Raja Rasalu.

A watercolor illustration of Queen Lona, dressed in royal blue velvet robes trimmed with intricate gold embroidery, sitting sadly on a jade-inlaid divan in her opulent palace. Sunlight, a warm golden hue, streams through a large, arched window with delicate Mughal-inspired latticework, casting intricate shadows across the polished marble floor. Her gaze is downcast towards her lap, where her hands are clasped tightly, her knuckles white. A single, shimmering tear rolls down her cheek, catching the light. The palace architecture features intricate Mughal-inspired designs: ornate columns, jewel-toned mosaics, and tapestries depicting scenes of past glory. The color palette is dominated by deep blues and golds, creating a somber yet majestic atmosphere. Soft blending emphasizes the melancholic mood. Texture is subtly applied to the velvet robes and marble flooring.

Once upon a time, there was a great King named Salabhan, and he had a Queen named Lona. Queen Lona really wanted a baby, but she didn’t have any children to make her happy. After a long time, though, she was told that she would have a son!

Queen Lona went back to her palace, and when it was almost time for her baby to be born, she asked three wise men who came to her gate what would happen to her child. The youngest one answered, “Oh, Queen! Your baby will be a boy, and he will grow up to be a great man. But for twelve whole years, you can’t look at his face! If you or his dad see him before the twelve years are up, you will be very, very sad! Here’s what you need to do: As soon as the baby is born, you have to send him to a room under the ground, and don’t let him see any sunlight for twelve years. After that, he can come out, take a bath in the river, put on new clothes, and come visit you. His name will be Raja Rasalu, and everyone will know him!”

So, when a cute little Prince was born, his parents hid him in a palace under the ground. He had nurses and servants to take care of him, and everything a Prince could want! They also gave him a baby horse, born on the same day, and a sword, spear, and shield, for when Raja Rasalu was ready to go out into the world.

A watercolor illustration of a baby Prince Raja Rasalu, swaddled in white silk embroidered with tiny golden elephants, lying in a lavish underground chamber. The lighting is soft and diffused, emanating from hidden glowing crystals embedded in the walls, casting an ethereal, otherworldly glow. The chamber is filled with golden toys: miniature chariots, tiny jeweled swords, and a miniature Arabian horse foal with a flowing white mane. Two caring nurses, dressed in soft pastel pink and lavender robes, are watching over him, their faces etched with gentle affection. A vibrant emerald green parrot perches on an intricately carved golden cage, preening its feathers. The walls are adorned with ancient murals depicting mythical creatures. The color palette consists of soft pastels and shimmering golds, conveying a sense of peace and magic. The silk appears smooth, the gold reflects the light, and the murals have a weathered texture.

So the little boy lived there, playing with his pony and talking to his parrot. The nurses taught him everything a King’s son should know.

Young Rasalu lived far away from the sunlight for eleven long years. He grew tall and strong, but he was happy playing with his pony and chatting with his parrot. But when the twelfth year started, he really wanted to see the world! He loved listening to the sounds of life that came to his palace from outside.

A watercolor illustration of young Raja Rasalu, around 11 years old, inside the underground palace. He’s holding a crudely fashioned wooden sword and shield, their surfaces worn and marked from countless imaginary battles. He stands facing a cracked section of the wall, his eyes wide with longing as he gazes at a sliver of sunlight peeking through, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. His pony, Bhaunr, a small, sturdy creature with a shaggy mane, stands beside him, nuzzling his arm. The vibrant green parrot, its feathers slightly ruffled, is perched on his shoulder, mimicking his restless movements. The lighting is dim, mostly reflected sunlight, with long shadows stretching across the chamber. The walls are rough stone, and the floor is covered with worn rugs. The overall tone is one of confinement and suppressed energy. The colors are muted, with pops of green from the parrot and the sunlight.

“I need to go see where those voices are coming from!” he said. His nurses told him he had to wait one more year, but he just laughed and said, “No way! I’m not staying here any longer for anyone!”

Then he put a saddle on his Arabian horse, Bhaunr, put on his shiny armor, and rode off into the world! He remembered what his nurses had told him, so when he got to the river, he got off his horse and washed himself and his clothes.

A watercolor illustration of Raja Rasalu, now a young man in gleaming silver armor, reflecting the sunlight, riding his white Arabian horse, Bhaunr, through a vibrant green forest. The light dappled through the leaves creates a mosaic of light and shadow. He holds a long spear, its tip pointing towards the horizon, and the parrot, its feathers now brilliantly iridescent, is perched confidently on his wrist. The sun is shining brightly, casting long shadows behind them. Raja Rasalu has a determined look on his face, his jaw set, and his eyes focused on his destination. The forest is dense with lush foliage, towering trees, and vibrant wildflowers. The textures are diverse: the smooth metal of the armor, the flowing mane of the horse, the rough bark of the trees. The color palette is dominated by greens and silvers, conveying a sense of adventure and purpose.

