Synopsis by William Disbro, created from:
Beyond the Hero (pp 92-113), by Allan B. Chinen
A king is enticed to help a sage in a cemetery ritual. But his task seems impossible as each time he tries to carry the corpse across the grave yard a ghoul whispers a riddle in his ear. A correct response starts the journey all over again and an incorrect answer means the king will die. A no-win situation until the last riddle that stumps the king. His no response elicits a warning from the ghoul that the sage is really a necromancer who is planning to kill the king. The king is told how to kill the necromancer. And he did. Then a thousand spirits materialized and praised the king. Shiva asked what the king would wish for and he replied that the stories told to him this night could be told to all men.
Dr. Chinen explains that the Trickster appears as the ghoul offering riddles in the king's ear. The riddles are symbolic of what must be learned and developed on the path to elder enlightenment.
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