Week 14 Storytelling: Eye for an Eye

"Where am I?" thought the man. He had tried to open his eyes, but he still couldn't see anything. The man tried to move, but he found himself restrained. His hands and feet had been bound by what appeared to be some form of rope. He was able to sit up from what felt like a stone floor. How long had he been here? How did he get here? He couldn't remember. The man looked around him, but still, he saw nothing. He was in complete and utter darkness.

The man shuffled around in place trying desperately to find some source of light, but it was to no avail. "I must be in some sort of cave," he inferred. "But how did I get here? The last thing I remember was... nothing. I don't remember anything! Who am I?!"

"Kamsa...  Kamsa..."

"What? Kamsa?" said the man quizzically. Then, it all came rushing back to him. "Kamsa, that's my name. I had been holding a large festival at Mathura, the capital of my kingdom. However, it had just been a ruse to get at Krishna. Krishna! This must be his doing. When I get a hold of - "

"Kamsa..."

"Wait, where is that coming from? Who's there? How did I get here?!" yelled Kamsa, shrinking back. Just then, there was a flash of light and a small woosh as a match was lit. Kamsa was immediately blinded as this new source of light cut through the darkness. As his eyes adjusted, Kamsa was struck with terror at what he saw. There were three man-like creatures with pitch-black skin in front of him. Their mouths were filled to the brim with razor sharp fangs, their heads were adorned with large, twisting horns, and they had long claws extending from their fingertips, but most terrifying of all, they each had dark, black holes where their eyes should be.

Yamadutas
Naraka Wiki

The nearest creature spoke up in a hissing voice, "Who we are is of little consequence, but as for how you got here... Oh, I think you know the answer to that question." A horrifying smile spread across his lips.

Then, Kamsa remembered. During the festival, Krishna had attacked him, and they had been engaged in combat. However, Kamsa had been losing, badly. Krishna knocked him on his back, and Kamsa was too beaten to stand back up. Krishna lifted up his hand into a mighty fist, dropped it onto Kamsa's head, and everything went black.

Recognizing the realization on Kamsa's face, one of the demons bellowed, "Hahaha! Welcome to Naraka!" The creatures chuckled in unison moving in around Kamsa. Each of them pulled out a large club, and before Kamsa could say anything, they began to beat him with a wretched rhythm. The beating lasted for several minutes before, unable to handle the pain any longer, Kamsa passed out.

When Kamsa awoke, he looked around. He was unable to move much due to the grievous injuries covering his body, but he seemed be on a conveyor system. At the end of the conveyor was a large metal roller. Next to the roller stood a tall dark figure. Kamsa recognized him from his childhood stories. It was Yama, the god of death.

"Please! I beg of you," Kamsa pleaded. "Have mercy on me! Please let me go, and I will never do wrong again!"

In reply, Yama smiled and flipped a switch turning on the conveyor system.


Author's Note:

This story is based on one of the stories from the Bhagawat about Krishna. In the stories, Kamsa, the main character in this story, is a cruel tyrant, and he is told that one day his nephew will kill him. So, he killed all the children of his sibling, up until Krishna was born, and Krishna was smuggled to a small village to keep him safe. Several years later, Krishna came back and killed Kamsa.

For my story, I wanted to look at what would happen to Kamsa in the afterlife. As Krishna grew up, Kamsa tried to kill him several times, and Kamsa did many evil things besides, so he definitely deserved some punishment after death. The descriptions I gave are based on Naraka, the Hindu hell. In Hinduism, there are different hells for different sins, and I thought Kamsa's actions fit with Tamisra and Shukaramukha which I described in my story.

Bibliography:

Naraka, Wikipedia, link
Bhagawat: The Krishna Avatar, 2000, Amar Chitra Katha

Week 13 Storytelling: The Dig

Let's see... It was mid-afternoon when it happened, I think. It was late in the summer, so it was quite hot. We had been at the dig site for 3 months at that point, and we hadn't found anything. Earlier that year, we had received a sponsorship from a local museum to dig for ancient Hindu artifacts in southern India. However, it hadn't been going well, and our sponsors were getting impatient. Tempers were starting to flair from the stress, but that's when it happened. That's when we found it.

"I'm telling you Jim. There's nothing here. We should head to the cave up north," said Alex.

"No, we're not done here yet," I replied. "Remember, patience is a virtue." Alex rolled her eyes to that. "Let's finish up here today, and we can discuss moving north afterwards, " I continued.

