By Keshia Rogers
"Scheherazade,
will you tell me what happened to Sita and Rama next? I was up
all night thinking about them."
Scheherazade smiled at her little sister. She had been up all night thinking about her story as well. The sultan seemed at least mildly interested in Sita's plight. Today she would show him how honorable a woman could be. But this was a tricky story and she had to be careful not to push it too far. She slid over so Dinarzade would have room to sit, and as soon as she was sure she had the sultan's attention, she began.
"Sita, Rama, and Lakshmana lived in peace in the forest for a little over thirteen years. They had grown comfortable in their surroundings and forgot how dangerous the woods could be.
One day, while Rama and Lakshmana were out hunting, an old hermit came to the cottage begging for food. Sita took pity on the poor man and invited him in for dinner. As they sat talking, the old hermit commented on his surprise at finding a beautiful woman all alone in the dangerous forest. Did she not know that the demon king Ravana sometimes walked these woods?
Sita smiled at the old man's mistake. "I am not alone here," She reassured him. "I live here with my husband and brother-in-law. They are out hunting at the moment. And I am not afraid of Ravana. My husband could destroy him with a single shot. Ravana's ego is powerful indeed, but my Rama would destroy him if he ever threatened me."
Sita was so caught up in her description of her husband that she did not notice the change that was coming over her guest. When she finally looked at him again she screamed. The old hermit was none other than the ten-headed Ravana himself! Before Sita understood what was happening, Ravana grabbed her and fled the forest. Sita only had time to drop some of her jewels to make a small trail for Rama.
Ravana tried to calm Sita, but she would not be comforted. He told her that he was in love with her and did not want to hurt her. If she would yield to him, he would make her his queen. She would have everything that she desired. Ravana took her on grand tours of his kingdom, showing her every delight that would be hers if she would only submit to him.
But Sita refused all of his advances. She told him, as she had told Rama, that fine things and palaces meant nothing to her. If Ravana truly wished for her to be happy, he would return her to Rama. The suggestion that he return Sita after capturing her infuriated Ravana. Ravana would not allow Sita to sleep in his palace as long as she refused him, but he could not bear having her out of his sight. So he forced her to live in a garden just beyond the palace. He placed demon guards around her and came to her every day, reminding her of all that she could have if she would only obey his wishes.
Every day Sita would refuse Ravana, and tell him that Rama would find her. She warned Ravana that he and his whole kingdom would suffer because of his deeds. But in her heart Sita began to wonder. She had been a prisoner for months. What was taking Rama so long? She began to fear that he had been killed on his way to find her.
Late one evening Sita managed to slip away from her guard and take a walk alone. She knew that she could not take the pressure much longer but she refused to ever give in to that awful demon. She had just determined to end her life in a month if she had no word from Rama when suddenly she heard a strange noise. It sounded like the tree she was leaning against had just called her name! When she heard the sound a second time she looked up, into the eyes of a little monkey.
The little monkey slowly made his way down the tree and handed Sita a ring. Rama's ring!! He than began to explain his mission. He was a messenger from Rama. Rama had been busy gathering an army. He was on his way to destroy this kingdom and take Sita home. He said something about monkeys and bears that Sita didn't quite understand. But that didn't matter. Rama was coming.
Sita broke down and allowed herself to shed all of the tears she had held in for so long. She couldn't say exactly when the little monkey left or when her guard found her sobbing under the tree. It didn't matter. She was almost free. When word of Sita's tears reached Ravana he assumed that her will had finally broken, so he made his way back to the garden."
"And did Sita give herself to him?"
"My lord, what happened next is another story entirely. And you have an early meeting in the audience hall."
"Sultan, please let Scheherazade finish her story tomorrow!"
"Of course, Dinarzade. I would not deprive you of the end of the tale."
Author's note: I tried to keep this story basically the same, but focused on how Sita would feel, trapped in a strange land and not knowing that her husband was searching for her. This version of the story also gives a little more detail on Ravana's various tactics to get his way. Scheherazade did leave out the major detail of the golden deer. In the original version, Rama had left Sita, and was tricked, because she begged him to capture the deer for her. But she is using this story to show the good character of women. Sita throwing a fit and sending her husband on a wild goose chase would probably not impress the sultan!
Image info: "Abduction of Sita~ Ravi Varma
Bibilography: Ramayana~ William Buck 1976.
