y that King Shudraka was the best among them?"

Then the king answered the goblin: "Not Hero. He was a gentleman born,
so it was his duty to save his king at the cost of life, wife and
children. And his wife was a lady, a faithful wife who only did what
was right in following her husband. And Trusty was their son, and like
them. For the cloth is always like the threads. But the king has aright
to use his subjects' lives to save his own. So when Shudraka gave his
life for them, he proved himself the best of all."

When the goblin heard this, he jumped from the king's shoulder and went
back to his home without being seen. And the king was not disturbed by
this magic, but started back through the night to catch him.

FIFTH GOBLIN

_The Brave Man, the Wise Man, and the Clever Man. To which should the
girl be given?_

Then King Triple-victory went back to the sissoo tree and saw the body
with the goblin in it hanging there just as before. He took it down
without being frightened by all its twistings and writhings, and
quickly set out again. And as he walked along in silence as before, the
goblin said: "O King, you are obstinate, and you are pleasing to look
at. So to amuse you, I will tell another story. Listen."

There is a city called Ujjain, famous throughout the world. There lived
a king named Merit, who had as counsellor a Brahman named Hariswami,
adorned with all noble virtues. The counsellor had a worthy wife, and a
son named Devaswami was born to her, and was as good as she. And they
had one daughter named Moonlight, who was worthy of her name, for she
was famous for her matchless beauty and charm.

When the girl had grown out of childhood, she was proud of her
wonderful beauty, and she told her mother, her father, and her brother:
"I will marry a brave man or a wise man or a clever man. I should die
if I were married to anyone else."

Now while her father was busy looking for such a husband for her, he
was sent by King Merit to another king in the southern country to make
a treaty for war and peace. When he had finished his business, a
Brahman youth, who had heard of his daughter's beauty, came and asked
him for her.

And he said: "My daughter will not marry anyone unless he is a clever
man or a wise man or a brave man. Which of these are you? Tell me." And
the Brahman said: "I am a clever man." "Show me," said the father, and
the clever man made a flying chariot by his skill. Then he took
Hariswami