"Aah!" *thud*

"Tommy!" cried Alex. "Are you alright?!" We ran over to Tommy's section of the dig site, and almost fell into the 30 foot sinkhole that had appeared.

The sinkhole
Source

"There must have been a collapse, " I stated. " Tommy! You down there?!"

"I'm here, and there's no need to yell. I can hear you just fine," moaned Tommy from crater.

"You aren't hurt are you?" asked Alex.

"Just my pride," returned Tommy. "Anyways, you guys should come down here. I think I found something." Alex and I sent each other a nervous glance before climbing down. Luckily the indention wasn't too steep, so as long as we avoided any loose rocks, we were able to reach the bottom without too much fuss.

"This better not be another broken stew pot, Tom--" I cut off. When we reached bottom a huge opening came into view from the side of the crater.  It was at least 40 or 50 feet tall, and it appeared to extend down deep into the ground. Around the entrance large spikes protruded from around the cave.

"Tommy, I think you found something," stated Alex.

"I know right?" Tommy replied excitedly. "Check out the floor. It's smooth, like a paved path, and the walls are covered in intricate designs."

"Yeah, they look almost like scales..." Alex noticed. "What do you think Jim?"

"This is definitely something," I stated. "The stonework doesn't match the styles of the period, based on the sediment in the area. I would date it back at least 2 or 3 thousand years, if not more. But, somethings off. The stone reminds me of something. I just can't put my finger on it."

"I know what you mean, " declared Tommy. "I would have sworn I'd seen it before. Anyways, it look like it goes pretty deep. Do ya'll think we should go a little deeper? There might be more clues inside."

"Yeah," I nodded. "It seems stable enough inside, and there isn't any noticeable stress from the collapse. We'll just need to be careful."

"It's decided then!" declared Alex. "I'll run up and get some flashlights, and we can check it out." She ran up the embankment and cam back quickly with some flashlights and canteens. "I though we might want some water. Better safe than sorry."

We distributed the flashlights and headed down into the cave. As we walked down, the cave narrowed slightly and the walls became smooth.

"I've got it!" yelled Tommy, startling the rest of us.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I know what this is. I can't believe I didn't notice it at first. I just can't believe we'd find one this big..."

"Spit it out Tommy" Alex said.

"It's a fossil!"

Just then, there was a deep rumble in the cavern, and the walls glowed with a dull red. Next, the whole cavern shook violently, and before we could do anything, the entrance collapsed behind us. There was a moment of silence as we all stood in shock. Then, there was another rumble. It was strange though. It didn't sound like an earthquake. It sounded more like laughter...


Author's note:

This story is based off of one of the stories of Krishna in the Bhagawat Purana. In the original story, a powerful demon shape-shifts into a giant serpent, and tricks Krishna and his friends into entering his mouth. Before the demon could close his mouth though, Krishna, notices the trick and grows to an enormous size. His body fills the serpents mouth, suffocating and killing it, and everyone is able to leave safe and sound. Over time the serpents body hardened and the village boys would play around on its body.

Krishna's friends entering the serpent's mouth
Source

For my story, I imagined the serpent being buried under the earth over time and some archeologists stumbling upon it. I though it would be terrifying if the serpent came back to life while they were exploring its body. I wanted to tell it like the beginning of a thriller, so I gave it a foreboding tone with some foreshadowing as to what might happen.

Bibliography:

Bhagawat: The Krishna Avatar, Amar Chitra Katha (2000)

Week 12 Storytelling: Captain's Log

Captain's Log, INS - Indra, 2016

Starfleet Seal
Source

Captain's Log,
Star Date: 69751.

While touching down on planet Dandaka-IX, Sita discovered an unknown life-form. The creature resembled a deer from Sol-III; however, it's fur had a golden glow, and its body appeared to be covered in jewels. We were running low on fuel, and Sita believed the beast's hide might be worth something at the bazaar on Ayodhya-II. So, Lieutenant Lakshman and I set out to capture the beast.

Captain's Log,
Star Date: 69751.5.

Lakshman and I discovered that the creature was an Rakshasa drone. Its outward appearance had simply been a hologram. Upon discovering this, we immediately contacted the Indra, but we received no response. After rushing back to the ship, we discovered that it had been raided, and Sita was missing. After getting the ship into working order, we began searching for the raiders.

