Week 10 Storytelling: Father and Daughter

Sati: You're so unbelievable! How could you not invite my husband and me to the sacrifice ceremony? Are we not worthy gods! Am I not a worthy daughter!

Daksha: You became worthless when you married Shiva.

Sati: How dare you!

Daksha: You should have been like your sisters who married decent men! Proud men! Instead, you worshiped a god who never deserved your praise. He's trash, Sati, and you're married to it.

Sati: It's incredible how your arrogance poisons your mind, father. I'll have you know that you are the only person that speaks ill of Shiva. Shiva is beloved by all! He is the bravest god and the most benevolent. Can't you see how well he treats me? I'm in love with him, father... Why can't you accept that?

Daksha: He only agreed to marry you because he knew that you were obsessed with him, Sati! He knew that he could take advantage of your devotion. Look at what he has done to our relationship! You claim that my mind is poisoned, but it is your mind, Sati, that has been poisoned by Shiva's words. He is turning you against me!

Sati: No, father, you are doing this to yourself! You have made every attempt to keep Shiva and me apart. You didn't invite him to my swayavara, yet he still became my husband. You are keeping us away from holy traditions, but we will be there!

Daksha: I refuse to allow you and your abomination ruin the ceremony! You cannot and will not attend. That is final, Sati!

Sati wanted to scream at the top of her lungs, but she held her tongue. She let out a deep breath and paced back and forth until her head cleared. There had to be a way to reason with her father. She reminisced to the old days when her father praised Sati for her good behavior. Sati was the good child, the most innocent, and the most beloved by her father. That's why she was named Sati, existence and being of goodness. She looked at her father and spoke softly.

Sati: Father... This isn't about an invitation. This isn't about family differences. This is about you and me. Please just do it for me, Father. He's your son-in-law. He's my husband. Can't you try for me?

Daksha saw how his daughter pleaded for his understanding. Her eyes were becoming misty out of desperation. Daksha looked away.

Daksha: Sati, you were no longer a part of this family when you married the man that disrespected me. What we had before as father and daughter died on your wedding day. Leave my premises immediately. You are nothing and no one. The memory of you will solely be of your betrayal.

Sati began to bawl and stepped away from the stranger that she once called father.

Daksha: I'm ashamed of you, Sati.

Sati's cried out in pain as her heart shattered. She was dishonored and exiled from her family. Her father's words rang in her head over and over again: I'm ashamed of you. I'm ashamed of you. I'm ashamed of you. She felt her chest become hot with a scorching pain, and smoke quickly filled the room. When the smoke cleared, Daksha saw his daughter drop dead at his feet with a burnt hole in her chest. Daksha rushed to his daughter's side and attempted to wake her up, but she was gone. At that moment, Shiva walked in.

Shiva: Sir, there was smoke coming from the room! Is Sati okay?

Sati's heart on fire. Source:

Author's note: I wrote about Daksha's and Sati's conflict over Shiva. In the original story, Daksha depsises Shiva because Shiva never paid homage to Sati. When Sati was of marrying age, she threw a wedding wreath into the crowd, and Shiva caught the wreath, making Shiva Sati's new husband. Daksha still hated Shiva, and he didn't invite the couple to a horse sacrifice ceremony that praised the gods. Sati confronted her father about his hatred towards Shiva, but Daksha refused to change his opinion. Sati became so enraged that her inner fury burned her alive, resulting in her death. I changed the story a bit with modern dialogue and made the argument more personal. Also, I made Daksha speak harsh words, but he did tell Sati he was ashamed of her in the original story. Shiva was never with Sati or Daksha at the time. I added him for dramatic effect, but he does end up finding out. The aftermath isn't pretty.

Bibliography: Cradle Tales of Hinduism by Sister Nivedita (1907)

Week 9 Storytelling: He's Coming

"What are we supposed to do," Devaki asked as she held her newborn baby close to her chest. "I can't bear to lose another child. My heart can't take it. Please, we have to do something."

Vasudeva paced back and forth in the prison cell, frantically thinking of ways to save his newborn son. "My Devaki, please remain calm. He won't hurt you or our baby," whispered Vasudeva. "I need time to think. I will save our son."

Devaki kissed her son's head with tears streaming down her face. This was their eight child. As told in the prophecy, the eight son of Devaki and Vasudeva will kill King Kansa in the boy's twelfth year of life. Kansa swore to protect his power to the kingdom. The moment he heard about his fate, Kansa locked up his sister and best friend in the prison cell to kill every newborn that they produced.

All of the sudden, Vasudeva spoke, "Wait, I have an idea. We will smuggle the boy out of prison! I befriended one of the prison guards. He will surely help me! We just have to hide the boy and-"

"You're taking my baby away from me?!" cried Devaki. "No! No! I won't have it! No one is ripping my child out of my arms this time! I won't be apart from my son!" She held her son so tightly that he began to cry.

