The Third Adventure: The Rakshasi's Story

“What did the rakshasi want??” questioned Kusha.

“Why did she need the magic lamp, Dad?” asked Lava.

After remembering their obligation to let the rakshasi use the magic lamp, Lava and Kusha packed up their things and began to walk to the little hut on the outskirts of Atpat. They were nervous about what she wanted to use the magic for, but they decided they were not able to devise a plan until they knew what was going to happen. They headed off towards what they believed could be their demise.

After a few days of travel, they came upon the tiny hut where she lived. The rakshasi was already at the door waiting for them, and she looked excited about their arrival. As they entered the hut, she asked them about the lamp. She wanted to know if they ever got it to work and what else it needed. Lava and Kusha decided to be honest with her about the ring because they knew she was capable of having premonitions that would tell her the truth anyways. She perked up when she heard about the ring and Lava and Kusha were beginning to feel like she wasn’t interested in the lamp at all… but she had a great interest in the ring.

The boys questioned her about what she was planning to do with the lamp and why she was so interested in the ring and she admitted that the ring was the item that she actually wanted to get her hands on. She began to tell them a story, a history of this mysterious golden ring that was buried in the forest:

“A long time ago I was not as nice as I am now. I used to serve the serpent god and he was what most people would consider quite cruel. There was a king and queen in the village I lived in and they could not have children, until one day when the queen made a promise to the serpent god. She promised him that if she could have a daughter he could have the baby, but the queen didn’t keep her word. This resulted in a very angry god, the queen’s death, and the king was turned into a snake. The serpent god told the princess to get a ring of gold made and put it on her father in his snake form so that he would eventually change back into a human. She did so, and it resulted in an enchanted golden ring… actually the exact ring you are wearing right now, Kusha,” explained the rakshasi.

Lava and Kusha were deeply amazed. They hadn’t even thought about the ring or its origins, but the rakshasi knew about the lamp and she knew it would not work without the ring. She knew that Lava and Kusha would use the lamp to find the ring because they were clever young boys. She was not capable of going that far into the forest to get the ring herself because she was old and frail.

The rakshasi explained to the boys that the ring could do no real harm, but it provided wealth for the person who held it. She wanted it because she was old and tired of working and doing spells for the gods and she just wanted to live the rest of her days in peace.

Lava and Kusha were skeptical at first, but they soon realized the integrity of her words. They believed her, and they wanted to let her have the ring, but they also wanted to be able to use the lamp as well. They decided they had three options: they could use the lamp to try to make another enchanted ring, they could use the lamp to give the rakshasi whatever she wanted monetarily or what she needed to live, or they could let her keep the ring and they could come back to visit whenever they needed to use it.

Lava started trying first; he slipped the ring on his finger and rubbed the lamp. The genie came out and Lava asked for another ring just like this one. The genie tried, and he produced a gold ring, but it did not have the same effects on the lamp. It seemed this lamp could provide everything except new magic.

Kusha decided to try next. He asked the rakshasi what she needed to live comfortably for a few months. She took a minute to ponder this question and came up with a small list. Kusha quickly grabbed the ring, rubbed the lamp, and provided these things for the rakshasi. She was thrilled to be able to stop working, and Lava and Kusha promised to return every two months to visit and give her what she needed. In return, the rakshasi said that the boys were welcome any time they pleased and that they could contact her if they ever needed help with their future endeavors.

“See, boys, this is why it is important to not judge people because of what they appear to be. In order to be the strong and brave versions of Lava and Kusha that I know you will be someday, you will have to use not only your physical attributes, but you will also have to train mentally to always be fair and help others. Now get to bed. There will be no more stories because it is way past your bedtime!!” I said as I tucked Lava and Kusha in and turned off the light.

Author's Note:

As I wrap up what I am doing in my class on Indian Epics, I decided that this would most likely be my last story in this storybook project. I wanted to end with a lot of closure, so I focused on what would happen with the rakshasi for a long time. I didn’t want the story to be too scary for the boys, although I originally wanted her to be a more villainous character. I happened upon the story Nagarani (“Serpent Queen”) from A Flowering Tree by Ramanujan (Link to Story) and it seemed to fit just perfectly with what I had already written. Although the gold ring from the last chapter was originally from a different story, I thought that this story would make a good backstory for the ring because it already involved a woman who worked with magic. I decided to make the rakshasi a good character who was just looking out for her own security. I used most of the backstory in the same way that it was told in the original, but I wrote it in my own words and summed it up. It fit so well into the context of my story and I am really happy with this ending because I think it is surprising, and even I did not expect it until this story fell into my lap.