TWENTY-FIRST GOBLIN
by Unknown · from Twenty-Two Goblins. Translated from the Sanskrit
Adapted Version
King Leo walked in the forest. A tricky little creature sat on his shoulder. It wiggled and squirmed. "Oh King," said the creature. "You walk for so long. I will tell you a story now. Listen well."
There was a pretty city. People lived happily there. A kind father lived in this city. He was a very wise man. He had much money.
The kind father had a dear wife. They had a little boy. He was their only son. The boy grew up. He was very good. He was sixteen years old. Then he became very still and quiet. He did not move.
The father and mother were very sad. They cried many tears. They held their little boy close. They did not want to say goodbye. Other people talked. They said to let him go. But the parents held him tight.
Near this place was a small hut. An Old Wise Man lived there. He was very, very old. He was thin and tired. His hair was like lightning.
The Old Wise Man had a Helper Boy. The Helper Boy did not want to help. He heard the sad cries. The Old Wise Man asked him to look. "No!" said the Helper Boy. He left the Old Wise Man alone.
The Old Wise Man saw the sad family. He felt very old and weak. He thought, "I am so tired." He had a secret magic power. He thought of a clever trick. He could be young again. He could change bodies.
He went to a quiet place. He cried some sad tears. Then he began to dance. He danced a happy dance. He made special moves.
With magic, he left his body. His old body became empty. The little boy woke up! He sat up tall. He was alive again! Everyone saw him. They were so happy.
The Little Boy spoke to his family. "Please go home now," he said. "I have a special thing to do. I will come back later." The family went home.
The Old Wise Man's empty body went away. The Little Boy walked off. He was young and strong. He was happy now. He went on his way.
The Tricky Creature finished its story. It looked at King Leo. "Oh King," it said. "Why did the Old Wise Man cry? And why did he dance? Tell me, King."
King Leo knew the answer. He spoke to the creature. "He cried because he was sad. He left his old body. He loved his old body. He danced because he was happy. He was young again!"
The Tricky Creature heard the answer. It flew back to its tree. King Leo kept walking. He was strong and wise. He walked through the night. That was the end of the story.
Original Story
TWENTY-FIRST GOBLIN
The Old Hermit who exchanged his Body for that of the Dead Boy. Why did he weep and dance?
Then the king went back to the sissoo tree, put the goblin on his shoulder in spite of all its writhings, and set out in silence. And the goblin on his shoulder said: "O king of kings, you are terribly obstinate about this impossible task. So to amuse the weary journey I will tell a story. Listen."
In the Kalinga country was a city called Beautiful, where people lived as happily as in heaven. There ruled a famous king named Pradyumna. And in a part of this city was a region set apart by the king, where many Brahmans lived. Among them was a learned, wealthy, pious, hospitable Brahman named Sacrifice.
In his old age a single son was born to him and his worthy wife. The boy grew under the fostering care of his father, and showed signs of excellence. He was called Devasoma by his father, and his parents were entirely devoted to him.
In his sixteenth year the boy attracted everyone by his learning and modesty. Then he suddenly fell ill of a fever and died. When his father and mother saw that he was really dead, they embraced the body and wept aloud. But their love for him would not permit them to burn the body.
So the old relatives gathered, and said to the father: "Brahman, life is imaginary like a city in the sky. Do you not know this, you who know things above and things below? The kings who enjoyed themselves like gods upon the earth, they have gone one by one to cemeteries filled with processions of weeping ghosts. Their bodies were burned by the flesh-devouring fire and eaten by jackals. No one could prevent it in their case. How much less in the case of others? Therefore, as you are a wise man, tell us what you mean by embracing this dead body?"
So at last the relatives persuaded him to let his son go, and they put the body in a litter and brought it to the cemetery with weeping and wailing.
At that time a hermit was fulfilling a hard vow, and was living in a hut in the cemetery. He was very thin because of his age and his hard life. His veins stuck out like cords to bind him, as if afraid that he would break in pieces. His hair was tawny like the lightning.
This hermit heard the wailing of the people, and turned to his pupil who begged food for him. Now this pupil was proud and arrogant. And the hermit said: "My boy, what is this wailing we hear? Go outside and find out, then return and tell me why this unheard-of commotion is taking place."
But the pupil said: "I will not go. Go yourself. My hour for begging is passing by."
Then the teacher said: "Fool! Glutton! What do you mean by your hour for begging? Only one half of the first watch of the day is gone."
Then the bad pupil became angry and said: "Decrepit old man! I am not your pupil. And you are not my teacher. I am going away. Do your begging yourself." And he angrily threw down his staff and bowl before the old man, and got up, and went away.
