TENTH GOBLIN
by Unknown · from Twenty-Two Goblins
Adapted Version
Once there was a King. He had three wives. One was Queen Crescent. One was Queen Star. One was Queen Moon. The King loved them. He loved them all.
The King played in the garden. He played with his wives. The sun was warm. They laughed.
A flower petal fell. It fell from her hair. It touched her skin. Queen Crescent felt it. She felt a small hurt. She closed her eyes. The King helped Queen Crescent. She went to her room. She rested there. She felt better soon. She was well again.
Later, Queen Star slept. Moonbeams came in. They fell on her skin. Queen Star woke up. She had red marks. She said, "Ouch!" The King helped Queen Star. She went to her bed. She rested there. She felt better soon. She was well again.
Queen Moon walked. She heard a sound. People ground grain. It was far away. The sound was loud. Her hands got blue marks. She cried, "My hands!" The King helped Queen Moon. She went to her room. She rested there. She felt better soon. She was well again.
The King thought about his wives. He thought about them all. Queen Crescent felt a petal. A soft petal hurt her. Queen Star felt moonbeams. Bright moonbeams hurt her. Queen Moon felt a sound. A loud sound hurt her. He wondered who was most delicate.
All the wives got well. The King was happy. He smiled.
A wise man came. He asked the King a question. "Who was the most delicate wife?" he asked.
The King spoke. "Queen Moon was most delicate," he said. "A petal touched Queen Crescent. Moonbeams touched Queen Star. Nothing touched Queen Moon. Only a sound hurt her. A sound made her hands blue."
The wise man smiled. He left the King. The King understood. He learned quiet things are strong. He understood delicate hearts. He knew them well.
Original Story
TENTH GOBLIN
The Three Delicate Wives of King Virtue-banner. Which is the most delicate?
Then the king went to the sissoo tree, put the goblin on his shoulder once more, and started toward the monk. And as he walked along, the goblin on his shoulder said: "O King, I will tell you a strange story to relieve your weariness. Listen."
There once was a king in Ujjain, whose name was Virtue-banner. He had three princesses as wives, and loved them dearly. One of them was named Crescent, the second Star, and the third Moon. While the king lived happily with his wives, he conquered all his enemies, and was content.
One day at the time of the spring festival, the king went to the garden to play with his three wives. There he looked at the flower-laden vines with black rows of bees on them; they seemed like the bow of the god of love, all ready for service. He heard the songs of nightingales in the trees; they sounded like commands of Love. And with his wives he drank wine which seemed like Love's very life-blood.
Then the king playfully pulled the hair of Queen Crescent, and a lotus-petal fell from her hair into her lap. And the queen was so delicate that it wounded her, and she screamed and fainted. And the king was distracted, but when servants sprinkled her with cool water and fanned her, she gradually recovered consciousness. And the king took her to the palace and waited upon his dear wife with a hundred remedies which the physicians brought.
And when the king saw that she was made comfortable for the night, he went to the palace balcony with his second wife Star. Now while she slept on the king's breast, the moonbeams found their way through the window and fell upon her. And she awoke in a moment, and started up, crying "I am burned!" Then the king awoke and anxiously asked what the matter was, and he saw great blisters on her body. When he asked her about it, Queen Star said: "The moonbeams that fell on me did it." And the king was distracted when he saw how she wept and suffered. He called the servants and they made a couch of moist lotus-leaves, and dressed her wounds with damp sandal-paste.
At that moment the third queen, Moon, left her room to go to the king. And as she moved through the noiseless night, she clearly heard in a distant part of the palace the sound of pestles grinding grain. And she cried: "Oh, oh! It will kill me!" She wrung her hands and sat down in agony in the hall. But her servants returned and led her to her room, where she took to her bed and wept. And when the servants asked what the matter was, she tearfully showed her hands with bruises on them, like two lilies with black bees clinging to them. So they went and told the king. And he came in great distress, and asked his dear wife about it. She showed her hands and spoke, though she suffered: "My dear, when I heard the sound of the pestles, these bruises came." Then the king made them give her a cooling plaster of sandal-paste and other things.
