Reading Notes: Ramayana, Part D1

In The Bridge, I wonder why the God of Ocean sacrifices did not work when Rama performed them. As I read, I am amazed with just how much power Rama seems to have. Will he truly be able to dry up the waters of the sea? I guess so since they listened and Nala constructed a bridge named after Rama. I feel as though I can make this into a story where Rama thinks he hold this much power, but then is defeated by the Ocean.

In Rama Attacks, I was shocked that the monkeys returned to tell Ravana of Rama's power and that he still refused to surrender Sita. I was also surprised when Ravan faked Rama's death to Sita, bringing her a bow and head that resembled his. I was very glad that they vanished after he left for war and Sita knew him well enough to know it was an illusion.

In Indrajit, I did not think all of the monkeys and rakshasas were doing to fight as well with Rama, Sugriva and Ravana. I am also curious as to why the rakshasas are strongest at night. I was very worried once Ravana's brother, Indrajit, injured Rama and Lakshmana. But, luckily Garuda came and restored their lives and told them that they will rise up and succeed.

In Kumbhakarna, the rakshasas awoke Kumbhakarna, the mightiest of all demons. They danced and made loud noises all around him, but he would not wake up until a beautiful woman caressed him. He was angry when he woke up as he usually sleeps for 6 months and only wakes up for one day. When he woke, he was ready for a large meal and started eating everything and then asked where the apes are so he could eat them too. He went on his was to find them and the apes were terrified, but Sugriva got them all together to fling items at him. None of those phased him and he defeated Hanuman and seized Sugriva. Kumbhakarna went against Rama which Rama responded to by flinging flaming arrows at him until he fell into the ocean injured.

In the mountain, Ravana became worried about defeating Rama. Indrajit vowed that he would slay both Rama and Lakshmana that day and performed sacrifices that provided him with more weapons in addition to being invisible. Rama saw him and counseled a semblance of defeat leading Indrajit to go home to Lanka victorious. Jambavan called to the wind-god's son for the 4 life-giving herbs from Himalaya, king of mountains.Hanuman leaped across the ocean, but the herbs were hidden from him and he uprooted the whole mountain in frustration and brought it to heal the monkeys and they rose up as if they had just taken a nap.He then returned the mountain to Himalaya and returned to Lanka.

In Lakshmana and Indrajit, Indrajit was angry and sent a message to Rama saying he would slay Sita. But, Rama was reminded that he would never do this as Ravana wants her as his spouse. Vibhishan went against his people and was shunned.



I think that I may mix some of these stories with the wind gods and their inability to lie and maybe have Sita ask them if it was true that Rama had been killed and then to maybe deliver him a message. I am still deciding as I need to read the last 10 stories. I feel as though these had much more action making it almost overwhelming with all of the ideas I have floating around! I am excited to write my story tomorrow and see what I can come up with.

(Photo by WikiMedia.)

Rayamana, Part D. Sources used: M. Dutt, R. Dutt, Gould, Griffith, Hodgson, Mackenzie, Nivedita, Oman, Richardson, and Ryder.

Famous Last Words: PROcrastinator

WELP. After a week of productivity and trying to get ahead, those snow days put me on vacation mode. I definitely was not as focused over those free days and am suffering those consequences now. I am going to do some extra credit tonight as I feel it is too late for me to do my weekend assignments to the best of my ability. Hopefully, I will wake up early and get to work so I can finish up those assignments before the grace period ends. I have already done half of the project assignment and made some edits, but I need to do an edit challenge. I also need to do my project feedback and blog comments. Whether I complete all of them or not, I am hoping this extra credit will ensure I don't fall behind in the course. I would like to be at least a week ahead, but I am definitely behind on that goal at the moment.

On the bright side, I have learned a lot by taking my time on my revisions for my project. I did not realize how often I use passive language where simply rearranging my sentence and changing my passive verbs to active make such an impact on the overall story. I hope to be more aware of this as I write future stories in order to make them stronger. I know it takes practice and this is the perfect place for that!

