Week 10 Reading Diary: Sita Sings the Blues (Part B)

Author: Nina Paley
Title: Sita Sings the Blues
Year: 2008

The part where Sita sings is a bit crazy.  I couldn't even figure out what was going on.  When Rama kicked Sita out, I was still as mad as I was the first time.  I legitimately hate this story.

The sad part is that Sita is the one punished for everything.  Even when she had her sons and told Valmiki their story, she still made him out to sound fantastic. 

Sita Sings the Blues excerpt (Wiki)

Week 10 Reading Diary: Sita Sings the Blues (Part A)

Author: Nina Paley
Title: Sita Sings the Blues
Year: 2008

Oh my!  This is very bright, colorful, and fun.  I like the three people arguing over what happened.  It makes the story more real and less documentary-like.  Sita singing is PERFECT.  This new take is fantastic.  I could re-write the story of Sita convincing Rama she needed to go with him into the forest.

I have always really enjoyed all stories about Hanuman (monkey warrior, son of Shiva), so a story about Hanuman would be a good idea.  Something like a conversation between him and other monkeys or between him and Rama on the journey.  

The battle where Sita sings through it is one of my favorite parts!

Another story possibility is that I could make a story where Rama and Sita are in modern times and something happens similar to the story.  Maybe this would make Rama's actions looks even more stupid than they already were.

Sita Sings the Blue poster (Wiki)

Week 10 Reading Diary: Indian Fables and Folklore (Part B)

Title: Indian Fables and Folklore
Author: Shovona Devi
Year: 1919


Reading Part B
Shibi and the Hawk

This story is bold, but insane.  Maybe I could re-write this to come up with a better food for the hawk (that is the bird or the man's flesh).

A red-tailed hawk like the one in Shibi and the Hawk (Wiki)

Ekalavya and Drona

I passionately hate this story.  I remember it in previous readings in this class, and it is so messed up that Drona took advantage of the boys faithfulness.  I HATE this story.

The Fighting Blades of Grass

I thought someone would end up killing each other, but they became friends at the end! I must say, this was quite unexpected.

Mira's Bridegroom

This is weird. She's married to a doll, people.

The Counterfeit Krishna

This is an excellent life lesson.  Be careful that you don't ask too much, or it could be the end of yourself.  I could write a story similar to this as storytelling.

Vaishalini's Vow

This is way too old school for me.  The poor princess needed saving, blah blah blah.

The Monkey Banker

This reminds me of karma; where you get a punishment or reward based on something previous you have done.

The Logical Pupil

Well, he is definitely logical.  He did follow the instructions...

The Wishing-Pitcher

So I think the lesson here is that you can't take for granted what you have been given.  It seems like a weird lesson to me. 

The Battle of the Birds and the Sea

I seriously just have no clue.  Don't be mean? Don't be a bully? Don't show off? I am clueless.

The Feud of the Crows and the Owls

SO the way to win is to lie?  I am really starting to hate these stories...

The Felon Demon

Another damsel in distress... Yay.

The Cow of Plenty

The guy didn't like the sage, so he became him?

The Indian St. George

Not my favorite story. 

Week 10 Reading Diary: Indian Fables and Folklore (Part A)

Title: Indian Fables and Folklore
Author: Shovona Devi
Year: 1919

Reading Part A
The Man in the Eye

I have never heard of the man in the eye, and to be honest it's a little creepy.

The Hare in the Moon

This was a good lesson for the big elephant, but I don't understand if the moon was everywhere because the story was true or it was a trick of water.

The Elephant-Fighting Hare

I really enjoyed this.  The hare fooled the elephants in more ways than one!

The Hungry Elephant

This makes elephants look bad, because when the elephant didn't get what he wanted, he stomped his feet and broke things.  Suddenly, he had everything he wanted by being a jerk.

The Moon in the Well

This was mean to monkeys. 

A Rat's Svyamvara

The story of the girl that became a rat was very cute.  I like that it is a circle of life.  

The story about the rat to cat to dog to tiger was a valuable lesson on understanding your strengths.

A rat like the one in A Rat's Syamvara (Wiki)

The Frog-King's Folly

The snake out-smarted the frogs...I could write a story where the opposite happens.

Gautama the Ungrateful

WOW.  Because he was ungrateful, he was cut into chunks of meat but none of the vile animals would even eat him. What the heck.

