Once upon a time, a goblin town called Sirisavatthu was in Ceylon. She goblins lived there. When a ship wrecked, these goblins decorated themselves, they come up to the merchants. Then approaching the merchants they invite them to eat the gruel, rice, and other food which they bring. The merchants, all unaware, eat of what is offered. When they have eaten and drunken, and are taking their rest, the goblins address them thus; “Where do you live? Where do you come from? Where are you going, and what brought you here?” “We were shipwrecked here,” they reply.

“Three years ago since our own husbands went on board ship; they must have perished. You are merchants too; we will be your wives.” Thus they lead them into the goblin city; then, if they have any merchants already caught, they bind these with magic chains, and cast them into the house of torment. And if they find no shipwrecked men in the place where they live, they travel the coast as far as the river Kalyani on one side and the island of Nagadipa on the other. This is their way.

Now it happened once that five hundred shipwrecked traders were brought to their city; those whom they had caught before, they bound with magic chains and cast them into the house of torment. Then the chief goblin took the chief man, and the others took the rest, till five hundred had the five hundred traders; and they made the men their husbands. Then in the night time, when her man was asleep, the chief she goblin rose up, and made her way to the house of death, killed some of the men and ate them. The others did the same. When the eldest goblin returned from eating men’s flesh, her body was cold. The eldest merchant embraced her, and perceived that she was a goblin. “All the five hundred of them must be goblins!” he thought to himself “we must make our escape!”

So in the early morning, when he went to wash his face, he told the other merchants in these words. “These are goblins, and not human beings! As soon as other shipwrecked men can be found, they will make them their husbands, and will eat us; come let us escape!”

Two hundred and fifty of them replied, “we cannot leave them; if you will, Go! but we will not come with you.”

Then the chief trader with two hundred and fifty, ran away in fear of the goblins.

Now at that time, the Bodhisatta had come into the world as a flying horse, white all over, and beaked like a crow, with hair like munja grass possessed of supernatural power, able to fly through the air. From Himalayas he flew through the air until he came to Ceylon. There he passed over the ponds and tanks of Ceylon, and ate the paddy that grew wild there. As he passed on thus, he thrice uttered human speech filled with mercy, saying “Who wants to go home? Who wants to go home?” The traders heard his saying, and cried “We are going home, master!”

“Then climb up on my back,” said the Bodhisatta. Thereat some of them climbed up, some laid hold of his tail, and some remained standing, with a respectful salute. Then the Bodhisatta took up even those who stood still saluting him, and transported them to their respective places; then he went back to his place of dwelling.

And the she goblins, when other men came to that place, killed those two hundred and fifty who were left, and ate them.