(Photo taken by me at the OU Men's Gymnastics meet on Saturday, February 24th).

Besides that, I did have a great week. I made Oreo balls for the first time since sophomore year which was a blast. I used to bake all the time and I forgot how much fun it can be. I also went to the women's gymnastics meet on Friday and the men's gymnastics meet on Saturday which is always a good time. Our gymnastics teams are both so talented and deserve SO much more recognition than they get.

Tech Tip: Google Timer

I chose to try out this google timer because I always find myself getting distracted when doing homework on my laptop. This has been very difficult while being in 2 classes that require a semester-long research paper. I always end up somewhere I am not supposed to be like Facebook or Pinterest. 

I am going to pause and use the google timer right now to go and write my story for the week to see if I like the idea and if it helps me stay on task. I am setting the time for 30 minutes, then will take a 10 minute break, and set it for 30 minutes again.

After doing this, I feel as though I saved SO much time. I promised myself not to stray from the pages I was using for school work and, although hard, it worked. I feel as though having a set amount of time really helps me tackle whatever task I need. I will say that I know this will take A LOT of self control to implement on a daily basis, but I am going to give it a shot and see how it goes!

(Photo from Pexels).

Reading Notes: Ramayana, Part C2

(Photo from WikiMedia).

In Hanuman in Lanka, I loved that Hanuman snuck into Lanka in the form of a cat. I feel as though this is the first time I have seen a more house-hold animal in an Indian Epics story. I was surprised that the palace was full of so many people. I pictured the king being much more strict about the amount of people in his palace, but instead it seemed as though it was a party. I was also confused as to why Ravana was asleep while everyone else was awake in the palace. Maybe more time had passed before this point. At first, Hanuman thought Mandodari, Ravana's queen, was Sita and began to celebrate. Then, his reflection spoke to him reminding him that Sita would not eat or drink or decorate herself without Rama. He looked everywhere and could not find her so she though she must have been killed so he left the palace. 

In The Ashoka Grove, Hanuman wandered to this place and found Sita! She was surrounded by she-demons that were terrifying.

In Sita and Ravana, Hanuman saw an imprisoned women with jewels similar to those of Sita's that were described to him and he shed tears of joy as he thought of Rama and his brother. Ravana awoke and arrived with a trail of women. He went towards Sita and she was terrified and sobbed at the sight of him. He continued trying to woo her and continued to refuse. He then gave her a 2-month term and if she had not accepted him by then he would have her tortured and slain.

In Hanuman and Sita, Hanuman was close enough to talk to Sita in secret. She thought maybe is was Ravana in disguise at first, but then was reassured when shown the ring of Rama. Hanuman offered to carry her away, but she refused to touch the body of any male besides Rama. Instead she gave Hanuman a bright jewel as a token. I thought this was pretty insane. Someone came to rescue her and went through great trouble to finally find her and then she wouldn't let Hanuman carry her to Rama.

I think this was my favorite potion of reading C. I feel as though I could write my own version of this part of the story by having Hanuman take Sita anyway. I may make Hanuman disguise himself as Rama which would then allow her to touch him even if he isn't the real Rama.

Rayamana, Part C. Sources used: M. Dutt, R. Dutt, Gould, Griffith, Hodgson, Mackenzie, Nivedita, Oman, Richardson, and Ryder.

Reading Notes: Ramayana, Part C1

In Sugriva and Hanuman, I love that we were able to see Rama and Lakshmana's true colors yet again. Both of the brothers are seen by the monkey-god, Hanuman, and are asked why they are wondering in the woods alone. When the trust was again in the monkey, they disclosed that Rama was banned from his home and his brother promised to stay by his side. By the end, we learn that Sugriva is in the same position as Rama in the sense that his wife had also been taken and has been banned from his kingdom.