And the king thought: "One of them was wounded by a falling lotus-petal. The second was burned by the moonbeams. The third had her hands terribly bruised by the sound of pestles. I love them dearly, but alas! The very delicacy which is so great a virtue, is positively inconvenient."
And he wandered about in the palace, and it seemed as if the night had three hundred hours. But in the morning the king and his skilful physicians took such measures that before long his wives were well and he was happy.
When he had told this story, the goblin asked: "O King, which of them was the most delicate?" And the king said: "The one who was bruised by the mere sound of the pestles, when nothing touched her. The other two who were wounded or blistered by actual contact with lotus-petals or moonbeams, are not equal to her."
When the goblin heard this, he went back, and the king resolutely hastened to catch him again.
Story DNA
Moral
True delicacy or sensitivity can manifest in ways that defy physical contact, making the unseen more impactful than the tangible.
Plot Summary
A goblin tells a king a story about King Virtue-banner and his three extremely delicate wives. The first wife, Crescent, faints from a falling lotus petal. The second, Star, develops blisters from moonbeams. The third, Moon, suffers bruises on her hands from the distant sound of grinding pestles. After the king reflects on their varying sensitivities, the goblin asks which wife was the most delicate. The king correctly identifies Queen Moon, whose injury was caused by an intangible sound, as the most delicate, causing the goblin to escape.
Themes
Emotional Arc
curiosity to understanding
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
This story is part of the 'Vetala Panchavimshati' or 'Twenty-five Tales of the Vetala', a collection of ancient Indian tales within the larger 'Kathasaritsagara'. The framing narrative involves King Vikramaditya (here called 'King Virtue-banner' in the framing story, but the inner story's king is also 'Virtue-banner') carrying a Vetala (goblin/vampire) who tells a story and poses a riddle. If the king answers correctly, the Vetala escapes; if he doesn't, his head bursts. If he answers but speaks, the Vetala escapes. The king must remain silent unless asked a question.
Plot Beats (14)
- The framing narrative begins with the king carrying a goblin, who promises a story to relieve weariness.
- The goblin introduces King Virtue-banner of Ujjain and his three beloved wives: Crescent, Star, and Moon.
- During a spring festival, the king plays with his wives in a garden, enjoying the beauty of nature and wine.
- A lotus petal falls from Queen Crescent's hair, wounding her so severely that she screams and faints.
- Queen Crescent is revived and taken to the palace, where she receives medical attention.
- Later, Queen Star sleeps on the king's breast, and moonbeams fall upon her, causing her to awaken with blisters and pain.
- Queen Star is treated with cool lotus leaves and sandal-paste for her moonbeam burns.
- Queen Moon, while walking to the king's room, hears distant pestles grinding grain and develops bruises on her hands from the sound alone.
- Queen Moon is also treated with cooling plasters for her unique affliction.
- King Virtue-banner ponders the extreme delicacy of his wives, finding it both virtuous and inconvenient.
- The wives eventually recover, and the king is happy.
- The goblin concludes its story and asks the framing narrative's king which wife was the most delicate.
- The king declares Queen Moon the most delicate because her injury was caused by sound, not physical contact.
- Upon hearing the correct answer, the goblin returns to its tree, and the king continues his journey.
Characters
King Virtue-banner
A man of regal bearing, likely of average to tall height and a fit build, reflecting his role as a conqueror. His features would be consistent with someone from ancient Ujjain (India).
Attire: Richly embroidered silk dhoti and angavastram, possibly with a jeweled turban or a simple gold circlet. Colors would be vibrant, such as deep reds, blues, or purples, indicative of royalty in ancient India. He might wear a variety of gold and precious stone jewelry.
Wants: To live happily with his beloved wives and ensure their well-being; to understand the nature of their extreme delicacy.
