Indra wanted to test Lakshmana, so he sent a beautiful apsara to tempt him. Lakshmana chased her away, but a few strands of the apsara's hair clung to Lakshmana's clothing.

That evening, Sita noticed the strands of hair and teased Lakshmana. "I see you've found some lovely lady here in the wilderness," she said, laughing. "I wonder what your Urmila would say about that?"

"How dare you doubt my fidelity!" shouted Lakshmana, and he jumped into their campfire.

The fire did not burn him. "You see?" said Lakshmana. "That is the proof that I am forever faithful to my Urmila."

In the forest, Rama and Lakshmana saw an enormous eagle.

"Careful, brother!" said Lakshmana. "It might be a rakshasa."

"I am no rakshasa," said the eagle. "My name is Jatayu, a friend of your royal father. I was grieved to hear of his death and of your exile, Rama. Know me as your father's friend, and allow me to watch over you here in the forest."

Rama accepted Jatayu's offer gratefully and took him to their camp to meet Sita.

"Dear Sita," said Jatayu, "this forest is full of dangers. I offer you my help should you ever need it."

Ravana's sister Shurpanakha was roaming the forest when she first saw Rama. Passion overwhelmed her.

"Marry me!" she told him.

Rama laughed and replied, "I already have a wife." Then he pointed to Lakshmana. "You might ask my brother; he's alone here in the forest."

But Lakshmana also rebuffed Shurpanakha.

Then Shurpanakha saw Sita. "If I get rid of her, the man will be mine," she thought to herself.

Shurpanakha ran towards Sita, fangs bared, and Sita screamed.

Lakshmana grabbed his sword and sliced off Shurpanakha's ears and nose.

Blood streaming down her face, Shurpanakha ran shrieking into the forest.

With each slice of Lakshmana's sword as he cut off Shurpanakha's ears and nose, one of Ravana's heads fell off. Though he was far away in Lanka, Ravana realized that someone had attacked his sister. "Who would dare do this!" he shouted.

Meanwhile, Shurpanakha ran into the forest. "Khara! Dushana!" she screamed. "Help me, cousins!"

Khara and Dushana led the forest rakshasas against Rama and Lakshmana, but the princes of Ayodhya defeated them all. Khara and Dushana fell in battle, and rakshasa corpses covered the forest floor.

Looking around, Rama said to Lakshmana, "We must be even more vigilant now."

Ravana's uncle Akampana escaped from the forest and fled to Lanka where he reported to his nephew. "A human killed Khara and Dushana and their army in the forest," he gasped.

Ravana was outraged. "I will kill that human!" he shouted.

"His name is Rama, and he lives in the forest with his brother and his wife," Akampana explained. "His brother mutilated your sister. And his wife is beautiful. Very beautiful! To punish Rama you should abduct his wife."

This idea delighted Ravana. "I will go there at once," he said. "And when I return, I'll have a new wife!"

Years ago, Rama killed the rakshasi Tataka, but her son Maricha had escaped. He then retreated into the wilderness, living as a hermit.

Time passed.

Then one day, to Maricha's surprise, the mighty Ravana stormed into his ashram.

"Maricha!" he shouted. "I'm going to kidnap the wife of a man named Rama who lives in the forest, and I need your help."

When he heard Rama's name, Maricha shuddered. He tried to dissuade Ravana, but to no avail.

"You will become a golden deer," Ravana explained excitedly, "and lure Rama away from his wife. That's how I will kidnap her!"

Reluctantly, Maricha obeyed Ravana's command: he transformed himself into a golden deer. He then went to find Rama in the forest.

Sita was delighted when she saw the golden deer near their hut. "Catch it for me, Rama!" she said. "It can be my pet."

"Golden deer don't exist," said Lakshmana. "This is some kind of trick. Do not go, Rama!"

"Please, Rama!' Sita insisted.

"You stay here and keep Sita safe," Rama ordered Lakshmana. "I'm going to catch that deer."

Rama ran off after the deer.

And then... Sita and Lakshmana heard Rama shouting in the distance. "Help me!"

When Sita heard Rama's voice shouting for help, she said, "Go to him now, Lakshmana! He needs your help!"

"No!" replied Lakshmana. "He ordered me to stay here."

"Do you want him to die?" asked Sita accusingly.

Lakshmana was shocked by Sita's words, but he finally relented.

"I will go find out what's happened, but you must stay inside this line," he said to Sita, and he drew a line of protection around the hut. "No matter what happens, do not cross this line until I come back with Rama."

Sita nodded in agreement, and Lakshmana ran into the forest.

After Rama left to follow the golden deer and Lakshmana left to follow Rama, an ascetic approached Sita, begging bowl in hand. "Feed me, please," he said.

"Certainly," said Sita. "Come inside."

"That would not be right," replied the ascetic. "You are alone in the house. Come feed me here, in the open."

Sita gathered some food and then approached the ascetic, hesitating as she crossed Lakshmana's line.

The ascetic vanished and Sita saw Ravana in his place. He grabbed her, and she struggled to free herself from the grip of his twenty arms. "You'll never escape," he snarled. "Never!"

Ravana carried Sita away in his flying chariot. "You've vanished without leaving even a footprint!" he laughed. "Rama will never find you."

"But I've found you!" roared Jatayu, the mighty eagle. He dove at Ravana, slashing with his beak and talons. Ravana fought back with his sword.

Sita prayed fervently for Jatayu's victory. As the fight continued, she removed her bangles and jewelry, dropping them to leave a trail.

Finally, Ravana sliced off Jatayu's wings, and Jatayu plunged to the earth.

"May your corpse rot in the forest!" shouted Ravana, and then he turned the flying chariot south to Lanka.