In Sugriva's story, I was a little confused. I think that the brother followed some evil into a cave and Sugriva waited outside the cave he entered for a year only to never hear his cries and assume his brother's death due to the presence of blood. But, Valir (the brother) had not been killed and ended up destroying his enemy. Sugriva filled the opening with the top of a mountain which led to Cali having difficulty getting out. Once he returned to Kishkinda, he refused to believe what his brother told him had happened and thought that he filled the cave to hold him prisoner allowing him to be promised the kingdom without any competition. Vali stole Sugriva's wife and banned him from the kingdom. Rama begged Sugriva to challenge his brother in battle after hearing his story.

In Sugriva and Vali, Rama became very close with Sugriva. They went to Kishkindha together to challenge Vali. Sugriva ran away in terror and pain. I find it difficult to dissect the readings done in such a poetic way. I always end up lost in the language halfway through.

In the next story, Vali's Death, things became more clear. Sugriva returned to take on Valir and they battled. In the end, Valir is killed!

In King Sugriva, Tara is saddened by the loss of Vali and Sugriva comes to reality as he sees his brother lying dead. Sugriva is then named the lord and is returned to the kingdom at last.

In The Rainy Season, I was a little confused as to what all happened. I understood that they endured a year of rain and that Rama and Lakshmana are still out of their kingdom. It seemed to me that Rama was talking about how much he misses Sita in this time. It seems as though he is falling into a depression of some sort due to his deep heartache. He wants to free Sita and get her back more than life.

In The Armies, Rama became worried as Sugriva was supposed to help him go get Sita back, but he did not seem to care as he kept drinking wine and celebrating. Lakshmana then visited Sugriva and threatened him with death for breaking his promise. At this time, armies were sent out to search for Sita. 

In Sampati, after a month of searching, Sita has yet to be found. Those searching met an aged vulture named Sampati in a cave after he heard the monkey that were searching talking about his brother Jatayu. Sampati then heard their story and told them that he had seen Sita carried away by Ravana and that she was now hundred of leagues across the sea in Lanka.

In Sampati and Jatayu, it starts with Sampati reminiscing on old memories with his brother, Jatayu. They had been racing and he passed out and awoke without wings and dimmed sight. Death did not take him though. He asked the Saint why he lived and he was told that his wings would be returned once a chance of service comes along. He thinks that Rama make be the person he must be of service to. The Simians led him to the seashore to mourn the loss of Jatayu and then it seemed as though he was purified and youth had been given back to him.

In Hanuman's Leap, the monkeys regained their hope as they had some guidance. They then saddened after realizing how far Sita was and that they could not get there. The they remembered Hanuman was born in the mountains and sprang 3000 leagues with ease when young. They chose him to bound across the ocean. He climbed the mountain and prepared himself for the leap. After he left, a grim of rakshasi rose from the sea and caught him, but he dashed her and grew even better, bursting away until he saw the shore of Lanka.

(Photo from Wikipedia.)

Rayamana, Part B. Sources used: M. Dutt, R. Dutt, Gould, Griffith, Hodgson, Mackenzie, Nivedita, Oman, Richardson, and Ryder.

Famous Last Words: Rest

The week before last was a crazy one! In order to get all of my assignments for other classes, I put this course on the back burner. I am happy to say, I jumped right back up and completed all of my assignments this weeks and completed plenty of extra credit as well!

I spent most of my weekend relaxing and getting ahead in some of my other classes to ensure I have enough time to tackle this course. I have a feeling it's going to be a great week!

My goal for this week is to get just as much, or more, done as I did last week. I am also hoping to finish some of my other class assignments a tad bit earlier so I am able to go get help in office hours if needed. Nothing is worse than spending hours struggling on an assignment that you know would be so easy if you just had a few minutes of help.

Other than that, I don't have too many exciting plans. I may go see an OU theater show this week since my friend is in it and they are always amazing. All of my plans will just depend on how much I end up getting done throughout the course of the week.

Another goal of mine is to get back to working out this week. I have been doing very well this semester, but I took most of last week off in order to get all of my school assignments done without causing myself too much extra stress. I know this will be a struggle becasue I have been so sleepy lately, but I am making it a priority. I feel as though I have more energy and motivation when I have my workout routine in place.