Captain's Log,
Star Date: 69753.8.

Shortly after beginning our pursuit, we found the raider ship's ion trail. The trail wasn't too big, probably from a D'Kora class vessel. We followed it for several hours before we came upon the wreckage of a Star Fleet ship, the INS-Ganga. Upon boarding the ship, Lakshman found the log of the ship's Captain, Jatayu. I've included a section from the log:

---

Captain's Log,
Star Date: 69752.2.

While on our final patrol loop for the day, we came into contact with an Asura raider ship. When we attempted contact to inform the ship that they were infringing on Star Fleet space, we discovered that the Captain of the ship was the Rakshasa Admiral Ravana. He had knowingly invaded our territory and captured a scientist from one of our exploratory vessels. Before we could negotiate or contact base, he fired a photon torpedo at our communications array.

We've been cut off from the rest of the fleet. While we are putting the best fight we can, it is unlikely that we will make it out of this battle. So, should anyone find this, please inform High Command immediately. The Rakshasan Empire has committed an act of war on the Federation.

---

A copy of both my log and Jatayu's is being sent to High Command as we speak. However, I do not feel that we can resume our mission and wait for orders, as is standard protocol. I must see to the safety of my captured crew mate Sita. Therefore, I will be breaking from my mission and embarking into Asuran space in pursuit of Ravana. I am aware of the repercussions of this action and am willing to face the consequences. I cannot guarantee my return. As such, consider this the final entry into my Captain's Log.

Sincerely,
Captain Dasharathi Rama


Author's Note:

This story is based on the capture of Sita by Ravana in the Ramayana. In the original story, Ravana distracts Rama with a bejeweled deer and captures Sita while he is away. Shortly afterwards, he is spotted by the giant vulture Jatayu. Jatayu attacks Ravana but is defeated. Before he dies, Jatayu informs Rama of what had happened, and Rama sets out after Ravana.

For this story, I had wanted to do a sort of captain's log like in Star Trek, and after thinking a while, I thought this story would fit the style best. I set up Rama as the Captain of an exploratory vessel and told the story from his view. I was going for a brief, brisk style, giving only details Rama would think were necessary in a report. Instead of giving a long exposition at the beginning, I tried to give small hints as to the surrounding story and universe. I tried to pull a lot from the Star Trek universe and intermingle it with ancient Indian mythos. Finally, I thought it would be a good ending to have Rama break off from his original mission and go gallivanting off into enemy territory to save Sita, similar to something Captain Kirk might do.


Bibliography:
Narayan, R. K. (2006-08-29). The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic (Penguin Classics) (p. 16). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. link

Week 7 Storytelling: The Drunken Naga

It was late at night, several hours past sundown. The sky was mottled with dark heavy clouds. Indra was still contemplating whether or not to allow a storm to commence. In the breaks between the clouds, the stars could be seen hovering above, and occasionally, when the weather parted enough the large crescent moon would shine down illuminating the night.

The crescent moon
Source

At one point, such a break occurred, brightening the street that is our setting. Set in the darker side of town, the windows of most of the buildings were boarded up, and very few of the lights were still on. However, one building stood out, the Drunken Naga. Serving as the local pub, the Drunken Naga had seen better days. Its siding was crumbling all over, and many of the windows of the two story building were either cracked or completely broken. A lone sign of a stumbling snake-like creature holding a large beverage hung by a single chain above the entrance, swinging back and forth at a steady pace.

It was at this point that a young man with long, dark hair crossed the street and entered the bar. Slightly hunched over, he wore long, dark robes, obscuring most of his features. The inside consisted of a large, dimly lit room with a set of stairs in the back. There were tables scattered across floor with a long bar to the right of the entrance. Maybe a dozen figures were sitting the different tables, a few more seated at the bar.  The figure walked across directly to the bar, took a seat, and slammed his hand down.

"Bartender, desi daru!" yelled the figure. The bartender, who had been cleaning his counter, walked over and filled a small cup with liquor from a clear bottle. Several hours and a many drinks later, the young man had become extremely intoxicated, swaying back and forth. He could barely stay in his chair. "Ooone moere!" he exclaimed, asking the bartender for another drink.

"I think you've had enough for the night, sir," replied the bartender, taking the man's cup. "Why don't you go home."

