Storytelling Week 4: Close Encounters

Every morning the boy would go climbing on the oldest, largest trees he could find in the forest. It was always so early that the only voices he could hear were the singing of birds and the whistling of leaves as a gentle breeze filled the air. Warm, piercing rays of light would come creeping through the branches.

(The forest where the boy plays every day.)

One morning something odd happened. The boy stumbled across a peculiar tree which stood ominously, enclosed by a field of beautiful flowers. Hesitant at first, the boy gathered his resolve and moved to conquer the tree. He clung to the bark, his hands moving first, then feet, following this rhythm as he moved up the tree. But just as the boy had reached his first branch a terrifying sound erupted.

"You, a mere boy dare to interrupt my slumber!?"

The voice was like a screech that invaded the child's ears and caused such a severe headache that the boy lost control of his grip and fell to the ground. As he lay there writhing in pain, a spider-like creature sped down the tree until its red eyes and fangs, like those of a saber-toothed cat, were but inches from the boy’s face. The creature resembled a human if not for its four arms and legs, covered in thorns. This was a Rakshasa.

"I would eat you right now if not for that wretched stench," howled the beast.

The boy had soiled himself. He remained on the ground shivering uncontrollably as the demon's rancid breath puffed against his face. The child tried to open his mouth to speak, but all that escaped was sobbing. So he closed his eyes and curled up into a ball, quivering in fear. The boy heard yet another screech from the demon.

"Surely, you are blessed by the gods," said the beast, "for I am quite tired today."

"But listen carefully," snarled the Rakshasa. "While you were cowering in fear I, the great Ishnana, placed a curse on you. For whichever tree you attempt to climb will open up and devour you whole."

As Ishnana scurried up the tree, the boy dragged himself in shame as far as he could get from the demon.

During the next few days the child fell into a severe depression. While he sat on a riverbank, a great shadow loomed over him. As he turned around, the child gazed upon a huge vulture descending upon him. The bird moved so quickly that the boy could only shield his face from the strong gust of wind. To the child's surprise the vulture began to speak.

"What has you troubled?" asked the vulture. "I have flown over these woods many times and witnessed you running about gleefully. But today you sit in silence."

With tears in his eyes the boy explained the events that had occurred.

"Dear boy, you are in luck for I know of this creature's weakness," responded the bird.

And so they devised a plan to defeat Ishnana. The boy climbed onto the bird's back and they set off to gather materials for their plan.

Several days later the child cautiously approached Ishnana's tree and called out.

"Oh great one, please allow me to repay you for the mercy that you showed me the other day," declared the child.

The boy stood in silence, anxiously awaiting Ishnana's reply. But there was silence. With a sigh of dismay, the child turned around. But as he was making his way to the riverbank, the tree shook violently. Ishana's thorny limbs scraped and stabbed the tree as he hurried to the ground.

"Not once, but twice you have disturbed me," replied Ishnana in anger. "Explain yourself at once!"

"I noticed that you maintain a beautiful garden," said the child. "But I have found one filled with even more exotic plants."

"Nonsense, there is no such garden in this forest!" shouted Ishnana. "Show me the way and I shall decide for myself!"

The demon did indeed have a weakness for flowers. He collected and planted them tirelessly for his garden. They eventually came before a clearing where the light shone beautifully at its center. And at this point lay a glorious plot of flowers, with colors known only to the Gods.

"Incredible! Some of these flowers cannot be found in this world," said Ishnana as he approached the plot. "How did you discover such a thing?"

But before the creature could hear a response, the ground beneath him crumbled. Ishnana was plunging further and further into a deep pit. At this moment the vulture arrived.

"Jatayu, why have you come here!?" asked Ishnana as he struggled to climb out of the hole. "Is this your doing!?"

"Yes it is I, Jatayu, protector of this forest," said the bird."You have harmed one of my protected creatures and so I sentence you to remain at the bottom of this hole, beneath the flowers you so admire.”

Jatayu then rose up and with two flaps of his wings gathered enough dirt to fill the hole. As Ishnana tried to claw his way out, roots shot out of the inner walls of the pit and like rope restrained the demon. The flowers were indeed otherworldly for they fed on the energy of Rakshasas. Ishnana could only remain there helplessly as the flowers sucked away his life. With the hole sealed, the boy turned to Jatayu in praise.

"Thank you for saving me. I do not deserve such a guardian," said the boy.

"Oh, but few are worthier of protection," responded Jatayu."For I did not appear to you by chance. The gods sent me to protect you. You are to be a great leader. You will nurture a champion among gods, the one who will break Shiva's bow."

"I do not understand," replied the child. "But I hope that we can be friends."

With a look of great joy, the vulture replied, "Surely, we will be brothers."

Author's Note

I was motivated to write this story as sort of an origin to Rama's father. I thought that it would be interesting to know a little more about the great king who had raised so many respected sons. I then remembered his relationship with Jatayu and how it was mentioned that the two characters had had a longstanding relationship with each other before the events of the Ramayana. So creating my own take on his origin story seemed like an interesting idea.

While reading the Ramayana I was under the impression that Jatayu’s relationship with Dasaratha was born out of battles that they had fought together. But rather than create an elaborate battle sequence or political conflict, depicting the intensity of their bond within this plot seemed more effective. This story is more akin to a cautionary tale than a tragic war story. The innocence of the main protagonist in this story contrasts nicely with the Rakshasa and creates a deeper bond between the reader and Dasaratha,who is seen not as an unforgiving and resilient king but as a vulnerable human. Forests are quite often used as metaphors for a character’s growth and triumph over adversity, while the monster often reflects a vice that is common to humanity. Therefore, I believe that I must have been influenced by such plot devices while composing my own work. 

The name of the rakshasa was meant to be an allusion to the character Anansi, who is an icon of West African and Caribbean folklore. I only began thinking of Anansi while I was trying to come up with a name for the demon. But it is possible that Anansi had been influencing my decision to use a spider-like creature from the beginning.

Bibliography:

Narayan's Ramayana, 1972 .