"Devaki, please calm down. You're hurting the boy!" Vasudeva rushed to his frazzled wife's side to loosen her grip on the baby. "My love, don't you see? This is the only way. Your brother will kill our son if we don't send him away. Listen, my dear, I know of a nice couple out in the country that will raise our boy to be a strong and proud man. It's his only chance of survival."

Devaki looked into her husband's eyes. He always had a strong character and a stern soul, but even out of desperation, she could see the tears reaching the brim of his eyes. Devaki knew that her husband was right. There was no other way. Vasudeva quickly made the arrangements to smuggle the baby out of the prison with the help of his friend. The night progressed, and it was time for the guard to take the baby to the village.

As her final good-bye, Devaki looked down at her baby boy, kissed his forehead, and whispered, "My sweet son, please don't ever think that I have abandoned you. You are the light of my life, and I will find you one day. My heart will guide me to you." She hugged him one last time. "I love you, my dear Krishna." Vasudeva kissed his son and sent him off. The couple held each other as they saw their eight child disappear from their life.

Suddenly, heavy footsteps were coming down the dungeon stairs. The couple knew too well whose footsteps those belonged to... They could hear the footsteps approaching closer to their prison cell. The couple's heart pounded in their chest as their fear consumed them. Then silence. The gated door creaked open. A cold, emotionless voice echoed in the cell, "Where is he..."

The prison where Devaki and Vasudeva were held captive. Source.

Author's Note: King Kansa swore to kill every newborn child that belonged to his sister Devaki and Vasudeva. When the eight child was born, he glowed with several shining arms that held symbols that represented the god Vishnu. Devaki then realized that her son was the reincarnation of Vishnu, protector of the universe. In order to save their child, the couple sent their baby away to be raised by foster parents that herded cows.
       I thought Krishna's birth was very interesting. It reminded me of the plot from the Prince of Egypt (DreamWorks movie) of how the pharaoh demanded his army to kill every newborn that would destroy him. I decided to write about the emotional perspective of a couple losing their child. They been through this seven times, but I can't imagine that it would get any easier...

Bibliography: Cradle Tales of Hinduism by Nivedita (1907) 

Week 7 Storytelling: All Dogs Go to Heaven

Up...
       Up...
              And away they go!

Carl Fredricksen ascended into the skies in his million-balloon cottage. His destination was Paradise Falls where he would be reunited with his only heaven, his late wife Ellie. He endured a long journey of enemies and storms that slowed him down, but he was determine to reach his heaven. Along his journey, he encountered a friendly dog named Dug. Although Carl wasn't the biggest fan of Dug, he decided that some company wouldn't delay his travels. The cottage took quite the beating from the long distance. Most of the balloons have either popped or been deflated, but Carl pressed on. Eventually the house crashed into the base of Paradise Falls, leaving Carl and Dug to travel to the peak on foot. Hours passed. When Carl wanted to quit, it was Dug who tugged on Carl's shirt as a reminder to keep moving forward. Right when Carl was on the verge of collapsing, Dug barked! They could see the peak! Carl and Dug rushed to the peak with rejuvenated energy, and alas, they were on top of Paradise Falls. The view was absolutely magnificent. She would have loved this thought Carl as he took out an old photo of him and Ellie. His eyes were becoming misty at the thought of her.

Suddenly, the clouds opened up and an angel flew down to Carl. The angel congratulated Carl on his long journey to Paradise Falls. The winged creature explained that the fulfillment of Carl's promise to Ellie granted him his place in heaven with his wife. Carl was absolutely ecstatic! After so many years of solitude, he could finally reunite with his best friend and one true love! Carl hugged the angel and hollered to Dug to join him! Right as Carl was about to step onto the stairway to heaven, the angel stopped him. Apparently no dogs were allowed in heaven. Carl couldn't believe it. How could he possibly abandon his loyal companion that guided him on his journey? Then again, he could never pass up the opportunity to see Ellie again...The elderly man looked at Dug with much heartache. The choice was clear: give up Ellie or give up Dug. Carl felt his heart being broken into two halves. Dug, clueless of the situation, wagged his tail and circled around Carl like a buzzing bee. The angel demanded Carl to make a decision, and quickly, because the stairway to heaven was closing. With a heavy heart, Carl knelt on one knee and gave Dug a tight squeeze while Dug licked Carl's face and nuzzled his muzzle into his chest. Carl stepped onto the stairway and noticed Dug following him. He commanded his furry companion to stay. Being the loyal dog he was, Dug obediently obeyed Carl and stayed in place. The old man looked back on Dug and saw his friend still sitting in place with his tongue hanging out and his tail wagging. Within seconds, Carl and the angel disappeared with the staircase. Like he always wanted, Carl finally made it to heaven.