"I'll say when I've had enough!" screamed the man. "Dooo you know whoff I am?! I am Duryodhana, prince of Hastinapura! I tell you what'ss what, not the other way around!" He had clearly become quite agitated at the bartender's statement.

"Sir, please calm down," said the bartender. This only agitated the young man further as he jumped out of his chair.

"Calm down! Caaalm down! How am I supposed to calm down with the Pandavas alive! That gigantic Bhima has always been a thurn in maaah side, taking all of the limelight for himself. And Yudhishthira, uurggh!! Did you know that he was going to steal the throne right out fom under me? My birthright! But, I took care of it. They had all gone on a nice 'vacation' and been immolated in a fire. Of course, that was until yesterday. It turnss out they've been alive the whole time, and I'm sure they've been planning their revenge while they were hiding out. My life is in danger and you tell me to calm down?! I think I more than deserve of anootheer drink!"

"As you say," replied the bartender with a strained smile. He turned his head to the back of the room and gave a quick nod. Almost immediately, a large, burly man stepped out from the shadows and laid his hand on the young man's shoulder.

A few moments later, the doors to the tavern flew open as the "prince" was thrown bodily into the streets, which had become muddy from rain. Pulling his face from the mud, the man yelled, "How dare you! I'm a prince! You'll pay for this. I swear it!"

The bartender closed the door to the tavern, muffling the cries of the young man outside.

Author's Note:
This story is based off of the life of Duryodhana in the Mahabharata. It is set briefly after the reappearance of the Pandava's and their marriage to Draupadi. They had disappeared after an attempt on their life by Duryodhana, so he is worried by their return. In my story, he is worried about what may happen and sets out to a bar to drink away his worries, away from his family and the royal palace.
I tried to be more visually illustrative with this story, and I also had a little fun giving the prince some slurred speech from his drunkenness.

Bibliography:
Reading: Epified Mahabharata by Epified (2015)

