Daily in April will be posted a written story: 'How Dragons Shaped China'; the Hindu Ramayana from SITA's point of view; and from Korea, 'Taming of Tiger'; from my days of telling verbal stories at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. These tradi...
and Ravana, the ten-head, twenty-armed daemon, who conquered the three worlds.
Grant me permission and guidance to tell your story.
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Sita sits alone worried about Rama and if she will ever see him. A bright flash of light crosses the ocean and fell on Lanka on the side of the island facing the land.
Alone in the among Asoka trees, months have gone by, I was dirty, hungry and exhausted by the sexual demands for Daemon Ravana. This morning Ravana appeared and leaned over the brick wall. I put up a blade of grass between us.
"Sita, come to my magnificent palace, be my queen. I rule over lives and cities. I match all the Gods."
"Take me back, follow the Dharma."
Ravana mocks, "Forget Rama, a mere man."
"Rama, the Lord of the Earth, held me; I am his. You are mad to temp me with wealth and your conceit."
"Beautiful Sita, I give you one month, then take your life and send your head to mere human Rama." In rage Ravana, the ten-headed twenty-armed daemon retreated with his faithful Queen, Mandodari.
Lost in tears, I fainted to the ground. The wives and daughter of gods consoled me with their eyes. Trijata, the wife of the youngest brother of Ravana, of good Dharma, said. "I dreamed the death of Ravana and your rescue. I ask you, Sita to forgive the Rakshasas, they only follow Ravana from fear."
We ate the fruits Trijata brought; the god's wife and daughters joined us, not speaking. I was too sad to console.
I shouted to the wind, "Where is Rama? He takes too long?"
The song of Rama's floated from a tree.
Seeing only a bird, I still heard singing.
"Sita, I serve Rama." The song goes on, "Sita, Sita, Rama killed a false golden deer. He then spoke to the dying vulture, Jatayu. When Rama came to our hill, Hanuman showed Rama your jewelry; he befriends Hanuman. Rama restored Sugriva as Monkey King of Kishkindhya. The Monkeys, the Bears, and the Lions help Rama search for you."
"Where are you, singer of words?"
"Look above, " answered a voice. I again saw only a small bird. Rama's ring fell on the ground.
"Rama's ring!" A white haired, red faced, brown, yellow-eyed, a huge monkey with golden earrings jumped from the tree and smiled at me.
"Faithful Sita. I am Hanuman, son of the Wind. Rama befriended me; I wear the prophesied earrings of helping Rama."