Flaw: His deep love and concern for his wives' extreme delicacy, which he finds 'inconvenient' and perplexing.
He starts content but becomes perplexed and distressed by his wives' extreme delicacy. He resolves to care for them and ultimately makes a judgment about who is most delicate.
Affectionate, concerned, thoughtful, decisive, somewhat perplexed.
Queen Crescent
A woman of delicate build, slender and graceful, consistent with a princess from ancient Ujjain (India). Her skin is fair and unblemished.
Attire: A flowing, light silk sari or lehenga in soft, pastel colors like cream or pale pink, possibly with delicate gold embroidery. She would wear minimal, elegant gold jewelry, such as bangles and earrings.
Wants: To live comfortably and be cherished by her husband, avoiding any physical discomfort.
Flaw: Her extreme physical delicacy, making her vulnerable to even the slightest touch.
Remains consistently delicate throughout her appearance in the story.
Extremely delicate, sensitive, prone to fainting, expressive of pain.
Queen Star
A woman of delicate build, slender and graceful, consistent with a princess from ancient Ujjain (India). Her skin is fair and highly sensitive.
Attire: A flowing, light silk sari or lehenga in soft, cool colors like pale blue or silver, possibly with delicate silver embroidery. She would wear elegant silver or white gold jewelry.
Wants: To live comfortably and be cherished by her husband, avoiding any physical discomfort, especially from light.
Flaw: Her extreme physical delicacy, making her vulnerable to even indirect contact like moonbeams.
Remains consistently delicate throughout her appearance in the story.
Extremely delicate, sensitive to external stimuli, prone to sudden pain and crying.
Queen Moon
A woman of delicate build, slender and graceful, consistent with a princess from ancient Ujjain (India). Her skin is fair and extremely sensitive to sound.
Attire: A flowing, light silk sari or lehenga in soft, ethereal colors like white or silver-grey, possibly with delicate pearl or crystal embellishments. She would wear elegant, subtle jewelry.
Wants: To live in complete tranquility and silence, avoiding any auditory discomfort.
Flaw: Her extreme physical and auditory delicacy, making her vulnerable to even distant sounds.
Remains consistently delicate throughout her appearance in the story, demonstrating the most extreme form of delicacy.
Extremely delicate, hypersensitive to sound, prone to agony and bruising from auditory stimuli.
The Goblin
A small, grotesque, and possibly green-skinned creature, consistent with traditional Indian folklore goblins (Vetala). It would have sharp features, possibly pointed ears, and a mischievous or cunning expression. Its body might be lean and wiry, allowing it to be carried on a shoulder.
Attire: Minimal, possibly tattered loincloth or simple, dark, rough-spun fabric, or no clothing at all, emphasizing its wild, non-human nature.
Wants: To engage the king in riddles and stories, perhaps as a test or a game, and to return to its sissoo tree.
Flaw: Its inability to stay caught by the king if the king answers its questions correctly.
Serves as a narrative device, telling a story and posing a question, then escaping.
Cunning, mischievous, philosophical (in its storytelling and questioning), persistent.
Locations
Royal Garden of Ujjain
A lush garden filled with flower-laden vines, buzzing with black rows of bees, and trees where nightingales sing. The atmosphere is vibrant and romantic, typical of a spring festival.
Mood: Joyful, romantic, lively, then suddenly distressed
King Virtue-banner plays with his three wives during the spring festival. Queen Crescent is wounded by a falling lotus petal.
King's Palace Balcony
An open balcony of the palace, offering a view of the night sky. Moonbeams can easily penetrate through the open space or large windows.
Mood: Peaceful, then anxious and painful
Queen Star sleeps on the king's breast, and moonbeams fall upon her, causing blisters.
Palace Hallway/Corridor
A quiet, expansive hallway within the palace, where sounds from distant parts of the building, like the grinding of grain, can be faintly heard.
Mood: Silent, then agonizing and distressing
Queen Moon walks through the hallway and is bruised by the distant sound of pestles grinding grain.