Week 6 Storytelling: A Father's Pride

Author's Note:
 My story was inspired by the Pandavas during their period of exile in the forest. It is set just briefly after Arjuna had prayed for a long period to several gods receiving many magnificient weapons, and it is just prior to their interaction with Yama at a small lake. In the lake scene, the Pandavas are told one by one not to drink from the lake before answering some questions, but they are each overcome by their thirst, only to die immediately after drinking. Except for Yudhishthira who resists, answers the questions, and finds that he was being tested by Yama.
This bit of story comes up very unexpectedly in the text I was reading, and I was wondering why Yama felt the need to test the men in the way he did. Since Arjuna had just done some amazing things, I thought it would be interesting if Yama had gotten jealous of Arjuna father, Indra, and decided to test them to prove a point. My story goes through this scene, leading up to Yama's test of the Pandavas.

~~~

Indra walked into the room, a smug look across his face. Yama rolled his eyes, he knew what was coming next. Indra had been bragging to the rest of the gods ever since his earthly son, Arjuna, had learned those mantras and started gathering weapons and boons.

Indra walked over to Yama. "Guess what?!" he exclaimed as he looked on at Yama expectantly.

"What is it?" inquired Yama in a dull, disinterested tone.

"He's done it again! My boy, Arjuna, has done it again," stated Yama. "He has proven once again that he is the most devote and disciplined of the Pandavas."

At this, Yama came to full attention. "He may be devote, but he is by no means the most disciplined," replied Yama. "That title would go to my son Yudhishthira, who has demonstrated time and again his deep understanding of the old ways and, even now, stands by his word, living a life of exile."

"Ha! Of course, Yudhishthira is the epitome of discipline. He would never over-indulge in the vices of man, like drugs or gambling..." Indra trailed off his last sentence with a strong note of sarcasm.

Yama was beginning to become visibly annoyed by Indra's jesting. "One mistake!" He cried, "One mistake, and he's labeled an addict. You know as well as I do that he was tricked into that game by those devilish cousins of his. If I hadn't been busy in the underworld at the time, I would have struck down those buffoons myself, on the spot. By resisting his own urge to do just that, Yudhishthira demonstrated discipline of mind and body far beyond that of a mere mortal."

"Sure, your son held back his hand and agreed to go into exile. But, he dragged his brothers and wife down with him. What has he done since then? Nothing! Meanwhile, my son has been spending days on end meditating in preparation to regain their family's honor. Why now, he just resisted the temptations of one of the finest women in my city because he needed to honor his vow of exile."

"Yudhishthira has simply been biding his time, quietly planning for the future. He need not constantly demonstrate his strong control over both his mind and body. But, if you must continually insist that Arjuna is his better, I shall prove you wrong. Let's test the Pandavas, one at a time, to see who is the most disciplined. I'll even conduct the test personally."

A wry grin came across Indra's face at the thought of another chance to demonstrate Arjuna's greatness, and a contest at that. "Very well," he replied,"However, we must ensure that the trial is fare. Since you are running the test, Yudhishthira would normally have an advantage. You must conduct the test outside of your domain, in an open space, and they must be completely unaware of your presence."

"I agree to your terms. Now watch, as Yudhishthira outshines the others with his extensive control of himself." At that point, Yama stood up and began heading in the direction of the forests of Dwaitavana.

As Yama left, Vayu and Surya looked on from their seats across the hall. They had begun following the conversation as it became more heated. Vayu spent a moment in thought, then stated, "I've got 50 gold pieces on Arjuna going down first."

"You're on," replied Surya.

The Lake Questions Yudhishthira
courtesy of Wikipedia

Bibiliography:
Reading: The Mahabharata by  R. K. Narayan (1978)

Week 4 Storytelling: Congratulations

Bibliography:
 Ravana: Roar of the Demon King, A graphic novel detailing Ravana's life from his own perspective, Author: Abhimanyu Singh Sisodia, Artist, Sachin Nagar

Author's Note:
This story is set about midway during the war between Rama and Ravana, from the Ramayana. At this point, Ravana has been losing severely to Rama's army, and it's not looking good for him. It's told mostly from Ravana's perspective. The letter in the beginning goes over the current state of things, and the following CV lists the highlights of Ravana's life, according to him.
I wanted to have a little fun this one. My story is given in the form of a hiring letter and CV. I got the idea from the interview storytelling style. Ravana actually has a lot of achievements in his life, both good and bad. I thought this would make for an interesting resume. I wrote a CV because (in the US) it's a bit more detailed than a resume.
