Week 10 Storytelling: The Water Sprite and the Prince

The Water Sprite and the Prince

There lived a beautiful fairy in the forest of Diac. Her name was Erabella. The King Fairy, her father, gave her very own pond when she turned 21. She was excited to have her own pond to live at and watch. Her father told her that anyone who approaches her pond would have to answer the question, “Who are the Good Fairies?” If the person answered the question wrong, Erabella would have complete power over them. Erabella was a kind fairy who did not do harm to those who got the question wrong. She merely gave them a single conch shell necklace for them to wear. When she needed them, she would call them and they would hear from the necklace.

One spring dewy day, Erabella heard commotion from the South winds. She went over to explore the area. She saw three handsome men. They obviously looked like brothers. One man in particular caught her eye. He looked like he was the oldest brother. He stood tall but had kind eyes. She asked the South wind where they traveled from.

The South wind replied, “The three men who traveled to the Diac Forest come from the kingdom of Conrad. The winds tell me that they are the princes who ran away from home until their father dies.”

Erabella spent days daydreaming of the oldest prince. Until one day, the youngest prince came to her pond to fetch water for their encampment.

Erabella asked him, “Who are the Good Fairies?”

The youngest replied, “Why, it is beautiful fairies like you.”

Erabella said as she handed him a conch shell necklace, “That was not the correct answer. What is your name?”

He said, “My name is Eric, the Sun Prince.”

Erabella showed him her cave and told him to wait there until further notice.

The oldest and middle started to worry where their youngest brother was. The oldest brother decided to grab his sword and head to the pond.

Erabella asked him, “Who are the Good Fairies?”

The oldest replied,

“The pure in heart who fear to sin,

The good, kindly in word and deed.”

Erabella said, “That is the correct answer. Where did you learn that?”

The oldest replied, “Since I was interested in mythology as a child, I learned it from an ancient book.”

Erabella told the oldest that he was free to go.

The oldest hesitated and said, “Water Fairy, my name is Henry, Prince of the Stars. My youngest brother must have stumbled across here, have you seen him?”

Erabella said, “Yes, he is sitting in my cave. You may have him back under one condition.”

Henry waited.

“I would like to marry you and be your Queen, your equal.”

In response, Henry said, “When is the wedding?”

(Water Sprite Fairy - Image Source)

Bibliography. Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt. The Baldwin Project. Web source.

Author's Note: When the third prince was born, the king offered to uphold any promise the queen had. When the third son turned 21, the queen asked the king to give the kingdom to the third son. The king refused. The king said that it was the oldest and then the second son's by right. Afraid that the queen would harm the older sons, the king told the sons to go to the forest and live until he died. The youngest prince, seeing that his brothers were leaving, left with them too. The sun prince went to a pond owned by a water sprite. If the person goes to the pond and answers the question "What are the good fairies like?" correctly, they will not be in the sprite's power. The youngest prince answered wrong and the sprite carried him to his cave. The oldest king answered correctly and they lived happily ever after according to plan. In this story, I wanted the water sprite to be the main character. 

Week 7 Storytelling: Where were you?

Where were you?

Krishna approached me with a serious matter. He told me, Karna, that the men I was going to rage war with, the Pandavas, were my brothers. My whole life, I felt out of place in Duryodhana, but they still accepted me as one of their own. They would tell me that I was abandoned and they took me in with the kindness of their hearts. Although, sometimes they did not have much to give. They gave as much as they could. Krishna advised me to go to the Pandavas’ castle and talk to my birth mother, Kunti.

As I walked up the winding path to the castle, it was like the stories I heard when I was younger. High walls and impenetrable gates were the rumors that whispered in the streets for those lucky enough to get a glimpse of it. When I was growing up, I was fortunate to have leaves to cover me during the rainy season. Taking in the enormity of the castle, I wonder how the family could live in so much wealth when most of their kingdom was living roofless.

When I walked into the doors, the Pandavas brothers greeted me. It is interesting how I never noticed the similarities in our noses and smiles. It was like looking at a mirror. They seemed so carefree during a time of waging war. They led me to a room at the end of the west wing. I stood in front of the double doors until a soft female voice said, “You may come in.” As I crept through the doors, there was a woman in the center of the room starring at me with tears pooling in her eyes. She looked familiar. In this setting, she looked like a true queen, but on the streets when I normally saw her, she merely looked like a middle-class merchant’s wife looking at the various goods we had to sell. Perhaps she conversed with me because she knew I was her son.

