The Fruits Containing Rubies

A merchant named Mal Deo arrived at King Vikram's court, handed him a fruit, and went away. Vikram wondered if this was the man the giant had warned him about. So he did not eat the fruit and, instead, gave it to the treasurer, who carefully placed it in the royal treasury. This process was repeated every day. 

One morning, Vikram went to see his stables. Mal Deo also arrived there and placed a fruit in the king's hand. A monkey immediately snatched the fruit and tore it to pieces. Lo and behold, a large, brilliant ruby dropped from within the fruit. Vikram asked Mal Deo why he had given him this gem.

The merchant said, "O King, why do you speak of one gem only when each of the fruits I have given you contains a precious stone?"

Vikram ordered the treasurer to bring all the fruits that Mal Deo had given him. The treasurer split the fruits and found that each of them contained a large ruby. Vikram asked Mal Deo what each ruby was worth. 

"Each of them would buy one of the seven continents of the earth," he said. 

Vikram asked Mal Deo how he could repay this great favor.

"O King," replied the young merchant, "I am not Mal Deo, but Shanta-Shil, a devotee.  I am about to perform penance on the Godavari riverbank, in a large cremation ground. I request you and your son to spend a night with me, doing what I tell you to do. Come armed on Monday evening, the 14th day of the dark half of the month of Bhadra."

Vikram assured Shanta-Shil that he and Dharma Dhwaj would come to him on the specified date.