Once again King Vikram returned to the tree, took down the corpse, threw it across his shoulder and began to walk towards the burial ground. When he had walked just a few paces, the Vetala in the corpse began to speak. "O King!" he said. "You are extraordinarily gifted and courageous. But are you using those talents properly? Or are you squandering them on wasted exercises, rather likethe three gifted men in the well-known story. Shall I narrate it to you?"
And the Vetala began. "Down in asouthern state, there once lived a richlandlord who had one son and three daughters. The daughters had been recently married to well to do young men. But the son, Sanghamesh war, was yet to be married.
One year after his sisters went away to the irmarital houses, Sanghameshwar decided to visit them to find out if they were happy. So off he went onhis mission. When he reached his eldest sister's house, she welcomed him warmly. Finding his sister alone that afternoon, Sanghamesh war asked her the all-important question: "How are you, sister? How do you get along with your husband?"
She sighed. "I can't say that I'm very happy," shesaid. "My husband is very talented and he is also verywealthy. He is a gifted archer, you know. But there isvery little work that he can find. So every morning, to keep his skills finely honed, he practises archery using me as his target. He places a bowl on my head and aimsat it. I feel quite faint with fear that I may be hit!"Sanghamesh war nodded thoughtfully and soon left.
