Week 2 Story: The Cunning Rakshasi and the Small Kingdom

A long time ago, deep in the heart of India, there was a small kingdom who was at war with a band of rakshasis. The Maharaja sent his best warriors to defend the land and the warriors managed to keep the rakshasis at bay. Months passed and the war took a heavy toll on the kingdom. The fields were barren, the storehouses lay empty, and any attempts to trade with neighboring kingdoms for food were cut off by the rakshasis. The people were starving and they lamented their imminent deaths. 

One day, a beautiful woman entered the largest city of the kingdom. Her sari was woven from the finest silks, her arms were covered with heavy, gold bracelets, and her throat dripped with jewels. The people watched as she walked up to the palace and asked for an audience with the Maharaja. The woman was escorted into the great chamber and bowed low to the Maharaja. "O mighty ruler," she demurely crooned, "I come as a messenger for myself and my sisters, who have warred against your kingdom for these many months. We wish to make peace and ask that you listen to our appeal." The Maharaja was dismayed to learn that this woman was one of the monsters troubling his kingdom and cried out, "Why should we trust you, malicious shapeshifter? You have killed our warriors, cut off our kingdom, and are starving us to death! I should have my guards kill you where you stand!" 

"Listen to me, great ruler!" She flung open her arms and pleaded, "My sisters and I have seen the error of our ways. We lament our former cruelty and come to offer a reparation to you and all your people. Our ancestral home is just south of your kingdom's border. It is a lush valley full of lovely, flowering gardens. Ripe fruit hangs from every vine, and one will never want for food again. My sisters and I offer to share this land and all its bounty with your kingdom. Come Maharaja, make peace with us and end your kingdom's suffering."

The Maharaja was still wary of the enemy kneeling in front of him, but the thought of an end to the war and food for his people swayed his mind in favor of the rakshasi's request. "We accept your reparations in the name of peace," the Maharaja proclaimed, "however, to ensure that this is not an elaborate trap, I ask that you take my most trusted adviser to your land and allow him to return and give a report." The rakshasi agreed to the Maharaja’s request and left the city with the advisor.

It was three days before the advisor returned to the city. He entered the Maharaja's palace, his face aglow with good news. "My lord,” the advisor said, bowing low, “the account given by the rakshasi is true. Their homeland is lush and plentiful, we will live in peace for the rest of our days!" The Maharaja was pleased and informed his servants to gather up all the people. The entire kingdom was assembled just outside of the city and the advisor led them south towards the valley. By the end of the day, they reached the southernmost point of the kingdom, a tall mountain range with a narrow, rocky pass cutting through it. The rakshasi walked out the entrance of the pass, greeted the people, and bowed to the Maharaja. 

"Mighty ruler, my sisters and I thank you for your trust in us. You and your people should make camp here, and in the morning we will lead you one at a time through this narrow pass into our land."

The Maharaja and his people made camp and waited excitedly for morning. At daybreak, the rakshasi walked into the camp. The loyal advisor who had obeyed the Maharaja's orders was to be the first traveler. He stepped forward and the rakshasi led him into the pass. However, instead of taking the advisor back to the valley, she led him to a mountain that overlooked the largest garden in the valley. She pushed the poor man off the mountain, and he was eaten by her hungry sisters that waited in the garden below. She then returned to the people and took another traveler through the pass. The rakshasi led the traveler to the mountain and pushed them to the other rakshasis like before. This continued until the Maharaja and his entire kingdom were nothing more than a pile of bones at the base of the mountain. 

The rakshasi returned to the entrance of the pass one last time and scoured the camp for any stragglers that she could eat, since she fed the rest of the kingdom to her sisters. Finally, she found a boy, a warrior in training with keen eyes and a pure heart. "Young warrior," she sang sweetly, "why did you not wait for me at the entrance to the pass? Come, it is your turn to travel to my land." The boy hesitated, remembering the stories his father had told of the cunning rakshasis. He was certain this was a trap, and told the rakshasi that he would prefer to stay in his homeland. The rakshasi, however, was hungry after a long day of traveling and pleaded with the boy to come join her in the beautiful gardens of the valley. The boy relented and said that he would travel with her to the valley, but only if he could walk behind her. The rakshasi hastily agreed and the two entered the pass. 

While he walked behind the rakshasi, the boy quietly nocked an arrow into his bow. When the rakshasi turned to feast on the boy, he was ready for her attack and shot his arrow deep into her heart. The boy then shot arrow after arrow into the gardens until all the rakshasis lay dead. He buried the remains of his people and lived peacefully in the valley the rest of his days.

Virupaksha Temple in Hampi, India. This photo of it with the rocks in the foreground looks like a view of the small kingdom from the narrow mountain pass. Photo found on Wikimedia Commons.

Author's Note: This story is my retelling of The Cunning Crane and Crab. I took the brainstorming in the Final Notes from my reading notes and shaped it into a cohesive story. I was influenced to turn the crane into a band of rakshasis after reading the Goblin City story and the rest fell into place.

Bibliography: "The Cunning Crane and the Crab" and "Goblin City" from The Giant Crab and Other Tales from Old India by W.H.D. Rouse. Web Source.