Other than that, life is great and I am excited to see how this week goes!

(Photo from PixaBay.)

Learning Challenge: Sleep Deprivation

This week, I chose to watch the TED-Ed video about what would happen if you didn't sleep.
I think that sleep is such an interesting thing. I have always been a pretty hard sleeper, but I always go through phases where I can't seem to fall asleep at all. Recently, I have been having lots of sleep trouble so this was interesting to listen to and definitely had me digging out some melatonin to reset my sleep cycle this week!

(Photo from Flickr).

Growth Mindset: 29 Ways to Stay Creative

This week, I chose to explore the 29 ways to stay creative.

These were my favorites:

• Carry a notebook everywhere! This was one of my favorites because I do it and it has helped me SO much! You don't realize how many ideas get lost throughout the day until you have somewhere to always write them out.
• Take breaks! I love this because I notice that I am the least creative when I am warn down and trying to overwork myself. 
• Go somewhere new! Going new places sparks new thoughts and ideas like nobody's business! I am a huge fan of this.
• Clean your workspace! I personally get very anxious and overwhelmed if my workspace is not clean, so this one is always a must!

(Photo from PicServer).

Tech Tip: Canvas Calendar

I decided to take a look at the Canvas calendar tech tip and I am SO glad that I did! I am in capstone this semester and another course that includes a semester-long research project with a group and I am hoping to utilize the Canvas calendar for both. I love that you are able to make a group calendar so that everyone can see when our own due dates are as a group. I am hoping this will help us all manage our time throughout this long process.

(Photo from Pexels).

Comment Wall

Hi there!

Thank you so much for checking out my portfolio. 

I am excited to read your thoughts!

(Image Credit: Photo by Kareni found on PixaBay).

Week 5 Story: Don't Betray Loved Ones

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful queen that was married to the most well-known king of all, Rama. Rama was the strongest of the strong and everyone knew it. Unfortunately, like the sword in the stone, people hearing that it would be impossible to destroy him only encouraged them to challenge him to a battle.

The king seemed to always be gone proving his strength while the queen was left at home. He loved her so dearly that he did not want to bring her along in fear of her getting harmed.

Eventually, the queen became sad and lonely. She missed when Rama would spend time with her and treat her like the royal queen she is.

"It's time," whispered the evil king from the neighboring country with a smirk on his face.

Just as the queen finished sobbing over her loneliness in the royal garden, a man appeared. He complimented the queen as if she were dressed to go to a ball and presented flowers at her feet.

The queen suddenly felt as though her loneliness had been lifted and she couldn't help but smile.

After an hour of visiting, the evil king purposed a question to the queen, "What if you came back with me to my palace and never would have to be lonely again?"

The queen felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off of her shoulders with his offer. Not knowing how to tell Rama, the queen wrote a note expressing her love and sorrow to him, packed a bag, and left with the evil king before Rama returned. 

Little did the queen know, her letter had been replaced by the evil king. Instead, Rama came home to a note that read, "Finders keepers, losers weepers."

Enraged with anger, Rama hopped on his horse and headed towards the evil king's palace as he knew no one else would dare approach his queen but him.

Once Rama arrived, he saw his queen laughing and smiling from the gates and could not help but shed a tear. He loved her so much and she betrayed him for a man of no good.

Rama pulled himself together and stormed into the palace. Within minutes, the evil king was laying in a pool of his own blood and his queen was on the back of his horse in tears as they rode home.

"This should make you think again the next time you want to betray the one who loves you deeply," Rama said as he placed his queen in a prison cell with nothin but the letter from the evil king he had come home to.

(Photo from WikiMedia).

Author's Note:

In the original story, Sita was tricked into being kidnapped by Ravana, a Rackshasa. I changed that to her agreeing to leave with him and by taking out some of the mythological features of the story.

Ravana had Maricha disguise himself as a golden deer to catch Sita's eye. Rama knew that the Rakshasas usually take the form of deer for this reason. He immediately assumed that it was a set-up to draw Sita in and went about what he had to in order to slay the deer. 

