A noble king is obliged to carry a corpse across a graveyard on a moonless night. The corpse is inhabited by a body-snatcher, who, under the pretext of passing the time, tells tale after tale (25 in all) as the king attempts the task. The tales are ultimately cause and impetus for King Vikram’s awakening to a higher function of perception in himself and of the world. This book is a modern retelling of the Vetala-Panchavinshantika or The 25 Riddles of the Vetala. These tales are timeless and due for a renewed discovery by modern readers.