The friends embraced, while the mother wept with joy. All those who heard of their reunion praised Dharmangada. Eventually, the wicked Bhushan, afterhearing the story had a change of heart and gave back Dharmangada's property to him.
Having concluded his story, the vampire turned to Vikram and asked, "O King! Vishwadutta proved to be a false friend who refused to help Dharmangada at a crucial moment. Wasn't it to punish him for this treachery that Dharmangada met the sage and changed himself into a snake? All of Dharmangada's bombastic talk about friendship in the pooja room is not in character with his actions. Was he not being insincere? Answer me if you can. If you keep quiet, despite knowing the answer, your head shall shatter into a thousand fragments!"
Vikram replied, "Like human beings, animals, too, act according to their nature. Dharmangada had assumed that snakes would nurse feelings of revenge. But a chance talk with a snake taught him that snakes never kill except in self-defence! He appreciated this reasoning. There is no doubt that Dharmangada and Vishwadutta were close friends. It was natural for Dharmangada to turn to Vishwadutta at a time of need. But Vishwadutta, who was himself passing through a crisis at that time, was unable to extend any help. Dharmangada was unable to comprehend his helplessness and so was bent on revenge. But Vishwadutta's mother's words in the pooja room opened his eyes to the truth. Thus the friends were reunited!"
No sooner had King Vikram concluded answering the vampire than the corpse gave him the slip once again. Squaring his shoulders, the king went off in pursuit of it.