Ratnakar, the Robber-Chief

So the Goddess turned good? I don't know...  It is very neat that this is the back story for Valmiki, the guy who is the reason The Ramayana exists!

The Ring of Renunciation

No one in the family wanted to rule the kingdom; this is odd.  

The Gifts of the Sun

SO this is the origin of parasols and shoes.  This is a fun story.

Atreya's Heaven

The lesson here is good, but I can't exactly put a name on it.  When he lived low no one wanted to ruin him, but when he became powerful people suddenly wanted to ruin him.

Yudhishthir's Dog

I like this story.  "All Dogs Go To Heaven" comes to mind here.

The Dogs of Hell

These dogs sound very evil and creepy.

The Magic Food-Bowl of the Sun

I did not know that this is specifically how the Pandava's survived in exile.

Week 9 Reading Diary, continued: The Giant Crab, and Other Tales from Old India, Part B

Title: The Giant Crab, and Other Tales from Old India
Author: W. H. D. Rouse
Illustrator: W. Robinson
Year: 1897

Reading Part B
Birds of a Feather

This story was adorable.  The wild horses would hurt everyone, but they loved and were kind to each other.  I did not expect this ending.  I was pleasantly surprised.

Spend a Pound to Win a Penny

The monkey lost one pea, but in his greed and tunnel vision he didn't realize that many more had fallen out of his hands and mouth while he panicked for the one.  This is a good lesson on greed.

The Cunning Crane and the Crab

WOW.  I definitely did not see it ending this way.  A storytelling idea could be to write a different ending where the crane changed his ways and became a good crane!  Maybe even a vegetarian one...

Union is Strength

These stories do not have happy endings.  I am assuming they are to teach a lesson as they definitely don't have any happily ever afters.  This one in particular ends with a simple sentence saying the main characters were then taken home for dinner...

Silence is Golden

This reminds me of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.  He wasn't exactly like the others so he was made fun of.  Unfortunately it doesn't have the happy ending like Rudolph did; it only ended in them making fun of him (how sad).

Silence is Golden (Gutenberg)

[skip: The Great Yellow King and his Porter]

The Quail and the Falcon

These stories really know how to end gruesome.  I have heard the final phrase before and I am curious if this story is where it came from.

[skip: Pride Must Have a Fall]

The Bold Beggar

The guy seems pretty stupid, but I guess you could say it is bold since he didn't get punished.

The Jackal Would A-Wooing Go

That lion girl is a jerk.  She did not even deserve to be proposed to by a jackal is she is going to be such a snooty snob.

The Lion and the Boar

I wonder if it is coincidence the similarity to The Boy Who Cried Wolf.  They questioned the boar at first, then they didn't believe him at all the second time.

The Goblin City

Wow again.  This story was ridiculous.  I have no idea what the learning point was here.

Lacknose

The lesson here is that honesty is the best policy.  That it is!  This would make a good pre-story for the old man losing his nose.

The King's Lesson

This was a great lesson in terms of being a good person.  I also liked that the "better" king still went out of his way to make the other king just as great.

Week 9 Reading Diary: The Giant Crab, and Other Tales from Old India, Part A

Title: The Giant Crab, and Other Tales from Old India
Author: W. H. D. Rouse
Illustrator: W. Robinson
Year: 1897

The Giant Crab

What a fun story this could be!  A giant crab alone in the sea with no one quite his size.

The Hypocritical Cat

What a lesson to be learned.  The head rat was very intelligent here.

The Crocodile and the Monkey

This was a very fun story.  The monkey easily outwitted the crocodile, who had an evil plan for him from the beginning.  

[skip: The Axe, the Drum, the Bowl, and the Diamond]

The Wise Parrot and the Foolish Parrot

I still do not understand what has happened in this story, and I read it twice...  I am sure it has something to do with the "tell-tale tit" phrase he keeps repeating.  I tried googling the phrase with "old english" in the phrase as well but I was still stumped.

The Wise Parrot and the Foolish Parrot (Gutenberg)

The Dishonest Friend

This was a fantastic story on the golden rule "Honesty is the best policy."  I really enjoyed this; a by-product would make a great storytelling idea.

The Mouse and the Farmer

This story was quite grim.  The cat was simply following its' instincts.  This is not my favorite story.  The ending was positive for two of the three.