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Scheherazade smiled at her little sister. She had been up all night thinking about her story as well. The sultan seemed at least mildly interested in Sita's plight. Today she would show him how honorable a woman could be. But this was a tricky story and she had to be careful not to push it too far. She slid over so Dinarzade would have room to sit, and as soon as she was sure she had the sultan's attention, she began.
"Sita, Rama, and Lakshmana lived in peace in the forest for a little over thirteen years. They had grown comfortable in their surroundings and forgot how dangerous the woods could be.
One day, while Rama and Lakshmana were out hunting, an old hermit came to the cottage begging for food. Sita took pity on the poor man and invited him in for dinner. As they sat talking, the old hermit commented on his surprise at finding a beautiful woman all alone in the dangerous forest. Did she not know that the demon king Ravana sometimes walked these woods?
Sita smiled at the old man's mistake. "I am not alone here," She reassured him. "I live here with my husband and brother-in-law. They are out hunting at the moment. And I am not afraid of Ravana. My husband could destroy him with a single shot. Ravana's ego is powerful indeed, but my Rama would destroy him if he ever threatened me."
Sita was so caught up in her description of her husband that she did not notice the change that was coming over her guest. When she finally looked at him again she screamed. The old hermit was none other than the ten-headed Ravana himself! Before Sita understood what was happening, Ravana grabbed her and fled the forest. Sita only had time to drop some of her jewels to make a small trail for Rama.
Ravana tried to calm Sita, but she would not be comforted. He told her that he was in love with her and did not want to hurt her. If she would yield to him, he would make her his queen. She would have everything that she desired. Ravana took her on grand tours of his kingdom, showing her every delight that would be hers if she would only submit to him.
But Sita refused all of his advances. She told him, as she had told Rama, that fine things and palaces meant nothing to her. If Ravana truly wished for her to be happy, he would return her to Rama. The suggestion that he return Sita after capturing her infuriated Ravana. Ravana would not allow Sita to sleep in his palace as long as she refused him, but he could not bear having her out of his sight. So he forced her to live in a garden just beyond the palace. He placed demon guards around her and came to her every day, reminding her of all that she could have if she would only obey his wishes.
Every day Sita would refuse Ravana, and tell him that Rama would find her. She warned Ravana that he and his whole kingdom would suffer because of his deeds. But in her heart Sita began to wonder. She had been a prisoner for months. What was taking Rama so long? She began to fear that he had been killed on his way to find her.
Late one evening Sita managed to slip away from her guard and take a walk alone. She knew that she could not take the pressure much longer but she refused to ever give in to that awful demon. She had just determined to end her life in a month if she had no word from Rama when suddenly she heard a strange noise. It sounded like the tree she was leaning against had just called her name! When she heard the sound a second time she looked up, into the eyes of a little monkey.
The little monkey slowly made his way down the tree and handed Sita a ring. Rama's ring!! He than began to explain his mission. He was a messenger from Rama. Rama had been busy gathering an army. He was on his way to destroy this kingdom and take Sita home. He said something about monkeys and bears that Sita didn't quite understand. But that didn't matter. Rama was coming.
Sita broke down and allowed herself to shed all of the tears she had held in for so long. She couldn't say exactly when the little monkey left or when her guard found her sobbing under the tree. It didn't matter. She was almost free. When word of Sita's tears reached Ravana he assumed that her will had finally broken, so he made his way back to the garden."
"And did Sita give herself to him?"
"My lord, what happened next is another story entirely. And you have an early meeting in the audience hall."
"Sultan, please let Scheherazade finish her story tomorrow!"
"Of course, Dinarzade. I would not deprive you of the end of the tale."
Author's note: I tried to keep this story basically the same, but focused on how Sita would feel, trapped in a strange land and not knowing that her husband was searching for her. This version of the story also gives a little more detail on Ravana's various tactics to get his way. Scheherazade did leave out the major detail of the golden deer. In the original version, Rama had left Sita, and was tricked, because she begged him to capture the deer for her. But she is using this story to show the good character of women. Sita throwing a fit and sending her husband on a wild goose chase would probably not impress the sultan!
Image info: "Abduction of Sita~ Ravi Varma
Bibilography: Ramayana~ William Buck 1976.
Back to cover