In the chase, the deer was wounded and Sita hears the deer's cries in the voice of Rama and goes to try and save him.
Ravana was watching and waiting for Lakshmana, Ravan's brother, to leave Sita on her own so he could sneak towards her. Ravana was in disguise and Sita did not know this. She took his compliments until he began to ask her to leave with him to his kingdom. This shows her loyalty to Rama. Still, Ravana snatched her away. 
Sita calls out to Rama and Lakshmana telling them they she has been stolen by Ravana. Jatayu, a vulture heard Sita and awoke from sleep to go and try to stop Ravana from continuing on as he warned him that Rama would kill him. Jatayu took it upon himself when Ravana refused. He fought until the sky-faring car fell from the sky and Sita landed on his lap. But, Ravana still defeated him once on the ground and continued on with Sita.
Once in Lanka, Sita was stuck in the palace of the demon king. Ravana continued to try and impress Sita, but she refused to accept any of his words. She told Ravana that she would rather die than gratify him by becoming his wife.
In Rama and Jatayu, Rama returned to the hut where Sita had been and found it empty. He immediately knew she had been taken away, but did not know where she was taken to go save her. Rama and Lakshmana searched everywhere for Sita. Eventually, they crossed paths with Jatayu as he lay dying and he told them where to find Sita.

Rayamana, Part B. Sources used: M. Dutt, R. Dutt, Gould, Griffith, Hodgson, Mackenzie, Nivedita, Oman, Richardson, and Ryder.

Reading Notes: Ramayana, Part B2

One thing that stood out to me from the story about the Battle with Khara was how Rama handeled Sita. I think that Rama showed his love for Sita yet again by having Lakshmana take her to protection as he battled with the demons on his own. 

In the story of Shurpanakha and Ravana, I was not expecting such an intense story. I found the introduction to contain just enough imagery and descriptive words to show the read just how torn the woman was. I do not think I like this story very much to use in my own story telling.

In the story of Ravana and Maricha, I found it interesting that Ravana still wanted to take on Rama after hearing all that he had done. To be so sure of himself to the point of threatening Maricha's life is, what I think, a mistake on his part. I also think it was interesting that Maricha decided to take form of a golden deer to attract Sita's attention and take her. I am excited to read the next to story to see what ends up happening. 

In the Golden Deer, Maricha went on a mission to catch Sita's eye. I was glad that Rama knew that the Rakshasas usually take the form of deer for this reason. He immediately assumed that it was a set-up to real Sita in and went about what he had to in order to slay the deer. 

In the chase, I was surprised to see that the deer was really killed and that Maricha did not change form and escape. Sita hears the deer's cries in the voice of Rama and actually goes to try and save him. I am wondering if she will end up in danger in the next story.

In Ravana and Sita, Ravana was watching and waiting for Lakshmana to leave Sita on her own so he could sneak towards her. Ravana was in disguise and Sita did not know this. She took his compliments until he began to ask her to leave with him to his kingdom. This shows her loyalty to Rama. Still, Ravana snatched her away. I may make this into a story where Ravana asks to help her get to Rama instead and then her end up in his kingdom until Rama comes to save her.

In Jatayu, Sita calls our to Rama and Lakshmana telling them they she has been stolen by Ravana. Jatayu, a vulture heard Sita and awoke from sleep to go and try to stop Ravana from continuing on as he warned him that Rama would kill him. Jatayu took it upon himself when Ravana refused. He fought until the sky-faring car fell from the sky and Sita landed on his lap. But, Ravana still defeated him once on the ground and continued on with Sita.

Once in Lanka, Sita was stuck in the palace of the demon king. Ravana continued to try and impress Sita, but she refused to accept any of his words. She told Ravana that she would rather die than gratify him by becoming his wife.

In Rama and Jatayu, Rama returned to the hut where Sita had been and found it empty. He immediately knew she had been taken away, but did not know where she was taken to go save her. Rama and Lakshmana searched everywhere for Sita. Eventually, they crossed paths with Jatayu as he lay dying and he told them where to find Sita.