I came up with the letter in the beginning while I was about halfway through the CV. I was looking for a good story to wrap around the CV, and I thought it would be great if it was part of a hiring letter. I was going for a kind of dystopian style with the letter, giving it a very polite tone over a very unsettling idea.



Greetings,

      If you are reading this letter, you have received the honor of being called upon by the almighty Ravana to serve in his army. As you may know the King of Lanka has engaged in a military campaign against the warrior Rama. Regrettably, there have been losses sustained by our great army, thanks in large part to the betrayal of our nation by the monkey people of Kishkindha. Due to this, we have had several openings come up in the Lankan army, and you have been selected as one of our candidates. If you are interested in the position, please bring your resume to the Palace of Lankapura no later than next Monday. We have attached Ravana's curriculum vitae for your perusal so that you might become familiar with his military exploits and experience. If you have any questions please direct them to the guards' office at the palace gate. Please have a nice day.

Sincerely,

Indrajit

1st Lankan General 

Note: All recipients who fail to comply with the aforementioned recruitment will be investigated for treason, punishable by life imprisonment and/or death.

---

Curriculum Vitae

Headshot of Ravana
From Ravana: Roar of the Demon King

Personal Details:

Name: Dashananda a.k.a. "Ravana"

Address: Palace of Lankapura, Lanka

Birth date: c. 1560 BCE

Webpage: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravana

Nationality: Lankan, formerly Bisrakhan

Education:

1556 - 1542 Studied under the great Brahmin, Vishrava, the mind-born, son of Pulastya.  Materials studied included martial arts, music, literature, language, and religion.

Honors and Achievements:

1493 Utilized clever strategy to capture the beautiful Sita from the warrior known as Rama, in order to make her my wife.

1513 Negotiated a valuable treaty of alliance with Vali, the ruler of the Kishkindha nation.

1523 Seized the Pushpaka Vimanana from the city of heaven for my personal use.

1525-1523 Launched a successful campaign upon the city of heaven, defeating several of the gods and obtaining untold riches.

1529-1526 Conquered the underworld after a long military campaign covering much of the Earth's surface. I granted the domain to one of my most valiant generals, Ahiravana.

1530 Created the rudra veena out of my own flesh and veins so that I might play music in honor of the god Shiva.

1530 Lifted the mountain of Shiva in order to bring him to the home of my dying mother, so she might worship him directly.

1535 Peacefully seized the kingdom of Lanka from the former ruler, Kubera, through powerful persuasion

1534 Granted several boons by the god of creation, Brahma, after cutting off own head ten times to show devotion. Boons include: a potion of immortality, a book of shape-shifting mantras, and supremacy over gods and beasts alike.

Professional Experience:

1535  - Current Title: Lankeshwar, absolute ruler of the Kingdom of Lanka. Current holdings include: Balidweepa, Malayadweep, Angadweepa, Varahdweepa, Shankhadweepa, Yavadweepa, Andhralaya, and Kushadweepa

1542 - 1535 Served as a Daitya Prince under the rulership of the mighty rakshasa, Sumali.

Additional Skills:

Military strategy
Kshatriyan combat
Extensive knowledge of the four Vedas and the six Upanishads

Musical Instruments:
Veena
Ravanahatha

Week 3 Storytelling: A Demon in the Forest

It was just after noon. The hot summer sun was beating down on our small shack. Rama had been away for 3... 4 hours. I was on guard duty, watching Sita while Rama hunted, and she was starting to get restless.

I had told him that it was a bad idea. "It has to be trick," I said," another lowly asura sent by that temptress, Surpanakha." He wouldn't listen though, "Whether its a demon or animal, I can kill it with my bow if need be," he stated proudly as he gather up his bow and arrows, "Take care of Sita while I'm gone." Then, he headed out into the woods.

Another 30 minutes passed, Sita wanted to go looking for Rama, but I managed to talk her down, too dangerous with the Rakshasas around. Then, there was a yell, " Sita!.. Lakshmana!.. Help!.." It sounded like Rama, but I knew better. Someone was up to no good. Sita, however, didn't agree.

Sita freaked out. She started yelling for Rama, pacing back and forth frantically. She wanted to go looking for him, and I tried to talk her out of it again, but she wouldn't have any of it. "Either you go find Rama, or I kill myself here and now!" she screamed. I could tell by the look in her eye that she meant it. Rama told me to stay behind and keep Sita safe from demons, but that wasn't going to do much good if she was already dead. So, I took a bow, grabbed my weapon, and ran out the door.

"Stay in the house!" I yelled back as I crossed the small clearing outside and entered into the forest.

