice from
heaven: "My son, do nothing rash. I am well pleased with your
character. The Brahman Hero and his children and his wife shall come
back to life." And when the voice ceased, Hero stood up alive and
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