(Photo from WikiMedia.)

Rayamana, Part B. Sources used: M. Dutt, R. Dutt, Gould, Griffith, Hodgson, Mackenzie, Nivedita, Oman, Richardson, and Ryder.

Reading Notes: Ramayana, Part B1

(Photo from WikiMedia).

For this week, I am reading part B of Ramayana.

I really enjoyed the very first story about Dasharatha's death. I found it so interesting how each individual responded to the events at hand. One was calm and almost showed no mourning while the other dropped to his knees and wanted to kill Kaikeyi.
I feel as though if I were to re-tell this story, I would tell it only about Bharata and his feelings as he heard this news.

I also enjoyed hearing about the funeral in the next story. I think I could tie this into my story as well.

In the story of Rama and Bharata, I love what Jabali says. He tells them that they do not need to obey the king any longer for he is dead. It was full of lots of beautiful poetry that honestly got me thinking as well about real like and people that have regrets and such after one passes.

In the next story, I found it beautiful that Bharata went into the jungle with his brother and stayed loyal to the wishes placed upon him.

Rayamana, Part B. Sources used: M. Dutt, R. Dutt, Gould, Griffith, Hodgson, Mackenzie, Nivedita, Oman, Richardson, and Ryder.

Famous Last Words: Senioritis and GymU

This past week was one of those, "I have a lot to do but don't want to do any of it," weeks. I think I finally understand that whole "senioritis" thing people talk about. I am going to try and make smaller goals in order to make completing tasks a little more exciting in this time of no motivation.

Although I am BEYOND thankful that I got accepted into my graduate program so early, it is making it hard to finish out my last semester strong. Unlike other students, I was a wild child in high school and never put forth any effort into school. I was excited when I got into OU and was provided a "graduation coach" that I had to meet with every 2 weeks to check and make sure I was using my planner and all of that fun stuff and I was enrolled in Gateway along with being advised to not take anymore than 12 hours. I think that coming in with people doubting my success motivated me to prove them wrong. As of now, I have only received 1 "B" my second semester, which I now know should've been fought. The one "B" I received was due to the fact that I was a cheerleader for OU and had to miss class for a national competition and was given a 0 for that class assignment as my professor would not accept my university letter of absence. If you can't tell, I am still very salty about that situation. But, apparently, the grade is set in stone after 3 semesters, so I realized this was an unfair situation a little too late. All of that being said, I have never received a graduation award before and my goal is to do so this year. I am trying to keep that goal in mind to motivate me to get my assignments done.

On a more exciting note, my boyfriend is on the OU Men's Gymnastics team and they had their first home meet this weekend. They had a rough first meet and were very nervous as this was their biggest meet (other than conference and NCAA's), but they CRUSHED it! They notched the top score in the country and continue their 85 meet winning streak as well as not losing at home in 11 years. I wish that more people would come and support those guys because there are several future olympians on the team and it is such an impressive sport to watch.

(All photos taken by me on 1/3/18).

Feedback Strategies

The first article I read was, "The Difference Between Praise and Feedback."
I think that that was a very interesting article as it aligns with a lot that I have learned in Peer Learning Assistant training through the Student Learning Center. One thing we harp on is process praise. I think it is so important to praise someone's work whether more work needs to be put into it or not. This makes it seem as though the work put in was worth it and makes working on it even more exciting and stimulating. There is nothing worse than putting in time and effort for something and no one even acknowledging it before going off on a rant about all that needs to be changed. 

The next article I read was, "How to Craft Constructive Feedback." 
I love how this started out with being a witness. Just like the previous article I read, I think it is so important to give credit where work has been done even if it doesn't need any tweaking. I feel as though this article definitely will stick with me as I go through and do my feedback comments throughout this semester. 

(Photo from Flickr).

Topic Research: All About Ramayana

I am thinking about going with a portfolio this semester so I can have more room to explore different topics. Since I want to do my project over Ramayana, there are so many different options!