Then the hermit laughed. He left his hut and went to the place where the dead Brahman boy had been brought to be burned. He saw how the people mourned over such youthful freshness dead, and felt his own age and weakness. So he made up his mind to exchange his body for the other by magic.
He went aside and wept at the top of his voice. Then he danced with all the proper gestures.
After that, full of the longing to enjoy the happiness of youth, he left his own withered body by magic and entered the body of the Brahman youth. So the Brahman youth came to life on the funeral pyre and stood up. And a cry of joy arose from all the relatives: "See! The boy is alive! He is alive!"
Then the magician in the body of the Brahman boy said to the relatives: "I went to the other world, and Shiva gave me life and directed me to perform a great vow. So now I am going off to perform the vow. If I do not, my life will not last. Do you then go home, and I will come later."
So he spoke to those gathered there, having made up his mind what to do, and sent them home full of joy and grief. He went himself and threw his old body into a pit, and then went off, a young man.
When the goblin had told this story, he said to King Triple-victory, who was walking through the night: "O King, when the magician entered another person's body, why did he weep before doing it, or why did he dance? I have a great curiosity about this point."
And the king was afraid of the curse, so he broke silence and said: "Listen, goblin. He thought: 'I am leaving to-day this body with which I won magic powers, the body which my parents petted when I was a child.' So first he wept from grief, and from love of his body which he found it hard to leave. Then he thought: 'With a new body I can learn more magic.' So he danced from joy at getting youth."
When the goblin heard this answer, he returned quickly to the sissoo tree. And the king pursued him, undismayed.
Story DNA
Plot Summary
As King Triple-victory carries a goblin, the goblin tells a story about a Brahman's son, Devasoma, who dies young. His parents refuse to cremate him, consumed by grief. An old, frail hermit in the cemetery, abandoned by his pupil, decides to use magic to transfer his soul into the dead boy's body. After a ritual of weeping and dancing, he successfully inhabits the boy's body, sending the family home with false hope and disposing of his old form. The goblin then riddles the king about the hermit's weeping and dancing, to which the king correctly answers that the hermit wept for his old body and danced for the joy of youth, causing the goblin to return to the tree.
Themes
Emotional Arc
acceptance of loss to renewed hope
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
This story is part of the Vetala Panchavimshati (Twenty-Five Tales of the Vetala), a collection of frame stories from ancient India, often featuring riddles posed by a 'vetala' (goblin/vampire) to a king.
Plot Beats (14)
- The king carries the goblin, who begins a story to pass the time.
- The story introduces King Pradyumna and a wealthy Brahman, Sacrifice, in the city of Beautiful.
- Sacrifice and his wife have a beloved son, Devasoma, who dies at sixteen.
- The parents are overcome with grief and refuse to cremate their son, despite the relatives' philosophical arguments about mortality.
- In the same cemetery, an old, ascetic hermit is living in a hut.
- The hermit's arrogant pupil refuses to investigate the wailing and abandons his teacher.
- The hermit, feeling his age and weakness, decides to use magic to transfer his soul into the young, dead boy's body.
- He goes aside, weeps, and dances with specific gestures.
- He then leaves his old body and enters Devasoma's, bringing the boy back to life.
- The 'revived' boy tells his family he must perform a vow for Shiva and sends them home.
- He disposes of his old, withered body and leaves as a young man.
- The goblin finishes the story and asks King Triple-victory why the magician wept and danced.
- The king explains that the hermit wept from grief at leaving his old body and danced from joy at gaining youth.
- Upon hearing the correct answer, the goblin returns to the sissoo tree, and the king continues his pursuit.
Characters
The Old Hermit
Extremely thin and frail due to age and severe ascetic practices. His body is gaunt, with prominent veins that stand out like cords, giving the impression he might break apart. He is likely of average height but stooped with age.
Attire: Simple, worn, and perhaps tattered saffron or earth-toned robes, typical of an ascetic or sadhu in ancient India. The fabric would be coarse, possibly cotton or rough wool, showing signs of long use and exposure to the elements.
Wants: To achieve spiritual enlightenment through severe vows, and later, to regain youth and the ability to pursue more magic and worldly pleasures.
Flaw: His attachment to worldly desires (youth, pleasure, more magic) despite his ascetic life, and a certain ruthlessness in achieving his goals.
He transforms from a frail, ascetic old man into a vibrant young man, abandoning his old body and vows for a new life of youthful enjoyment and magical exploration.
Wise, disciplined (initially), pragmatic, somewhat detached, capable of powerful magic, and ultimately driven by a desire for youth and continued magical pursuits.