Dug stopped wagging his tail once Carl disappeared. He looked around and saw no one. He looked up at the sky looking for his human, but nothing. So Dug did what any faithful dog did, he laid on top of Paradise Falls and waited for Carl's return.

Dug waiting for Carl. Source.

Author's Note: In the original story, Yudhishthira and the other Pandavas traveled up the Himalayas to reach heaven. Along the way, a dog started to follow them to the peak. One by one, the Pandavas began to die until it was just Yudhishthira and the dog. When they made it to the peak, Indra allowed Yudhishthira to travel to heaven but denied the dog. Yudhishthira refused to abandon the dog, although Indra pleaded Yudhishthira to come to heaven. It turned out that the dog was actually a reincarnation of Dharma, Yudhishthira's father. Because Yudhishthira never abandoned the dog, he passed his test and made his way to heaven.
       The story about Yudhishthira and the dog reminded me of the movie Up. So I retold the story using Up characters. From the movie, Carl traveled to Paradise Falls to fulfill his promise to Ellie that they would travel there one day. Since Ellie passed away, I made her his symbol of heaven. Carl made it to Paradise Falls and met Dug. I decided to twist the story a bit and had Carl travel to heaven without Dug. I feel like Carl would have done the impossible to see Ellie (like attach balloons to a house and fly to a waterfall), so I made his choose heaven over the dog. I often hear stories about dogs who wait for their master's return until the day the die which was Dug's fate in the story.

Bibliography: Myths of Hindus and Buddhists by Sister Nivedita (1914).

Week 6 Storytelling: Not the Cows

     "Gentleman, I am pleased that all of you are here to discuss our grave situation," announced Prince Uttara to his audience of soldiers and commanding officers. The war room was buzzing with rumors about what could have possibly happened in the middle of the night to call for an emergency war meeting. Arjuna, disguised as Brihannala, was invited to attend the meeting as a special guest, but, just like the other officials, he was unaware of the problem at hand. Prince Uttara spots Arjuna in the crowd and calls him forth, "Brihannala! My loyal friend and ally! I have a very important mission for you, my friend." As Arjuna made his way through the crowd, he pondered what he could have done to be called upon by the prince himself! He knows my true identity. He knows I'm a Pandava! thought Arjuna. He stood by the prince with a collected composure, but in his mind he was terrified at the consequences that he could suffer.

     "Now,you must be wondering why I have called upon my best men at the darkest hour of the night. Well, let me tell you that a great injustice has occurred!" Prince Uttara's voice boomed across the hall which rallied his men with indignation towards the mysterious injustice.

"We are a proud kingdom! We fight as brothers against any enemy that has wronged us!" The prince's words encouraged louder rally cries among his soldiers. Arjuna's palms became sweaty, and his heart was pounding in his chest. He has to know. He's showing them that I am the enemy. I have to get out of here! Arjuna was looking for an escape route when Prince Uttara shouted, "I am infuriated with Duryodhana and his friends! They have kidnapped my father, your king, and are holding him prisoner!" Arjuna immediately let out a sigh of relief. Oh thank goodness it's just Duryodhana. The crowd roared with anger and cursed Duryodhana's name.

"My brothers, that's not the worst of it!" Arjuna gave Prince Uttara a puzzled look. What could be worse than your father, the king of this nation, being held prisoner? Prince Uttara stood at his podium in silence. His face showed mixed emotions of pain, hatred, and sorrow. The prince angrily pounded his fist against the podium and looked away from the crowd to hide the stream of tears running down his face. The soldiers were becoming uneasy... What has happened that made the prince, the bravest commanding officer, break down? With a quiver in his voice, Prince Uttara spoke, "Duryodhana's ally, Susharman.... He... He took our COWS!" Silence. The audience had a defeated look on their faces. It was as if someone had ripped their souls out of their bodies. Arjuna's jaw dropped in disbelief. COWS?! MY SLEEP WAS DISRUPTED FOR SOME STUPID FAT COWS!? Prince Uttara noticed Arjuna's reaction and embraced him, "It's ok brother! I see the pain in your eyes. I feel the anger that you feel in the depths of your heart! I knew you would understand the severity of our situation better than any soldier here, which is why I am appointing you as my chief charioteer! Side by side, we will destroy the heathens that have robbed our precious gems AND SAVE OUR COWS!" The crowd bellowed their deepest hatred and cries against the cow raiders!

"Kill kidnappers!"
"Slaughter the villains!"
"Save the cows!"

