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Reading Notes: Sacred Cow, Rishyasringa, Sakuntala (B)

(Sakuntala looking back at King Dushyanta)

• I wonder what would have happened if the king didn't put his arrows up but killed the fawn? would the hermits have cursed him?
• Why did the king leave his wife in the grove? Shouldn't he had taken her with him?
• What if Sakuntala took the fawn with her? Would the king have had it killed?
• What if Sakuntala had a power where when she touches someone she could have them see a selected memory of hers?
• Maybe I could write a prequel to this story to tell the powers of the kings ring?
• A story even from the eyes of Sakuntala would be interesting. 
• It'd be interesting to know what all happened to Sakuntala when some god came out of the sky and took her away. Was the purpose of the boy's amulet to find the father or what?
• I love how this story had a happy ending!

Bibliography: The Indian Story Book- Story VIII Sakuntala

Reading Notes: Sacred Cow, Rishyasringa, Sakuntala (A)

•  What if instead of Visvamitra having to travel to find someone to fight there was a neighboring kingdom that wanted to fight him for some strange reason?
• I wonder what would have happened if the king left when he wanted instead of giving in to the sage's demands that he stay?
• Wow I was not expecting Sabala to provide an army that large! It'd be interesting to tie Sabala into the Pandu story somehow. 
• So sad all his sons turned to ash! What if he bargained with the sage that he would leave them alone forever if Sabala brought back his sons?
• What if Visvamitra was the Queen. I wonder if she would have acted out so wildly to make Sabala hers?
• It'd be interesting to see through the eyes of the woman who is trying to convince King Visvamitra to enjoy life and stop living it so harshly.
• what if instead of sending down women to Visvamitra they sent men? Maybe one of his deceased sons? 

(Sabala and her loving owner)

• The way that Rishyasringa grew up reminded me of Tarzan! That'd be an interesting story!
• What if instead of being able to curse people he made them switch bodies? Or put them in random places of the earth?
• What if Rishyasringa was mute? after all he had never talked or interacted with anyone other than his father. 
• What if a woman was sent to talk to the father and was able to warm his heart from all that hatred?

(Rishyasringa's first encounter with women)

Bibliography: The Indian Story Book- Story VII Sabala, The Sacred Cow and Story IX The Great Drought about Rishyashringa

Reading Notes: Sita Daughter of the Earth (B)

• I love how the pictures and story tell how beautiful some of the areas are that Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita traveled through while in exile. Maybe I could do a story where an area is so beautiful that it puts them in a trance where they stay for years. Only to have lots of Ayodhya people come and try to convince them to come back or maybe rakshasas find them?
• If Ravana was gay Sita's life would have been completely different 
• What if the magic line that Lakshmana drew didn't let Sita leave? and the rakshasas had to try and break through it? Leaving him without his powers or something
• I wonder if Sita was held in a dark ugly dungeon if she would have changed her mind and married Ravana?
• How cool that the rakshasis that were guarding Sita began to care for her and tell her things to calm her. It'd be cool if earlier on they all could have teamed up and gotten her off the island.

(Hanuman putting Sita's fear to rest that Rama was alive)

• They never tell how the floating bridge was built?
• I love how it shows how tiny Rama was compared to Ravana and how he still won because he outsmarted Ravana.
• What if Sita or Rama prayed and asked for a boon that could make the citizens forget or truly believe that Sita was kept hostage and walked through fire to prove she was pure?
• What if the boys weren't very good at fighting or war things and Sita wanted to take them back to the King to get the proper training they needed?
• It'd be cool to make up a story about Sita's life after she left and went into the earth!
• It'd also be interesting to tell the end of this story through the eyes of her sons and Rama!

Week 10 Storytelling: Sita inspires Mulan

Long ago in ancient China, there was a small family of five. A girl named Mulan, her parents, her grandmother, and a dog named Little Brother. China was going through a war with the Huns. The Huns were the most awful human beings to ever live. They were killing anything and everything that crossed their path. Mulan's father had just gotten the letter from the Emperor that he had to go fight in the war against the Huns. Sadly no one in his family could take his place, because they were all female. There were strict rules that only men were permitted to fight in the war, even if they were elderly or sick. Mulan was heartbroken that her father had been called to war. It was just last week he fell and hurt his leg because he tried walking around without his cane. Mulan knew that her father was not fit to fight in a war. She went to bed that night as sad as could be, but had the most interesting dream of a woman named Sita...

(Mulan in bed dreaming)

""Father, why can't I fight the rakshasas that are tearing up people’s homes? They deserve to be punished!" said Sita.

 "Because you are too fragile, my princess. The rakshasas would tear you apart," Sita's father replied.

"Maybe a normal girl, but I am not a normal girl!" Sita exclaimed.

"Sita! We are not having this conversation. You will not fight any rakshasa," Sita's father sternly stated.

