Unfortunately, most of the riddles left me cold, and I think the average 8 year old today would find them completely outdated. Each of the 24 stories are meant to be conundrums that have no easy answer. Since Vikram knows the answer every time, the cycle of catching the Vetala and having him escape continues twenty-four times. Only if he does not know the answer, will the Vetala agree to being taken to the tantric.
If he answers correctly, the Vetala would escape and return to his tree. If the king can solve the riddle but remains silent, his head shall burst into pieces.
Every time Vikram captures the Vetala, it tells him a story that ends with a riddle. Unknown to King Vikram, the corpse has been inhabited by a Vetala, a mischievous spirit. The legendary King Vikramāditya makes a promise to a tantric, to capture a corpse and bring it to him for his rituals. The answer to that question is not an easy one. Each of these ends with a question being asked. It consists of a frame story, within which there are 25 short tales. Listen, O King is a retelling of the Baital Pachisi, or Vikram Vetal stories, for children.
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