Arjuna could not fathom the insanity. The king was kidnapped and no one bats an eye. Someone raids the cows and everyone loses their minds! Prince Uttara then commands, "Men, secure the kingdom! Brihannala and I must confront the enemy and return the cows!" The prince and Arjuna then exit the thundering hall of riled up men. While Arjuna prepared the chariot, he asked, "My good prince, what about your father? Are we not rescuing him?"

"My father? OH YEAH! He is held prisoner isn't he... Ok hm well we can make a detour to rescue him but we MUST save the cows first.Cows first. Then my dad. But remember cows first." Arjuna gave the prince a cock-eyed look. This is absolutely ridiculous. With one quick crack of the whip, Prince Uttara and Arjuna trotted off to save the cows! And maybe the king.

A cow waiting to be rescued. Source.

Author's Note:
      In the original story, Arjuna, disguised as Brihannala in the king's court, accompanies Prince Uttara as the prince's charioteer to confront Susharman and save King Virata. Before saving the king, Susharman raided the king's cattle, leading to a battle to save the cattle. The prince was unable to confront the enemy so Arjuna takes over and defeats everyone, thus saving the king.
     In my story, I decided to make the main focus on the cows because cows are awesome. When I was reading the epic, it just cracked me up that someone would go through the trouble to steal some cows. I guess that's an ancient military tactic to cut off food sources perhaps? I imagined that the prince made a dramatic announcement to his army that the cows were being stolen, and at least one person had to question the validity of the meeting. I also used a line from the Dark Knight (as some of you may have noticed). The original quote can be found here. The story was supposed to be harmless, but I have realized that in some cultures cows are sacred. I'd just like to point out that I did not mean to offend anyone or any culture. I personally think cows the best farm animals. Just look at that image! It makes me want to keep a cow as a pet, but I'm also conflicted with my love for burgers...

Bibliography: The Mahabharata: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic by R. K. Narayan (1978)

Storytelling: Arjuna the Last Pandava

Yudhishthira. Bhima. Nakula. Sahadeva. Long ago the four brothers lived together in harmony. Then everything changed when Yudhisthira played the dice game. Only a Pandava, master of all four weapons, could stop him. But when the world needed him most, he vanished.Thirteen years have passed and Shiva and Urvashi discovered a Pandava named Arjuna, and although his weapon skills are great, he was a lot to learn before he's ready to save anyone. But I believe the Pandavas can save the world.

Shiva and Urvashi have guided Arjuna in his journey to obtain powerful weapons for the future such as the pashupata. Arjuna's destiny was to reunite the Pandavas and stop Yudhishthira from gambling his life (and his brothers' lives.. and his wife's life...and his possessions..and his kingdom..) away to the evil Duryodhana. However, the brothers have been separated into different corners of the world. Arjuna, Shiva, and Urvashi traveled to several cities, fighting crime and discovering new talents, to find the rest of the Pandavas. Duryodhana realized that Arjuna was alive and well. In order to stop Arjuna from saving Yudhishthira from his gambling addiction, Duryodhana sent his brother Duhshasana to bring Arjuna alive. Duhshasana searched high and low for Arjuna and his allies, hoping to make his brother proud by bringing honor to the family. During their journey, Arjuna found Bhima by answering riddles to discover Bhima's name. During his time apart, Bhima learned how to mold earth with his bare hands. Nakula was found at the North pole where he mastered powerful water-healing abilities. Sahadeva was the last brother to be found in Durodhana's kingdom as an undercover sword-master. The Pandavas were almost united, except Yudhishthira was still gambling with Duryodhana. The Pandavas created an elaborate plan with all of their skills and weapons to save Yudhishthira and destroy Duryodhana. Bhima overthrew Duryodhana's army that guarded the city of Amaravati with his earthly forces. Nakula healed the wounded soldiers with his mystical water powers, and confronted Duhshasana in an epic battle. Sahadeva teamed with skilled swordsmen to attack the naval fleet in Duryodhana's kingdom. Ajura then confronts Duryodhana in his palace where he was holding Yudhishthira hostage. Using his pashupata, Ajura stabs the weapon through the evil king's heart, which officially ends the war. Yudhishthira was released from his gambling prison (but still had to go to rehab for his addiction). Bhima successfully relieved the city of Amaravati from Durodhana's army. The Pandavas were finally reunited, and brought balance to the world.

My take on the Pandavas. Source.

Author's Note: In the original story, Duryodhana challenges Yudhishthira to a dice game which results in Yudhishthira gambling everything he has ever owned away. The Pandavas consists of five brothers - Yudhishthira, Bhima, Nakula, Sahadeva, and Arjuna. The brothers are exiled because of Yudhishthira's gambling. During this time, Arjuna collects weapons from the gods and reunites the Pandavas to take revenge on Duryodhana.