The Talkative Tortoise

Wow.  This was incredibly grim.  I guess the moral of the story is you shouldn't always talk?  OR that there is a time and place for speaking?  I am not sure what to take away from this.

The Monkeys and the Gardener

Okay these stories are not getting any happier.  I did enjoy the lesson here.  If you trust a fool to handle your affairs, then you are an even bigger fool.  This is true in all aspects of life.

The Goblin and the Sneeze

This would make a great story; what happens next with the goblin and his two humans!  Maybe it could be a story where they go into the city the next day and have to convince people they won't die.

[skip: The Grateful Beasts and the Ungrateful Prince]

The Goblin in the Pool

I like how the man came up and saved the day.  What a good lesson concerning both the evil goblin and the thoughful monkeys.

The Foolish Farmer and the King

How cute!  Even though he ended up messing up the verse, the king thought it quite hilarious and decided to give him six instead of just one.

The Pious Wolf

What a great lesson of patience.  The wolf was punished because both he couldn't keep a promise and he was impatient.  probably much deserved!

Week 7 Reading Diary: continued, Epified TV in India (Part B)

Title: Epified TV in India
Author(s): Unknown
Created: April 2015

Bhima fighting Bakasura the rakshasa (Wiki)

The book did not cover the many trainers Karna tried to attain in archery. He was not able to because he was not of the right status. It is crazy how when two people are not of the same status that they are not allowed to interact. The sad part is that if the “lower” is better than the “upper”, then the lower is punished.

In this story, the Pandavas were able to escape the fire, but no one was actually in this fire. In the book, there was another five men and a woman who were killed in their place.

In Episode 24, Bhima was shown to be the greatest hero in keeping the pandavas and their mother alive. I did not know that he did all these great things for his family. A story similar to this would be good for storytelling. I also enjoyed the story about Bhima killing the rakshasa.

A good story from Episode 27 would be when Duryodhana tries to lift Drupada’s bow. What was going through his head, what he looked like, and how he felt after are just a few of the things that could be covered.

What it would be like to be a person from Hastinapura that goes to live in the Pandavas new city. This is a completely different idea from my typical. It would be the outside point of view of the Pandavas, and how awesome they might have seemed to the people. From the eyes of a child would be very neat as well.

Week 7 Reading Diary: Epified TV in India (Part A)

Title: Epified TV in India
Author(s): Unknown
Created: April 2015

Bhishma steals the three princesses

I did not realize Bhishma stole Amba, Amica, and Ambalica. I also thought it very odd that Amba could not go back to the man she loved. She was never with or married to any of the men, so I don’t quite understand why he would not take her. I also did not realize that Amba is a strong reason in everything that happened to Bhishma.

Kunthi

I just realized that the story of Karna sounds very similar to the Christian story of Moses. A baby who could not be kept that the mother knew was destined for great things. I did not notice while reading the Mahabharata that there is such a timeline hole with Karna (basically his whole life until the last ~ten years). This might be a good storytelling.

The 100 Sons

I had no idea about the lump born to Gandhari that became the 100 evil sons. It is actually quite gross to think about. I know there could be many stories that come from this weirdness.

Duryodhana pushed Bhima into the water! In the Mahabharata, this specific story did not happen. This just made me hate Duryodhana that much more. Video 15 would be such a great story to embellish. I wish I had read more about this in the book.

Bhima (Wiki)

Astras were briefly mentioned when they discussed Drona. I have read multiple students stories about astras and I think it would be neat to write one of my own. Maybe this time I will try doing so with a different storytelling method.

Week 6 Reading Diary: continued, R.K. Narayan's The Mahabharata (Part D)

Title: The Mahabharata

Author: R.K. Narayan
Year: 1978
Part C, pages 132-176

Ganga giving Shantanu their son, Bhishma (Wiki)

Bhishma

Though Bhishma was on the wrong side of the war, I really liked him. He was so smart, and his entire purpose was to suffer on earth. I found this very sad. Even the Pandavas so dearly loved him that they went to see him right before he died. His story of how he came about blew my mind. How his father finally saved his eighth child that Ganga was going to drown was mesmerizing. I don’t even know what I would write about, but I like Bhishma. I think it is so neat that his mother is Ganga, and also that he has been allowed to choose when he would die.

Epilogue – Re-vamped

I enjoyed the epilogue given in the book, but I think I would like to write my own. I have never done so, and I think it would be a new and exciting story type to try for storytelling. This area is left open to so many possibilities. I could change how they died, or introduce other people’s children/lineage and change up who later ruled Hastinapur.

