Twenty-Two Goblins. Translated from the Sanskrit

"Twenty-Two Goblins" translated from the Sanskrit by Ryder and Nahl is a collection of tales from India originally written in Sanskrit. A legendary king must capture a cunning vetala—a spirit inhabiting dead bodies—who hangs from a tree. Each time the king seizes the creature, it tells a story ending with a riddle. If the king answers correctly, the vetala escapes back to its tree. Through twenty-four captures and escapes, the king faces an ultimate test that reveals a darker plot threatening his life.

Twenty-Two Goblins. Translated from the Sanskrit, from the public domain. Republished by OpenStories from Project Gutenberg eBook #52309.