I decided to write the story with a twist from the Nickelodeon series Avatar: The Last Airbender. The introduction was based off of the original introduction from the show, but I changed a few words. Instead of being four nations, I had the introduction changed to four brothers. If you're not familiar with the series, here is a link that gives a summary. In short, the avatar must defeat the evil firelord from taking over the world. In my story, Arjuna is Aang, Shiva is Sokka, and Urvashi is Katara. I had the brothers represent the characters from the Order of the White Lotus (a secret organization from the show). Bhima is Bhumi (Earthbending King), Nakula is Paku (Waterbending master), and Sahadeva is Piandao (master swordsmen). I had Duryodhana represent the firelord and his brother Duhshasana portray Prince Zuko. I had Arjuna reunite his brothers in order to save Yudhishthira from his gambling problem. When I was reading the original story, I couldn't believe that this brother kept gambling everything he owned! That's why I made his addiction the dilemma that brought imbalance to the world. It's not perfect, but it'll do.

Bibliography:  The Mahabharata: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic by R. K. Narayan (1978).

Storytelling Week 4: Ravana and The Fates

Ravana tried convincing Sita to leave Rama and to marry him instead, but there was no hope. Sita remained loyal and faithful to Rama. Ravana offered her gifts, love, security, and a home, yet Sita refused. Frustrated and confused, Ravana asked his counselors for advise.

Counselor 1: "Ravana just take her against her will! You stole her, now make her yours!
 Ravana: "I don't want to force her. She must love me for who I am."
Counselor 2: "You don't want to force her yet you kidnapped her from her husband... I believe your logic is flawed my good sire."
Counselor 3: "He had no choice but to kidnap her. She was already married to Rama. He simply took the initiative and invited Sita to his house."
Counselor 2: "Why kidnap a married woman? And I believe there was no 'invitation.'"
Counselor 1: "Because Ravana deserves Sita! That's why he took her! Ravana deserves the best, and if he wants her then he can take her!"
Ravana: "She needs to realize that I am the better fit for her than Rama. If Rama really loved her, then he wouldn't have left her alone for me to kidnap. Therefore, my logic is on point."
Counselor 2: "Ravana, the deed is done. She's already here. But a path towards a woman's heart is complicated. You must be patient with her. You cannot expect her to fall in love with you when you took her against her will. In her eyes, you are the villain. You must show her your kind side."
Counselor 3: "That is a very good point. But don't you think that will be too time-consuming? Ravana has everything going for him. Money, power, good looks. Sita should be begging Ravana to make her his wife."
Counselor 1: "And she shall be his wife! Ravana just take her now! Rama was too kind to Sita. She will be attracted to your aggressiveness! Women love that."
Counselor 2: "You're an idiot. How did you get this job?"
Counselor 1: "I am primary counselor! I will have you sentenced to death!"
Ravana: "ENOUGH! Counselors, you have helped in my every time of need. There is still not a solution to make Sita love me. Please help me, or I shall replace all of you!"
Counselor 3: "I have an idea. Sita is in love with Rama. Why don't we just kill Rama? Then she will have no one to love except for Ravana. He will comfort her which will show kindness. One thing leads to another and BAM! Sita is your wife."
Counselor 2: "That's insanity."
Counselor 1: "That's genuis."
Ravana: "That's the solution! Tonight I will kill Rama and make Sita mine! Thank you good counselors. You have once again saved me with your advice."

Ravana then exits his palace to prepare for battle.

Counselor 2: "You know Sita will just hate Ravana even more."
Counselor 1: "Yeah but women love bad men."
Counselor 3: "It's kings like him who can't think for themselves is the reason why we're employed."

My take on Counselor 1, 2, and 3 (aka The Fates). Source.

Author's Note: In the original story, Ravana kidnapped Sita from Rama while Rama hunted for a golden deer for Sita. When Sita resided in Ravana's palace, Ravana attempted to persuade Sita in becoming his wife. According to the story, Ravana never wanted Sita as his wife unless she wanted to. He didn't believe that he should be forceful with her, which is ironic since he kidnapped her.
I decided to write about Ravana's dilemma of how to make Sita fall in love with him. In Sita sings the Blues, Ravana was described as a good person until he kidnapped Sita. I tried to portray his "kindness" with the fact that he refuses to force himself on Sita, but of course since he's the villain I made him believe that killing Rama was the only solution. The reason I wrote about three counselors was because several kings do have some sort of counseling staff or a group of advisers. I chose three counselors, each with a different attitude. Counselor 1 is the aggressive type while Counselor 2 is more reasonable. Counselor 3 is the middle ground between Counselor 1 and Counselor 2. I imagined the counselors to be like the Hades' counselors of Past, Present, and Future (which explains the image). Whether Ravana actually succeeds in killing Rama is up to the reader.

