"Long ago," Sampati said, "Jatayu and I decided to race to the sun. We soared through the sky, flying fast. The sun's heat was intense. 'Turn back!' I shouted to Jatayu, but he kept flying straight at the sun. I sped in front, spreading my wings to shield him. The sun scorched my wings, and I fell to the ground here. I have had no news of my brother in all this time. Is he well? Tell me everything!"

"Your brother is dead," said Hanuman sadly. "He was trying to protect Rama's wife Sita from Ravana, and Ravana killed him."

Sampati turned his gaze towards the ocean, scanning the horizon.

"I see an island!" he said to the monkeys. "It must be Lanka. I see the golden city, and in that golden city, I see many beautiful women. They are happy and smiling. But there is one woman who is not smiling. That must be Sita. She sits under an ashoka tree, and she looks very sad."

As Sampati spoke, his wings grew back. He was able to fly again! "I wish you success in your quest," he said to the monkeys, and then he soared away into the sky.

From Sampati, the monkeys learned Ravana had taken Sita to Lanka.

"Who among us is strong enough to leap one hundred yojanas over the ocean to Lanka?" asked Angada.

"I can leap ten yojanas," said one of the monkeys, "but no more."

"I can leap twenty," said another.

"Thirty," said another, "but that's all."

Thus they could find no monkey able to reach Lanka to look for Sita there.

Then Jambavan, the king of the bears, spoke up. "There is one among you who can do this, but he has forgotten his own powers," he said. "That monkey is Hanuman."

"You are the greatest among the monkeys," Jambavan said to Hanuman, "but you have forgotten your powers. Your father is Vayu the wind-god, and you can fly as high and as far as you want, just like the wind. As a baby, you flew into the sky to grasp the sun. The gods have bestowed blessings upon you."

Hanuman stared at Jambavan in surprise.

"You must remember who you are!" Jambavan told him. "Then you will be able to make this leap to Lanka to find Sita and to learn how Rama might rescue her. You must jump, Hanuman: jump!"

Encouraged by Jambavan, Hanuman grew in size, rocketing up towards the sky. Hanuman soon towered over all the other monkeys, who stared at him in awe.

Mighty Hanuman then climbed the towering Mount Mahendra, and as he squeezed the mountainsides in his ascent, the mountain bellowed like a trumpeting elephant. The ground shook violently, and all the animals who lived there looked around in terror as they saw the colossal Hanuman climbing up the mountain.

When Hanuman reached the mountain top, he saluted Surya, Indra, Brahma and his father Vayu the wind-god. Then, at last, he launched himself towards Lanka.

As Hanuman soared through the air, a mountain flew up from beneath the waters and offered him a place to rest.

"I am Mount Mainaka," the winged mountain said. "Long ago, all the mountains had wings and flew through the sky, but Indra grew angry at us and cut off our wings. Vayu the wind-god carried me away from Indra, and I have hidden all these years in the ocean's depths. Now I have risen up to offer you a resting place."

Hanuman smiled at the mountain in gratitude. "Thank you, " he said, "but I have no time to rest."

The sea-monster Surasa rose up from beneath the waters, her mouth gaping open. "Feed me!" she screamed. "Everyone must give me food or become my food."

"I have no food to give you," Hanuman replied.

"Then I will eat YOU!"

But Hanuman grew and grew until he was bigger than Surasa's mouth.

Surasa opened her mouth wider.

Bigger. Wider. Bigger. Wider.

Then Hanuman made himself tiny and buzzed through Surasa's teeth, escaping before she could shut her mouth.

"I offered myself as food and you failed to eat me," said Hanuman, flying away. Surasa had to admire his clever escape.

As Hanuman sailed through the air towards Lanka, he cast a shadow on the water below.

The sea-monster Simhika seized Hanuman's shadow, using magic to pull him down towards her.

Hanuman allowed Simhika to swallow him, but then he expanded inside her, bigger and bigger, slashing with his claws, until Simhika exploded into a thousand pieces, and the ocean's waters turned red with her blood.

Hanuman then rose up into the air and continued his journey to Lanka.

The devas had been watching, and they sang Hanuman's praises. "You will surely succeed in your quest, Hanuman!" the gods all shouted.

When Hanuman landed on Lanka, the eight-armed goddess Lankini challenged him. She held a pot of fire in one hand; in another, a bell. She waved a club capped with a human skull, and also a trident on which an elephant was impaled. In her other hands she brandished a torch, a sword, and an axe, and a snake that spewed poison.

"STOP!" she shouted at Hanuman. "You will go no farther."

But Hanuman knocked her to the ground with his tail.

Lankini shuddered. "I cannot stop this monkey," she groaned. "This was foretold: the city of Lanka is doomed."

Hanuman found Sita in the Ashoka Grove, guarded by rakshasis. He concealed himself in a tree, waiting until he could speak privately to her.

Ravana and his wives then came to the grove.

Ravana attempted to seduce Sita with promises of wealth and power, but Sita rejected his advances. "You should make peace with Rama," she said, "and release me."

"Silence!" shouted Ravana. "I give you two months' time to agree to my demands and become my wife. If you refuse, I'll take you to my kitchen, kill you, and eat you for my breakfast!"

Hanuman saw and heard everything.