Devasoma
A young man of sixteen years, possessing youthful freshness and a healthy physique before his illness. He is likely of average height for his age, with a slender but not frail build.
Attire: Simple, clean, and well-maintained dhoti and perhaps an angavastram (upper cloth) made of fine white or cream cotton, appropriate for a learned Brahman youth. The clothing would be modest but of good quality, reflecting his family's wealth.
Wants: To live a life of learning and devotion, as expected of a Brahman youth. After reanimation, his body's motivation is to fulfill the hermit's new vow and pursue magic.
Flaw: His physical vulnerability to illness, leading to his untimely death.
His physical body is taken over by the Old Hermit, effectively ending his individual existence but giving the hermit a new lease on life.
Learned, modest, and excellent, as described by his parents. After the hermit inhabits his body, his personality shifts to be more pragmatic and driven by the hermit's goals.
The Pupil
A young man, likely healthy and robust, contrasting with his elderly teacher. His build would be strong enough to perform begging duties.
Attire: Simple, practical clothing suitable for a student or mendicant in ancient India, perhaps a basic dhoti and a simple upper cloth, but possibly less well-maintained than a devoted student's, reflecting his arrogance.
Wants: To fulfill his own immediate needs (begging for food) and to assert his independence from his teacher.
Flaw: His overwhelming pride and disrespect for authority, which leads him to abandon his teacher.
He abandons his teacher in a fit of pique, leaving the hermit to his own devices.
Proud, arrogant, gluttonous, disrespectful, impatient, disloyal.
King Triple-victory
A strong and determined king, capable of carrying a goblin on his shoulder for a long journey. He would have a regal and commanding presence, likely well-built and resilient.
Attire: Royal attire befitting a king in ancient India, possibly a richly embroidered silk dhoti or a long tunic (angarkha) in deep jewel tones like sapphire or emerald, with gold threadwork. He might wear a jeweled turban or a simple gold crown, and significant royal jewelry such as necklaces and armbands. The fabric would be fine silk or brocade.
Wants: To fulfill his impossible task, likely to gain a boon or achieve a specific goal that requires the goblin's cooperation.
Flaw: His silence is a weakness that the goblin exploits, but his determination often overcomes it.
He remains steadfast in his quest, demonstrating his unwavering determination despite the goblin's attempts to deter him.
Obstinate, determined, patient, wise (as shown by his ability to answer the goblin's riddle), and undismayed by challenges.
The Goblin
A small, grotesque, and writhing creature, implied to be light enough for a human to carry but strong enough to resist. Its form is likely mischievous and unsettling, perhaps with sharp features and an agile body.
Attire: No specific clothing mentioned, suggesting it might be naked or covered in its own skin/fur, or perhaps adorned with crude, natural elements.
Wants: To escape being carried by the king, primarily by tricking him into speaking, which allows it to return to the sissoo tree.
Flaw: Its inability to remain with the king if the king breaks his silence after a riddle.
It repeatedly tries to escape the king by telling stories and riddles, returning to its tree each time the king speaks, but is always pursued and recaptured.
Mischievous, cunning, talkative, persistent, challenging, and a teller of stories/riddles.
Sacrifice
An elderly Brahman, likely of a dignified but sorrowful appearance after the death of his son. He would be of average build, possibly slightly stooped with age and grief.
Attire: Clean, simple, white or cream-colored cotton dhoti and an upper cloth, appropriate for a pious and wealthy Brahman. The fabric would be fine but unadorned, reflecting his status and piety.
Wants: To care for his beloved son, and after his death, to cling to his memory and body out of overwhelming love.
Flaw: His intense emotional attachment to his son, which makes it difficult for him to accept death.
He initially refuses to burn his son's body due to grief but is eventually persuaded by his relatives to let go.
Learned, wealthy, pious, hospitable, deeply loving (especially towards his son), and initially resistant to letting go of his grief.
Locations
City of Beautiful (Kalinga Country)
A prosperous city in the Kalinga country, described as being as happy as heaven, with a specific region set apart for Brahmans. Implies well-maintained streets and dwellings.
Mood: Joyful, prosperous, serene
The setting where the Brahman Sacrifice and his family live, and where Devasoma grows up.
Cemetery (Kalinga Country)
A desolate and somber place on the outskirts of the city, where bodies are brought for cremation. It contains a hermit's hut and a designated area for funeral pyres.
Mood: Somber, mournful, desolate, with an underlying magical tension
Devasoma's body is brought here for cremation. The old hermit lives here and performs the body-exchange magic.