Bibliography: Sita Sings the Blues by Nina Paley

Storytelling Week 3: Sita - The Girl on Fire

Rama was the man of the hour! The gods rejoiced in the heavens because Rama fulfilled his destiny of defeating Ravana with his powerful Brahma-blessed weapon. The mighty hero searched for his lost love, the beautiful Sita, in Lanka where she was held hostage. After searching high and low, Hanuman guided Rama to the tree where he last saw Sita. Sita recognized Rama from a distance and ran to her husband. She felt an overwhelming amount of mixed emotions: happiness, comfort, and most of all love. She had dreamed of her rescue every night. Finally my husband returns to me! Once I'm in his arms, the pain and despair that Ravana brought upon me will melt away, thought Sita. She sprinted across the field with open arms to feel her husband's warmth and security that she longed for. Just as she was about to hug her true love, Rama stretch his hand in front of to stop Sita.

Rama: "Whoaa now.. Easy there, Missy."
Sita: "Rama what's wrong? Why won't you embrace me? It's been so long, and I have been through the worst pain without you."
Rama: "Yeah ok ya see I'd like to believe that, but you've had company."
Sita: "Company? Rama, the city of Lanka was no friend to me. I have been alone."
Rama: "Well there was always your best friend Ravana..."
Sita: "...Are you serious..?"
Rama: "Listen I know you have needs, and Ravana is a good-looking guy. You were alone with him for awhile. Things could have happened."
Sita: "IS THAT WHAT YOU THINK OF ME?! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU!"
Rama: "Calm down, woman! He tried to make you leave me! Am I wrong for assuming? I'm just trying to protect my honor."
Sita: "What have I ever done to you to make you question my loyalty! I have loved you and cared for you since the first day I saw you! I have been the most faithful wife to you, but here you are denying me? This in unbelievable."
Rama: "I still love you, Sita. I just want you to prove yourself to me. All I'm asking is for you to walk through fire so I know that you're pure. It's not so bad."
Sita: "........."
Rama: "You're making this a bigger deal than it has to be. Just walk through the fire."
Sita: "What if I die Rama? You're going to let me burn to death because your jealous mind is clouding your reasoning?"
Rama: "If you have been faithful then you won't die. If you have been unfaithful, then you deserve to die. It makes sense to me."
Sita: "You're incredibly despicable. What if I accused you for infidelity and made you walk through fire!"
Rama: "That's different. I'm a good person so I would never cheat on you."
Sita: "If this fire doesn't kill me, I'm going to kill you."
Rama: "Uh huh love you too. Now walk!"

Sita felt the heat of the flames from a few feet away. She looked at her husband who kept urging her to walk through the inferno. Sita was infuriated with her husband's accusations, but mostly, she was depressed with the revelation that Rama may not be the same person she fell in love with. My Rama would never do this to me... Before she took her first step towards the fire, the gods saved her from burning and proved her fidelity to Rama.

Rama: "Sita you're pure! My dear Sita I never doubted you for a second!"

Rama opened his arms to embrace Sita, but she stepped away.

Rama: "Eh.. Why aren't you hugging me..?"
Sita: "I think we should see other people."
Rama: "What do you mean? It's us. It has always been us."
Sita: "Not anymore. Bye Felicia."

Then Sita walks off into the sunset, towards her kingdom.

Sita Walking in the Flame. Source

Author's Note: I decided to write about Rama's confrontation with Sita about her infidelity.In the original story, Rama was guided to Sita by Hanuman. He rejects Sita because he questions her purity. In order to prove herself to her husband, Sita walks through fire but is saved by the fire god Agni. At this point, Rama acknowledges Sita's purity and accepts her as his wife.
       In my story, I gave Sita some attitude and sass. Instead of being submissive, Sita was had more fire in her soul and actually talked back to Rama with a fierce tone. For once, Sita stood up for herself. I was shocked at Sita's reaction when I read this chapter because I believed Sita would defend herself because she was always a faithful wife. My goal of this story was to have Sita gain control of her life. I wanted to protray her as an independent woman who has zero tolerance for controlling husbands. I'm pretty biased on the topic because I have experienced the consequences of a jealous, controlling boyfriend. Also, I took the story to the extreme and added more modern dialogue. In my story, I had Sita leave Rama which reveals her strength and independence.

Bibliography: Public Domain Edition of Ramayan  Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists by Sister Nivedita (1914) Testing Sita.