I am not a huge fan or war in writing. but I don’t mind it in movies or television.  When reading roughly the last 20 pages of The Mahabharata, I kept getting confused about who was who, and what side each person was on (there were WAY too many names to remember exactly who was on what side). Because of this, I could not get into what I was reading during most of the war.

Week 6 Reading Diary: continued, R.K. Narayan's The Mahabharata (Part C)

Title: The Mahabharata

Author: R.K. Narayan
Year: 1978
Part C, pages 85-131

Draupadi from Mahabharata (Wiki)

Wedding between Abhimanyu and Uttarai

This could be a fun story. Maybe the climax could be that she refused to marry a man she didn’t know (super modern, right?) but then she meets him without knowing it was her future husband and falls in love with him. Then she goes to her father to convince him to not force her to marry this “dreadful guy” (who is actually the one she loves). The end could be really cute, where he walks in after spying on her talking. Or her father forces her anyway, and as she walks down the aisle, her true love is waiting at the end.

Duryodhana Dies

This man drives me crazy. Because of this, I would not be upset if he died before this apparent “war” even starts. One possibility is that he is killed by Arjuna. Arjuna said that he would not be the first to shoot an arrow, so if Drona or Duryodhana do it first. If this happens, Arjuna has the perfect explanation to take both of their lives. This might not be a great story idea, because I know he will probably end up dying. I guess I will just have to wait and see!

Draupadi’s Gandharvas – A Children’s Story

This could be the story of Draupadi and her gandharvas, but a much more child friendly version (instead of her getting abused and the brother getting killed for it). One possibility might be a small girl who really does have five gandharvas, and there are various scenarios where she is saved because of them.

Week 5 Reading Diary: continued, R.K. Narayan's The Mahabharata (Part B)

Title: The Mahabharata

Author: R.K. Narayan
Year: 1978

Part B

Draupadi from The Mahabharata (Wiki)

Draupadi's Diary: A Woman in Exile

This would be a new story type I have not tried.  I believe it would be a great idea to give more insight into what the one woman in this caravan was thinking when alone.  She makes many of her thoughts clear in the beginning of the exile, but little is known of what happened throughout.  If she is still switching husbands every year, I could make five entry posts about the five different husbands and how they vary from each other.

Duryodhana

I don't exactly know what I would write about this guy, but I really am starting to hate him (though this was probably the authors intent).  He is vile, and untrustworthy in all senses of the word.  I believe the book explains it best when calling him a jackal over and over.  I'm sure I could come up with a great story out of the passionate hate I have developed for this apparent antagonist.  I really want to write an ending now where he just dies, but I have a feeling something bad is going to happen after the curse put on him at the end of chapter 8.

Arjuna With Indra

I really enjoyed reading about how Indra took his son in and helped him in every way he could (though oddly, he even tried to hand him a hooker...unsuccessfully).  If I were to choose to write about Arjuna's time here, I would have a lot of freedom for creativity, because very little was written for a total of a five year stay.

Week 5 Reading Diary: R.K. Narayan's The Mahabharata (Part A)

Title: The Mahabharata
Author: R.K. Narayan
Year: 1978

Part A

Vyasa telling the story of The Mahabharata (Wiki)

Ganga Raises Devavratha

This possible story could be the few years where Ganga takes Devavratha into the river to train him.  Maybe it could include some other Gods he met while preschool age, and a more in-depth version of the things he learned while with his mother.  There could even be a part where Santanu is waiting at the river impatiently every week, hoping his son would appear.

Arjuna vs. Karna

This is way off normal track, but this could be a story where King Dhritarashtra literally sees things for the first time where he keeps dreaming of fights between Arjuna and Karna, where each subsequent duel is more realistic, and more compelling.  Dhritarashtra is confused, and tells no one but his wife, who is at a loss for what to do.  One day, the King dreams that Arjuna is dueling his son, Duryodhana, and he is nearly stricken with death at the thought.

More About Draupadi

There is an excerpt in the book that is a mini story telling of Draupadi's previous life as Nalayani.  I think it would be a fun idea to expand on this small portion of the text.  I think giving her a more realistic and exciting front would be interesting, as not too much is said about her.  I could do the flip of this, and make something similar to a diary entry, one entry for each husband she has.  I might not be able to do this yet, because I am just now to the part where they decide how she will be split up.