~~~

I had gone for about a mile and a half when I ran straight into Rama. I took a minute to catch my breath, and I asked, "What happened?"

"I was chasing the golden deer, when I realized that it was moving too fast for a deer," he panted. From the heavy sweat on his brow and his rapid breathing, it appeared that Rama had been running for quite a while. He continued, "I had a bad feeling, so I shot an arrow at the beast, breaking its illusion. It had actually been a demon sent as a distraction. When it fell, it sent out a cry in my voice. I was worried about you two, so I ran back immediately."

Right then, a shrill scream broke through the woods, scaring a flock of birds who flew up into the air. The voice behind the scream seemed to belong to Sita. Before I could say anything, Rama was 20 yards away, dashing towards the shack.

~~~

By the time we had gotten back, whoever had taken Sita was long gone. The small house was ransacked. Tables and chairs were knocked aside. Even the walls were cracked in places, and there was a large crater in the center of the floor. I looked outside and found a set of tracks. It appeared that a large chariot had taken off from here recently, headed towards the east. I relayed the information to Rama, and we head towards the east.

After a few miles, we came upon a large body lying prostrate in the road. As we got closer, I realized that the creature was a large bird. It looked like it had been in a serious fight. It was heavily bruised and missing both wings. The area was covered in blood and feathers. A steady stream of blood leaking from a gaping wound in its neck soaked the ground around it.

Rama and Laksmana washing Jatayu's wounds
Courtesy of Columbia.edu

"Rama!" it spoke suddenly. By some miracle, the creature was still alive, and we realized, it was the great vulture Jatayu, an old friend of Rama's father. He had been so beaten and bloodied that he was unrecognizable. "Rama," he continued, " I'm sorry I couldn't stop him. The demon known as Ravana took Sita while you were away. I chased after and tried to fight him, but he easily defeated me."

"This is terrible," said Rama, " I can't believe anyone would do this. We'll see to your wounds. Which way did he go?" Before Rama finished the question, Jatayu was dead. We took some time to bury the bird, and continued our search.

That was over a week ago, and we haven't found anything yet. Rama is determined as ever, but I can tell from the look in his eyes that he's starting to worry. We recently got a tip that she might be South, towards Kiskinda. We're heading that way tomorrow.

Author's Note:
I based this story on the aftermath of the trick played on Rama by Maricha and Ravana. Maricha took the form of a golden deer and lured Rama from his home. While Rama was away Ravana came in and kidnapped Sita so that he could make her his wife. I started about halfway through and went from there. The story ends just before Rama meets Hanuman.
I wanted to try my hand at a first person narrative. So, I went for a kind of hard-boiled, gritty style and told the story from the perspective of Lakshmana, Rama's brother and right-hand-man. I was going for a more down to earth tone, focusing more on the details Lakshmana would have noticed.

Bibliography:
Narayan, R. K. (2006-08-29). The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic (Penguin Classics) (p. 16). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. link

Week 2 Storytelling: The First Ramayana

"Why has Master Rama forsaken us? He leaves us behind even though we have served him so faithfully for all these years..."

"Don't be so dramatic. You know that King Dasaratha order the young prince to leave behind Ayodhya to live in the forest for the next fourteen years. Besides, Rama will have no use for servants such as ourselves while living the life of an ascetic. It is our duty to serve Bharata faithfully while he rules in Rama's stead and to prepare for Rama's return."
 
Although the latter spoke words of reassurance, he too was already missing their master. They had been apart for a matter of mere minutes, but a feeling uneasiness fell over him as he gazed back at the prince. He wasn't sure why, but he felt that future events in the forest would change Rama for the rest of his life and not necessarily for the better.

"I suppose you are right, as always brother. Our master gave his word that he would serve this penance, and one as honorable as the young master would never go back on his word. As he said himself, 'A word given is like an arrow, it goes forward. You cannot recall it midway.'"

As the pair traveled back to the palace, they each reminisced on their time with the prince. They had been with him for many a year, having come into his service shortly after Rama travels with the great sage Viswamithra, but each could remember when they met him as though it was yesterday.

"Remember when we met the young master?" said the former, " We were sold to him in Mithila, and though anyone else would have looked upon us as simple belongings, objects to be used and tossed aside, he immediately treated with such kindness and care. I knew immediately that he was different, that he would make for a wonderful master."

"Ah, yes," stated the latter, " Even then, Rama had become well known for his strength, kindness, and unflinching honor. Do you recall the story of how he defeated the the terrifying Thataka and her demonic sons?"

"Oh, that was a wonderful story. When the young master met Thataka in the desert. Though most mortals would have cowered in terror, he swiftly struck her down and freed the region from her awful reign. Then, during Viswamithra's yajna, her sons attacked in order to exact revenge, but our master was ready. With one arrow he struck down Subachu and with the other he send Mareecha flying all the way to the ocean."

"What a wonderful story indeed! The prince's feats seem to become greater with each of your tellings. Don't misunderstand me, he is a great warrior who demonstrated immeasurable power in his defeat of the demons, but I distinctly remember that Mareecha fled into the forest after Rama's arrow narrowly missed his head."

"Don't be silly! No one knows the young master better than myself, and I know that he would never miss a shot," exclaimed the former. In response to the latter's seeming apprehension of this sudden boasting, he continued, "You don't be believe that I know him best? I can prove it. Do you remember when the young master first laid eyes on the princess? He gazed upon her for only a moment, and to the passerby he would have seemed unaffected by her beauty. But, I knew better. Our master shifted slightly from his normally rigid posture and set back slightly onto his heels. It was the closest I have ever seen him come to being knocked off his feet. It was love at first site."