Storytelling Week 2: Divorce Court (Kaikeyi and Dasharatha)

Dasharatha

I despise her. I despise her with an undying passion that burns to the core of my woeful soul. How dare she ask me to exile my beloved son... Our beloved son! My dear Rama will be banished from his kingdom. Bharata will take his place as crown prince. How could she do this to me! Is this a dream? A terrifying dream? Please someone awake me from this nightmare! Is this the work of a rakshasa? Am I mad? I can still remember her poisonous words slipping from her forked tongue, "Banish Rama and crown Bharata! Deny my wishes and I shall drink poison tonight!" What evil has transformed my beautiful wife into a heartless wench? I cannot live with this shame. I feel my heavy heart drowning in the black ink of my guilt. Tonight, the world will hear my sobs echo into the darkness. Although a full moon greets me tonight with such beauty, I must hide my sin from the world. I refuse to be seen in my mournful state. No light shall fall upon my undeserving being. There was no arguing with her. I had to grant my wife her wishes. No.. she is no longer my wife. She is a malicious woman. My hatred for her grows darker with every passing day. I will forever reject Kaikeyi. I despise her.

Kaikeyi

What a stunning night! The moon greets me with its silver light to celebrate the granting of my wishes! Tomorrow my Bharata will be the heir to the kingdom, and Rama will be exiled into the wilderness! It is only fair that Dasharatha grants me my wishes. He vowed to grant me two wishes, therefore he must. He cannot deny me. Oh but how pitiful he is tonight... He sobs in the darkest corner of the palace, asking the gods for forgiveness. He has always been a dramatic king. He refuses to see the ingenuity of my plan. Bharata was living in the shadow of Rama. The healthiest solution was to make Bharata heir to the throne, and banish Rama. If anything Dasharatha should be appreciative that I did not ask for Rama's death! 'Tis true, I am the most kind and loving wife that he has. It is not personal with Rama. I just believe that it is time for the kingdom to recognize Bharata for his noble deeds. Did I force the king? Of course not! I gave him a choice: Me or Rama. I may have threatened that I would poison myself, but I was just being ridiculous of course. He knows that I am always teasing. That's why he married me. Well, my work here is done. Tomorrow, Rama leaves and Bharata is heir! Ah... I love happy endings.

Kaikeyi and Dasharatha arguing.

Author's Note: The epic I chose for this week's storytelling came from Donald A. Mackenzie's Indian Myth and Legend (1913). and is called Kaikeyi and Dasaratha. In the original story, Kaikeyi demands that Dasaratha grants her two boons by banishing Rama and making Bharata his heir. Dasaratha was devastated. He refused to grant Kaikeyi her boons, but she threatened to poison herself if he did not keep his word. Consequently, Dasaratha had to keep his promises, but he told his wife that he would forever reject her and Bharata. I approached the story with a different writing style. I wrote it in a way that resembled diary entries to present each character's point of view of the situation. I deviated from the story by changing Kaikeyi's motive. She was persuaded by Manthara, a rakshasa, to demand the banishment of Rama. In my story, the wife demanded Bharata as the heir to be recognized by the kingdom. The goal of my story was to give insight into each character's thoughts and feelings about their current situation. I wanted to my audience to feel Dasaratha's hatred for his wife and compare it to Kaikeyi's immature gloating. The image that I chose shows Kaikeyi and Dasaratha fighting about her boons. I liked this image because it gives a visual of the characters and their conflict.

Bibliography:  Donald A. Mackenzie's Indian Myth and Legend (1913).

Week 1 Storytelling: The Sneezing Man

IF you sneeze on Monday, you sneeze for danger;
Sneeze on a Tuesday, kiss a stranger;
Sneeze on a Wednesday, sneeze for a letter;
Sneeze on a Thursday, something better;
Sneeze on a Friday, sneeze for sorrow;
Sneeze on a Saturday, see your sweetheart to-morrow.

(Nursery Rhyme)

Monday - Sneeze for Danger

It was a frigid, rainy day in Munich when Herr Niesen came down with a cold. It was a tremendous cold with terrible sniffles and sneezes. As on older gentleman, Herr Niesen's body couldn't handle sicknesses like he did in his younger days. His sneezes caused him to be sent home early from work. Herr Niesen pack his briefcase and began his journey. The rain lightened to a gentle drizzle, making it an easier walk to his house, or so he thought. Sneeze here. Sneeze there. Sneeze everywhere. Herr Niesen sneezed so much that he didn't notice that he stumbled into a construction site on Deidesheimer St. A wrecking ball barely missed his head as he sneezed so harshly that he fell backwards. Pieces of concrete falling from the building landed just centimeters from Herr Niesen's feet as his sneezes moved his body to avoid any possible destruction. It was as if Herr Niesen was dancing with danger in a sneezing waltz. Miraculously, the sneezing gentleman survived Deidesheimer St. Approaching the end of the block, Herr Niesen let out a horrific sneeze that blew him to the ground. Mucus dripped from his stuffy nose until a dirty, black stray pranced to Herr Niesen's side and licked the mucus right off his face. Quite disgusted, Herr Niesen quickly brushed himself off and scorned the strange dog. Herr Niesen made his way home, sneezing every step of the way.