Week 4 Reading Diary, continued: Nine Ideal Indian Women: Sita, Promila, and Shakuntala

Title: Nine Ideal Indian Women: Sita, Promila, and Shakuntala
Author: Sunity Devee
Year: 1919

Part B: Promila and Shakuntala

Indrajit’s Rage

This is slightly gruesome, but I could write a story where the kingdom sent repeated messengers to tell Indrajit of the grave state of Lanka and his giant brother, but he never believed them and killed them. Then, finally, someone he knows, his sweet old nurse as a child comes, and he believes her. This is nothing more than an expansion on the current story, giving it a more detailed reason as to why he wouldn’t believe anyone.

Promila – The Alternate Ending 

The ending of this broke my heart. Even though they were technically the bad guys, the writers of this story really made me root for Indrajit and Promila’s love. Though still sad, this alternate ending would consist of Indrajit still dying (because, well, he has to so Rama can win), but Promila becomes a strong woman, and lives out her days with her maidens in paradise. I could discuss how she came to this decision, and the journey back. 

Promila and Her Maidens (Nine Ideal Indian Women)

Bharat Becomes King

In this side story, I would show the transition to when Bharat, the son of Dushmanta and Shakuntala, goes from prince to King. Maybe a series of tests? Or his father is waiting for something specific? Maybe someone made a prediction on what Dushmanta and Shakuntala were looking for to know the time their son should be king. I plan on making his demeanor and attitude to all people the same that his mothers would be. At the end, Dushmanta and Shakuntala will retire to the forest as hermits, just as the prediction.

Week 4 Reading Diary: Nine Ideal Indian Women: Sita, Promila, and Shakuntala

Title: Nine Ideal Indian Women: Sita, Promila, and Shakuntala
Author: Sunity Devee
Year: 1919

Rama and Sita (taken from Nine Ideal Indian Women)

Rama’s Side of the Story

How was Rama feeling when he was about to pull the bow? This is what I wondered the entire time I was reading the part where all the people were attempting to pull the bow. The book gives Sita’s account, thoughts, and prayers, but not Rama’s. I think this would make a great story for storytelling; showing how Rama felt walking up to the bow, grabbing it, looking at Sita. I could describe the palace, the bow, and Sita, but all from Rama’s point of view.

A Day in the Life of Sita: A Captive

What does Sita see while she is in the cage? How do the Rakshasa's treat her? How is Samara able to visit, and where did she come from? I had many question while reading the parts where Samara was visiting with Sita. I found out Samara is Bibhisan’s wife, and Bibhisan is Ravana’s brother (though he sided with Rama in the war). I could go into further detail on their gossip and doings. Also, Samara could bring her things and food to keep her healthy despite being punished by the rakshasi’s.

Sita’s Disappearance

The part where Sita gets sucked into the earth was much more descriptive in this story. It made a lot more sense here than in the PDE Ramayana, but it made it that much harder to read. I think it would be a good story to elaborate on how Sita went into the earth. It would not be super long in terms of story time, but it would be incredibly descriptive, describing what people were feeling and seeing.

Week 3 Reading Diary, continued: PDE Ramayana, Part D

These are my notes for sections 61-80 in the PDE Ramayana (Part D). Here I have come up with three more options for week 3 Storytelling assignment.

Being Kubhakarna

For some reason I felt bad for the giant. I know he was not nice, but what if it was because of the curse put on him to just sleep and eat? In this storytelling idea, I would talk about a day in the life of a giant (pre-curse and war). The ending could be what happened that forced him to get cursed.

Trying to Wake Kubhakarna

Brahma’s Weapon
This story would fit right in with my Storybook idea of celestial weapons. The first was when Rama was granted access to weapons to defeat the Rakshasa’s during his exile. This weapon is one that Brahma created out of fire so that the Rakshasa king Ravana could be defeated. With the grand story behind this weapon, it could be a story on it’s own.

Alternate Ending

I absolutely hated how this story ended. Maybe I am just too modern, but Rama is a chauvinistic jerk who is entitled and entirely subject to peer pressure. He saw Sita in her purity, and it was proved, but he still chose to listen to those around him. In my ending, I would resume after she proves herself in the fire, then let them go back to the palace. When people tried to question her, Rama would stand up for the woman he married, and that would be the end of that gossip. They would still have twins, and Valmiki would have moved to the palace for guidance in the children’s lives. This would still give an end where the Ramayana became a song and was passed on for generations.