"I remember that as well. The princess did always have a strong affect on the princess. He seemed to spend every night gazing at the window thinking of her, right up to their wedding."

"The wedding! We had to prepare for the journey home at the time, but I wish we could have been in attendance. I heard that the entire population of Ayodhya came to see it..."

Even as they entered into the palace, into the throne room, the pair continued to recall their many experiences with their Master, as well as the stories they heard along the way. As they were placed upon the throne, each secretly hoped that these memories would last them as they began the long wait for Rama's return.

Bharata asking Rama for his footwear
Courtesy of Wikipedia

Author's Note:
This story was a lot of fun to do. I came up with the idea while searching through some of the other story telling styles. The premise is for the story is that Rama's sandals, which were taken from him by his brother Bharata at the start of his exile from Ayodhya in order to symbolize his eventual return to the throne, are recalling some of his various exploits while they are being taken back to the palace of Ayodhya, including his defeat of the demon Thataka and her sons and Rama's wedding. I didn't make many changes to these stories. In fact, the disagreement about Mareecha, between the two, comes from the fact that that story has been told in both ways, and there isn't a definitive version. Of course, I made up the part about Rama buying the shoes, and the story is very colored by the sandals' perception.
 I chose the title 'The First Ramayana' because Ramayana roughly translates to "exploits of Rama," and the story is a recounting of his most prestigious exploits. In my mind, the two sandals would continue to discuss all the stories of Rama up to that point while they wait on his return. The characterization of the two sandals was an interesting challenge given I only had a few lines of dialogue to build them upon, but I really wanted to try to make them distinctive characters. Likewise, I enjoyed the challenge of hinting at their true nature while never revealing that they are sandals.


Bibliography:
Narayan, R. K. (2006-08-29). The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic (Penguin Classics) (p. 16). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. link

Week 1 Storytelling: The Lazy Musician

Once upon a time, there were four brothers. They spent their childhood on their family's farm. When the day came for them to find a job of their own, each brother set out on a different path. The first brother had enjoyed his work on the farm as a child, so he decided to get a farm of his own. The second had a passion for woodworking, and thus, set out to become a carpenter. The third wanted more excitement in his life, so he enlisted a soldier so that he might serve his country. Lastly, the fourth brother was unsure what he wanted to do. He disliked working on the farm as a child, he had no strong passions, and he had no desire to endanger himself. Finally, he decided to become a musician.

"It should be easy," thought the fourth, "All I'll have to do is play some music for a few hours whenever I need money."

 Upon hearing of their brother's decision to become a musician, the elder three were perplexed.

"You have never played an instrument before," said the first.

"Being a musician takes a lot of practice," allowed the second, "You shouldn't take it lightly."

"Don't worry, I can handle it," replied the fourth.

"Fine, but don't come crying to us if it doesn't work out," said the third.

And so, each of the brothers went their own way.

---

About a week later, the musician met up with the soldier.

"Let's go drinking tonight," suggested the musician.

"I can't. I have training early tomorrow," said the soldier.

"Alright, if you must," replied the musician, and he went drinking on his own.

Soldier
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The next week, the musician approached the farmer.

"Brother, there is a great movie on at the theater. We should go watch it," proposed the musician.

"Not now," replied the farmer, "I have to get my fields seeded for the growing season."

"Fine, have it your way" the musician responded, and he went to the movies on his own.

A Farmer with produce
Courtesy of Flickr

The third week, the musician visited the carpenter.

 "Let's go fishing!" exclaimed the musician, "I haven't spent time with you or our other brothers in weeks."

"Maybe another time," stated the carpenter, "I have a customer who wants a custom dresser made as soon as possible."

"Alright then," sighed the musician, and he went fishing on his own.

Carpenter
Courtesy of Flickr

On the fourth week, the musician's landlord requested his rent. After paying his landlord, the musician realized that he was completely broke. Between drinking, the movies, and his rent, the musician had spent all the money his parents had given him to make his start, and in that time, he hadn't practiced at all. He sat down and began playing to see how good he was. From the horrible screeching noises coming out of his instrument, the musician knew that he had much work to do if he wanted to play for money in time to pay his next month's rent.

Just as the musician was getting ready to practice. He heard a knock on the door. His three older brothers had come to visit him.

"Come on!" they yelled, " Let's go!"

"I've finished my basic training, the farmer has sown his fields, and the carpenter has sold an expensive piece, so we're going to the pub to celebrate!" exclaimed the soldier.

"I can't," the musician rebuffed, "I've spent the last few weeks having fun, but now I have to practice if I want to pay my rent."

"Very well, let this be a lesson to you," replied the farmer, and the three brothers went to celebrate while the musician practiced on his own.

---

Author's Note:
My story is based off of one of Aesop's fables. In the original story, a grasshopper wastes his summer playing music instead of storing food for the winter and ends up starving. He then asks a group of ants for some of the food they have stored up, and they scoff at him for procrastinating. I felt this story had a very appropriate moral for the start of a new semester. In my version, I tried to modernize the tale a little and focus more on the laziness and procrastination of the musician.

Bibliography:
The story is based on the fable "The Ants and the Grasshopper" from Aesop for Children (1919)

Brace Yourselves
Source