I have a childhood memory of Vikramaditya tale concerning discovery of his Simhasanam by King Bhoja during his royal hunting pastime. It goes as-
One evening King Bojaraj on his royal hunting expedition was passing a beautiful fruit laden tree garden with troops. The garden keeper was resting under the tree. Saluting the King he stands up, praises him and offers his entire garden for the king to rest with his troops. King accepts and orders his followers to take up the offer and rest there for the night. The entourage enters the garden. The gardener came down few steps from his resting place.Then suddenly he cried, Oh King is it worthy of you to destroy my livelyhood, the fruit garden by marching your entourage in?
The King was taken aback and said, You had on your own invited us all in to rest in your garden. Hence we are in. The gardener retorted that he never invited him and troops to stay. The King though felt angry did not want to stay there anymore and ordered his people out.
The gardner went back to his place under the tree. Once there, he once again repeated the same kind words offering the garden to the King and troops to rest. King though felt strange he rejected his offer and asked his people to preoare to move. The gardener was very adament and begged the King to accept his offer. Once again the king ordered his troops to stay. A while later, the gardener again moved away from the tree he was resting and immediately he cried loud about the injustice the king and his troops are doing by occupying ht garden
This behaviour of the gardener made the king to suspect that something must be influencing the behaviour of the gardener. He made out that the gardener gets pleasing noble thoughts once he reaches the tree to rest. The king orders his minister to dig up around the tree. To his surprise they find a beautiful radiant Simhasanam with 18 steps. He removes the Simhasanam to his palace and was intending to use it.
It was installed and the King approached it to climg. Right at the first step he was ordered by a deep voice commanding that he should listen to a tale and at the end a question will be put to him, he should answer and then decide further on ascending the throne.There were 18 steps leading to the throne.
Thus at every step he is stopped and was narrated a tale asked to answer a question and decide whether he is fit to proceed further.