For one story, I definitely want to try and retell the story from the animal's point of view. I think that the story of Rama and the squirrels would be a perfect story to use for this. I love animals and know that this will be a blast for me! I may change my mind to a monkey story later depending on how the story unravels...we'll see!

(Photo from Pexels).

Another story I think would be great is retelling the love story between Rama and Sita. I am not quite sure what twists and turns I want to throw in since I am not quite far enough into the story, but I will keep that in mind as I read more.

Lastly, I think it would be fun to have a story that includes the horse sacrifice in some way since I saw it so many times in my first reading already. I feel as though I could make the horses come together and destroy whoever keeps trying to sacrifice them. This may be a good one for the story about the king and his effort to gain sons of his own. 

Week 3 Story: Karma Got the King

NOTE: This story has since been moved to my portfolio. 

Once upon a time, there was a greedy king that ruled a village. He built his palace twice the size of any other king and clothed himself in jewels. He had anything anyone could ever imagine...except the one thing no one could gift -- a son. 

(Photo from WikiMedia).

The king prayed to the gods to grant him a son and the village was shocked when the sky turned bright as day in the middle of the night. The gods had heard his prayer and were coming to grant him his greatest wish.

Everyone stepped outside of their homes to watch as beams of light moved closer and closer until the palace was illuminated to bright it looked like it might catch fire.

An hour passed with everyone in the town wondering how the king could ever have a prayer answered with the lifestyle he lived but, with time, it fell to the back of their minds.

A few days later, the king announced that each of his six wives were pregnant. Again, the town did not understand how such a man could be given this gift. They waited the see if the sons were of an evil spirit, but, once they were birthed, they all seemed to be the most perfect humans. 

Years went by and the town grew to love the king's sons more and more. They were men of honor and dignity and always wanted what was best for the village. 

One day, the king decided that six sons was not enough. He prayed and prayed for six more. Once more, the prayer was granted and the village was sent back on their path of confusion. 

The gods told the king that he would have to go on a mission in order to receive his sons. It would be a mission of great challenge that included not eating for days and carrying anything he needed on his back. He agreed and the gods raised back to the heavens. 

The next morning, the king told his sons they must prepare as he is sending them on a mission to receive his six new sons. Being loyal sons, they agreed, packed a small bag of light essentials, and went on their way.

Just minutes after the sons left the village, havoc stirred from the heavens. The sky turned black as night during lunch time and the ground began to shake. Everyone was confused and frightened as this had never happened before.

"I told you what you must do to be blessed with six more sons and you took advantage of my kind offering!" A voice spoke from the heaven, so deep that it caused the ground to shake even more.

The king tried to apologize, but his palace collapsed on top of him before he could say one word. 

The village cheered with such volume, the sons came running back from the mission they had begun to see what had happened. 

When they saw the palace crumbled to pieces, confusion filled their faces. The town explained that the mission was for their father to endure and that he broke his promise to the gods by send them on the mission instead. Slowly, smiles spread across each of their faces.

"Although we will always love our father, we are excited to rebuild this wonderful village the way it was prior to his ruling!" Shouted one of the sons.

The ground began to shake once more from the endless cheers the villagers were sending up to the gods. They now understood why such a man was ever granted with answered prayers in the first place.

Author's Note:
In the original story, Sagara, a king of Ayodhya, had no children from his two wives and was then granted a son from on and sixty-thousand from the other. After finally having an abundance of sons, the king was set on offering a horse sacrifice. The horse ended up being stolen and the king commanded his sixty-thousand sons to go find it and the princes were all burned to ashes. The king was worried when they didn't return and sent his other son to find them. He got to the spot where the horse went missing and found the ashes of his sixty-thousand uncles.

I changed most of the story and just took the idea of a king want more sons and exaggerated it by also having the king not be supported by the village.

Rayamana, Part A. Sources used: M. Dutt, R. Dutt, Gould, Griffith, Hodgson, Mackenzie, Nivedita, Oman, Richardson, and Ryder.