Disregarding what her father said, she decided to go out on her own and fight the rakshasas. Sita changed out of the formal attire she wore around the castle and into an outfit more fit for the woods. That night while her family was fast asleep she snuck out of the castle to fight the rakshasas. She stayed hidden because she'd rather not be surprised by these tricksters. That’s when she heard the screams!

She ran toward the sounds of screaming people. When she arrived, there were two rakshasas tearing apart a farmer’s livestock! Even though there were people around screaming and throwing things at them, the rakshasas weren’t fazed. Sita decided to attack them in a way others weren’t thinking. She gracefully walked up towards them and whistled. “Man, you boys sure are strong and handsome,” she flirted. The rakshasas immediately put their guard down and let the beautiful Sita get close to them. Little did they know she had her father’s bow hidden behind her. When Sita got close enough to them, she pulled the bow as far back as possible and fired the arrow. The arrow flew straight through both rakshasas’ heads! The people were so shocked they were silent. Sita looked confused, but then they started cheering for her! The people had a party for her the next day to thank her for her bravery in making their land peaceful again. To her father’s surprise she was the kingdom hero for killing those terrible rakshasas. “You did good, Sita. I am proud of you,” her father told her.”

Mulan woke up as soon as her dream ended. It was still dark outside. She knew she had to act quickly before her parents woke up. After being inspired by the woman in her dream, she knew she had to be brave and take her father's place in the war. She moved as fast and quietly as she could while dressing herself in all her father’s armor. She hoped and prayed fiercely that no one would recognize she was a woman. A short time before dawn she set out on her journey hoping to make her father as proud as Sita made hers.

(Mulan in battle)

Bibliography: Sita Daughter of the Earth by Saraswati Nagpal, Reserve at the Bizzell and Mulan


Author's note:

While reading the graphic novel of Sita's life, there was a scene where she had a strong willingness to go fight rakshasas. These two rakshasas were terrorizing her people’s land, and she wanted to put an end to it. However, her father told her that she was “fragile” and the rakshasas would tear her apart. Even though Sita listened to her father, the scene still reminded me a lot of the story of Mulan.

The strong amount of courage and selflessness in the characters Sita and Mulan made me want to connect them somehow. I liked the idea of having one of them dream of the other to gain inspiration for their own journey. I especially liked that Sita didn’t listen to her father in my story. In a time when most women were submissive to men the only way the men would see them differently was if a woman completely broke the boundaries. For example, Sita was fighting and defeating rakshasas and in turn gaining respect from her father.

I think the first photo sets a good feel for Mulan dreaming. I love the second photo of Mulan because it shows that women can equally fight alongside men. Also, I think it accurately shows that intensity she and Sita share.

I hope my story is fun to read. I also hope it encourages everyone to fight for what they believe in, regardless of their gender. Also, I hope to be a source of inspiration to people in this class for their future stories!

Reading Notes: Sita Daughter of Earth (A)

• It's very interesting that in this story Sita had the power to move the bow that no mortal could. What if she picked it up and then couldn't marry because men were scared of her strength?
• How awesome that Sita was inspired by Sati!
• I'd like to write a story where Sita gets to talk to all of the women that inspired her!
• Sita wanting to fight the rakshasas reminded me of Mulan wanting to fight. It'd be cool to do some kind of storying involving both of them.
• I think it's sad that once the girls are married they have to move to the husbands kingdom and can't contact their family. What if the men had to stay in the woman's kingdom and help her rule it without contact to their families? I wonder how the men would've handled that?
• I wonder if there is an interesting way to not let Ma Kaikeyi's boons?

(Sita, from the graphic novel)

I love this photo of Sita because it portrays just how powerful she is.

Bibliography: Sita Daughter of the Earth by Saraswati Nagpal, Reserve at the Bizzell

Reading Notes: Ideal Women

Uttara

• I could write a story where a very pretty girl somehow persuades Bhisma to marry her and have children. Maybe she has some kind of magical powers? Or maybe even somehow his stepmother convinces him to do so.
• While the women in these tales aren't very independent I love that the Pandu brothers were always so obedient to their mother, Koonti.
• Maybe a good storyline would be one where Koonti kind of tutors Draupadi and others on how to be independent and strong?
• It's crazy Uttara was married so young.
• I loved reading about how Koonti prayed and faught for her sons during the war of Indra. Maybe I could do a story over Koonti and Gandhari getting to the altar at the same time? What is Mahadev chose Gandhari's flowers instead of Koonti's?
• A story through the eyes of Uttara when her husband volunteered to go fight would be a good story!

(the young Uttara and her love, Abhimanyu)

Sati

• I had no idea Mahadeva was poor!
• It'd be interesting to do a story from Sati's father's eyes to show how she taught him that money isn't everything.
• I wonder how good this story would be if Sati didn't die but her father did?
• Instead of living in a cave as a hermit what if Siva was killed during his rampage on the earth?
• Super sad story..

Bibliography: I found the story of Uttara in Nine Ideal Indian Women and also the story of Sati.