(The wrecking ball from the construction site)

Tuesday - Kiss a Stranger

Achoo! A sneeze disturbed Herr Niesen's sleep at the crack of dawn. He reached over to his night stand to grab his pocket watch when he realized it wasn't there. Herr Niesen never misplaces his pocket watch. He scanned his entire house, but it was nowhere to be found! He must have dropped it back at the construction site. He quickly dressed himself (with clothes mostly covered in snot). Arriving at Deidesheimer St., Herr Niesen found the same black stray dog chewing on his pocket watch. The mutt ran to Herr Niesen and licked his face. Herr Nisesen chuckled as the stray's licks tickled his chin. What an odd dog! Showing affectionate kisses to a stranger, Herr Niesen thought. The gentleman retrieved his pocket watch and took the dog home. A sneeze here. A sneeze there. Surprisingly, Herr Niesen was not sneezing everywhere.

(The black dog licking Herr Niesen's face - Personal Photo)

Wednesday - Sneeze for a Letter

Herr Niesen was walking his new friend around the neighborhood block when another sneeze storm shot mucus in the air! He caught a flyer that was drifting in the wind and soaked it with gooey nose slime. Then something caught his eye. On the flyer were bold letters that read LOST DOG with a picture of the same black stray. There was a number to call and an address to deliver the dog. The flyer continues with RESPONDS TO THE NAME BOOGER. "Booger?" questioned Herr Niesen and the dog wagged his tail in response. Although Herr Niesen didn't want to return Booger, he felt guilty if he kept his new friend. With much regret, Herr Niesen wrote the letter to the owner explaining that he found Booger. He sneezed once, then sniffled.

Thursday - Something Better

 By Thursday, Herr Niesen felt his health returning to a normal state so he spent his day playing fetch with Booger. Tomorrow was the day the owner would pick up Booger from his house. He felt sad that he would only have Booger for the next 24 hours... He didn't sneeze at all. In fact, he felt much better.

Friday - Sneeze for Sorrow

 It was another pitiful day in Munich with rain showers all afternoon, but Herr Niesen was not sneezing. He was curled up in the couch with Booger, waiting for his owner to retrieve the dog at 3:00 PM. Minutes appeared to be mere seconds as time flew by on the clock. 2:35 PM. Tick tock. 2:45 PM... 2:55 PM. Five minutes remained. Herr Niesen looked at Booger's furry face and hugged it close to him. The clock struck 3:00PM. There was a knock at the door. Herr Niesen open the door hesitantly and met a beautiful elderly woman named Frau Kleenex. She also had a terrible cold, and sneezed every second. She thanked Herr Niesen between her sneezes and left with Booger. After Booger's departure, Herr Niesen sneezed for the first time since his recovery. Achoo! He sneezed. Achoo! Achoo! He sneezed again. His sneeze attack came again with a rage. Herr Niesen sneezed all night, leaving him sleep deprived, but the most suffering came not from the sneezes, rather from the absence of his furry friend. For a few minutes, Herr Niesen felt tears streaming down his face. With every tear that fell for his sorrow, he sneezed.

Saturday - See Your Sweetheart Tomorrow

Herr Niesen stayed in bed all morning. His head pounded, and he was congested. He thought to himself I will NEVER leave my bed! Then he heard scratching at his door. Strange....I'm not expecting visitors...But he heard the scratches again. This visitor seemed persistent. Summoning all of his energy, Herr Niesen crawled out of bed and made his way to the door. The peephole showed no one. He opened the door and out came a familiar shaggy face with a wagging tail. Booger jumped on Herr Niesen and licked his face with such excitement. Herr Niesen noticed a letter attached to Booger's collar. It read Booger missed his new friend. Join us for brunch at 11:00AM tomorrow. Sincerely Frau Kleenex.Thrilled with his invitation, Herr Niesen spent the rest of the afternoon playing with Booger and planning his date with Frau Kleenex. He didn't sneeze the entire day.

Herr Niesen reunited with his dog

 Author's Note: "If you sneeze on a Monday, you sneeze for danger" is a nursery rhyme from The Nursery Rhyme Book, edited by Andrew Lang (1897). The nursery rhyme discusses the consequences of sneezing during the week. It reminded me of old superstitions that my grandparents would tell me about sneezing or yawning without covering your mouth. So I imagined an old man who sneezed quite often. Since my grandparents always found happiness with their dogs, I decided to portray the dog as "the cure" to the old man's sickness. I picked Germany as the setting because as I was brainstorming ideas, my cousin was telling me about her first day in Beginning German. "Herr Niesen" translates to Mr. Sneeze and Frau Kleenex means Ms. Kleenex. I tried to relate each character by assigning them names that related to sneezing.