Page:Katha sarit sagara, vol2.djvu/225

 tions, the corpse itself, which was animated by a Vetála, uttered a terrible shriek. That terrified the second person so that his heart broke, and ho fell down dead, and then Śrídarśana went off with that corpse in his arms. Then the second man, though dead, rose up, being possessed by a Vetála, and tried to stop Śrídarśana, and said to him, " Halt ! do not go off with my friend on your shoulder." Then Śrídarśana, knowing that his rival was possessed by a Vetála, said to him, " What proof is there that you are his friend? He is my friend." The rival then said, " The corpse itself shall decide between us." Then Śrídarśana, said, " Well ! let him declare who is his friend." Then the corpse, that was on his back, being possessed by a Vetála, said, " I am hungry, so I decide that whoever gives me food is my friend; let him take me where he likes." When the second corpse, that was also possessed by a Vetála, heard this, he answered,— " I have no food; if he has any, let him give you some." Śrídarśana, hearing this, said, I will give him food," and proceeded to strike with his sword at the second corpse, in order to procure food for the Vetála that was on his shoulder.* But that second corpse, which was also possessed by a Vetála, the moment he began to strike it, disappeared by its supernatural power.

Then the Vetála, that was on Śrídarśana's shoulder, said to him, " Now give me the food that you promised me." So Śrídarśana, not being able to obtain any other flesh to give him to eat, cut off with his sword some of his own flesh, and gave it to him. This pleased the Vetála, and he said to him, " I am satisfied with you, brave man, let your body be restored whole as before.Now take me off; this enterprise of yours shall succeed, but that ascetic enchanter shall be destroyed, for he is a great coward." When Śrídarśana was thus addressed by the Vetála, he immediately became whole as before, and taking the corpse he handed it to that magician. And he received it joyfully, and honoured it with unguents and garlands of blood, and he placed the corpse, possessed by the Vetála, on its back in a great circle marked out with powdered human bones, in the corners of which were placed pitchers of blood, and which was lighted up with lamps fed by oil from the human body. And he sat on the breast of the corpse, and holding in his hand a ladle and spoon of human bone, he began to make an oblation of clarified butter in its mouth. Immediately such a flame issued from the mouth of that corpse possessed by the Vetála, that the