Goa, Aug. 25 -- Dolcy D'Cruz

'Betaal Pachisi' are spellbinding stories told to the wise King Vikramaditya by the wily ghost Betaal. On a moonless night, King Vikramaditya ventures into a frightening burial ground to carry a corpse inhabited by the spirit Betaal to a mendicant waiting at the other end. Each time the king answers one of Betaal's riddles, the spirit slips away and returns to the tree from which he was taken, forcing Vikram to begin the perilous journey all over again. This familiar premise forms the basis of Mario Coelho's new book, 'Betaal Pachisi' which gives the 25 celebrated Vikram-Betaal tales a distinctive poetic treatment.

Chimbel-based Mario, a Goan writer, has retold all 25 stories in verse. The book remains faith...