She observed me in full. She looked relieved to be reunited with me. I stood in shock. Here was the woman who left me at the banks of the river. She opened her mouth to speak but I interrupted her. “Why? Where were you?” I asked the strange woman.

She replied, “I am Kunti. I am your mother. I know you must have a lot of questions which we can discuss at a later time but, you need to call of the war.”

I thought it over.

In a firm voice, I said, “No.”

She looked puzzled.

I explained to her, “I will not let the people who need me down. You stripped me  from my birthright. I had to grow up in hardships. But I am glad. It made me the man I am today. The man who may share the same blood as you and the Pandavas, but that does not mean we are family. Duryodhana was kind to me when you were nonexistent.”

Kunti buckled down to her knees. She started sobbing. “It was what the Gods told me to do. It was the only way.” She told Karna.

Karna disregarded the remark. He said, “I will take down all my blood brethren. I will save and fight Arjuna last.”

With that, Karna left the castle and prepared for war.

(Karna and Kunti - Image Source)

Author's Note: In the original story, Krishna tells Karna of his true past. He advised Karna to make peace with his brothers and they will treat him with respect. However when the time came and Karna met his mother, his mother told him that it was her who indeed decided to choose a different life path for Karna. Karna did not want to go against Duryodhana, someone who helped raise him and someone who had a lot of faith placed in Karna. Instead choosing his blood relatives, he chose the people who were there for him and counting on him. I decided to tell the story in Karna's point of view because a lot of emotions must be running in his mind. It would have been a huge shock. I also wanted Karna to come from a poorer family who rose up the ranks by hard work rather than having a birthright. 

Bibliography. "Krishna and Karna" from the Mahabharata by R.K. Narayan. Web source. 

Week 6 Storytelling: One Against Five

One Against Five

On the night of summer’s eve, a beautiful girl was born to King Drupada and his wife. Vyasa had come to bless the child the morning after. When he laid eyes on the child he advised her parents, “When she is older, men will be swarming around her.”

One tragic day, King Drupada’s childhood friend came to take half of his land. On the other hand, many suitors were lined up outside the palace to ask for Drupada’s hand in marriage. Many suitors with acres of land. To determine which suitor was the best, Drupada decided to have a contest after he narrowed the competitors to men that had a kingdom. In the month-long competition, Arjuna valiantly won.

 When the families came to greet each other, Arjuna’s mother explained to them that Draupadi had to wed all five brothers. Draupadi knew that when a woman married a man, she would also be marrying the family, but she did not think it was literal. King Drupada asked Vyasa for his wisdom. Vyasa explained to the King that in Draupadi’s past life, she prayed to the God Shiva five times over for a husband. He granted her wish in this lifetime. While, the five Pandavas brothers were each a part of a reincarnation of Indra. With that information, King Drupada gave his consent. The wedding, or weddings, was the talk of the century. It was the most extravagant celebration. Since there were five grooms, the event had to be five times as beautiful. King Drupada gifted all he could to the grooms.

Draupadi did not know what to think about having five husbands. She knew she should feel like the luckiest girl in the world, but her heart belonged to only one person, Arjuna. The thought of having to care for five men did not seem appealing. Sure, all the men were nice. The honeymoons were amazing. But having to be with five men and carrying their children was quite a task she did not sign up for. Also, the men were needy. She was the glue that held them together. She was the calm after the storm. Truth be told, the Pandavas would be a huge mess without Draupadi.

(Draupadi and the five brothers - Image Source)

Author's Note: I wanted to tell the story in the perspective of Draupadi. She is probably deemed one of the luckiest woman in India since she has the privilege of marrying five princes. In this story, Arjuna won himself Draupadi but their mother accidentally commanded all the brothers to marry this one woman. Vyasa told King Drupada that Draupadi was a reincarnated woman who prayed to Shiva for a husband, and thus, he granted her wish. Drupada gave consent for the five brothers to marry his daughter.

Bibliography. "Wife of the Five Pandavas" from the Mahabharata by R.K. Narayan. Web Source.