Week 3 Reading Diary, continued: PDE Ramayana, Part C

These are my notes for sections 41-60 in the PDE Ramayana (Part C). Here I have come up with three options for week 3 Storytelling assignment.

Rama Beats Vali

I do understand why this section is controversial. Rama is in complete hiding watching two equals fight (most likely to the death of one) and he intervenes with no announcement to create a victor. In this possible storytelling option, I would expand on what happened when Rama beat Vali. Due to the controversial nature of this portion of the Ramayana, I believe it would be a good idea to give Rama a reason for why he did what he did. The idea I came up with is to focus on the fact that Rama’s father said he is explicitly not allowed to enter a city during the fourteen years. Vali wouldn’t come out just seeing Sugriva, so Rama had to be stealthy.

Rama beats Vali

Sampati Getting Wings

This option would be to tangent out from the current ending of Sampati’s story. It could be Rama and Sita on their journey home, and Rama sees Sampati and, knowing the story, grants him his wings. It could include Sita and Rama’s gratitude in his aid in finding Rama’s bride.

Hanuman’s Tail

I truly enjoyed this portion of the story. I loved how Sita had empathy for Hanuman, and wanted to save him the pain. I also love his ingenious idea of taking his punishment and punishing Lanka tenfold in return. I feel this portion of the Ramayana was much too short, and has many options to be expanded on or added.

Week 2 Reading Diary, continued: PDE Ramayana, Part B

These are my notes for the second 20 sections in the PDE Ramayana (Part B, 21-40).  I have made three more options for the Storytelling assignment.

The Golden Sandals

I liked the part where Bharata put sandals on Rama’s feet, then sent them back to Ayodya to become the place-holder for Rama when he returns to be king. One completely tangent story could be a servant in Ayodya that has to tend to the gold shoes. It could involve his thoughts on the idea, as well as his daily duties to the “king”. The shoes could have magical powers that he discovers in secret. Knowing this, it could be a story on what he decided to do with this celestial shoes.

The Death of Viradha

One story I found to be very exciting was the death of Viradha. He was immortal to death by war, so Rama and Lakshmana had to think outside the box to come up with a way to keep him from killing them. This portion of the story was not very long, so I could embellish with dialogue, or more description of the happenings. I might even come up with an alternate form of death for Viradha, since the entire purpose is for him to die then ascend to heaven.

The Saintly Woman

While Rama and Lakshmana were on their way to find Sita, they found a woman, Shabari, there waiting for them. If I were to use this for Storytelling, I could do a sort of prequel. In it, I could have the conversation between her and the saints, and then possibly right up until they arrived. It would be the fast-forward version of all the time she spent alone. There could be silly parts where she goes a little stir-crazy, and serious ones where she longs to die.

Rama and Shabari

Week 2 Reading Diary: PDE Ramayana, Part A

These are my notes for the first 20 sections in the PDE Ramayana.  Below I have listed three of my favorite parts from part A that I am considering for my Storytelling post.

The Tools that Come Alive

In the morning Vishvamitra chanted powerful mantras, which caused celestial weapons to appear for Rama, and the spirits of the weapons stood before the prince with clasped hands and said, “We are thy servants, O nobly generous one. Good betide thee! Whatever thou dost desire, lo, we shall accomplish for thee!”
Said Rama, “When I have need of you, I will think of you, and then you will wait upon me.”

I really enjoyed this part. I think it would make a great story to embellish on the magical weapons that appear when needed. I could go for serious, and describe each weapon and where they are stored. I could also aim for funny, making them talking, each having their own personalities.

Rama and Lakshmana

Then and For Ever

At that instant, Rama heard the jingle of the bangles on the lady Sita's feet, and he said, "I know of a surety that there comes hither a lady whom I shall love beyond all things else in the world." Lifting his eyes he saw Sita, the king's daughter, and they loved each other then and for ever.

I could write a more in-depth love story between Rama and Sita. It could include what she was thinking, and maybe what her nurses thought of her love at first sight.

The Wedding

The marrying of the four sisters to the four brothers stood out to me. It was clear Sita and Rama loved each other, but nothing was spoken of the other three wedded couples. I think it would be a fun idea to make a story of the women and men arguing separately about who they had to marry.