Then, all clean and brave, he rode on until he got to his dad’s city. He sat down to rest by a well where the women were getting water in clay pots. As they walked by, carrying the full pots on their heads, the young Prince started throwing stones at the pots and broke them all! The women, all wet, ran to the palace crying and told the King that a young Prince in shiny armor, with a parrot on his wrist and a cool horse, was breaking their pots.

A watercolor illustration of Raja Rasalu breaking clay pots with stones at a well. The time of day is high noon, casting harsh shadows and creating a sense of chaotic energy. Raja Rasalu is throwing the stones with playful abandon, a mischievous grin on his face. Several women in colorful saris – crimson, saffron, and emerald green – are running away, their clothes wet and clinging to their bodies, carrying broken pots or empty metal pots, their faces expressing a mix of annoyance and amusement. The broken clay fragments litter the ground. The architecture of the city is in the background: tightly packed houses with terracotta roofs and intricately carved wooden balconies. The well is made of rough-hewn stone, its surface worn smooth by generations of use. The colors are vibrant and saturated, reflecting the intensity of the scene. The broken clay has a rough, tactile texture, and the wet saris are realistically translucent.

When King Salabhan heard this, he knew right away that it was Prince Rasalu, who had come out too early! He remembered what the wise men had said about dying if he saw his son before twelve years, so he didn’t want to send his guards to catch him. Instead, he told the women to calm down and take pots made of iron and brass, and he gave new ones to the women who didn’t have any.

But when Prince Rasalu saw the women coming back to the well with iron and brass pots, he laughed and used his strong bow to shoot arrows through the metal pots like they were made of clay!

The King still didn’t send for him, so he got on his horse and rode to the palace, feeling strong and brave. He walked into the big hall where his dad was sitting, looking scared. He said hello to his dad, but King Salabhan, afraid for his life, quickly turned away and didn’t say anything back.

Then Prince Rasalu called out to him, feeling sad:

"I came to say hi, King, not to hurt you!
  Why are you turning away from me?
Being a king doesn't matter to me--
  I'm going to find something better!"

Then he walked away, feeling angry and sad. But as he walked under the palace windows, he heard his mom crying, and that made him feel bad. He wasn’t angry anymore, and he felt lonely because his parents didn’t want him. So he cried sadly,

"Oh, Mom, are you just going to cry
  Because of your son?
Am I your son? Please think of me,
  I'm just starting my life!"

And Queen Lona answered through her tears:

"Yes! I'm your mom, even though I'm crying,
  So listen to me--
Go be a great king, but always keep
  Your heart good and pure!"

So Raja Rasalu felt better and got ready for his adventure. He took his horse, Bhaunr, and his parrot with him, because they had been with him since he was born.

They were a great team, and Queen Lona watched them leave from her window until she could only see a cloud of dust. Then she put her head in her hands and cried, saying:

"Oh! Son, who I never saw,
Let the cloud of your leaving rise,
Make the sun dim and the day dark;
For a mom whose son is gone
        Is like dust!"

Rasalu was going to play a game with King Sarkap. As he traveled, there was a big storm with thunder and lightning, so he looked for a place to hide. He couldn’t find anything except an old graveyard, where a body with no head was lying on the ground. It was so lonely that even the body seemed like a friend, and Rasalu sat down next to it and said:

A watercolor illustration of Raja Rasalu sitting by a headless corpse in a dark, stormy graveyard. The scene is illuminated by stark flashes of lightning, each revealing a grim detail: the pale, lifeless skin of the corpse, the blood-soaked earth, the cracked and weathered tombstones. The graveyard features crumbling tombstones with illegible inscriptions and gnarled, skeletal trees reaching towards the stormy sky. Raja Rasalu’s face is partially obscured by shadow, but his eyes are wide with shock and horror. The rain is pouring down in sheets, blurring the edges of the scene and creating a sense of unease. The overall color palette is dark and muted, with flashes of white from the lightning and the corpse. The textures are rough and decaying, emphasizing the morbid atmosphere.

"There's no one here, far or near,
  Except this body, cold and still;
I wish it could come back to life,
  It would be nice to talk to it."

And right away, the headless body stood up and sat next to Raja Rasalu. And he, not surprised at all, said to it:

"The storm is loud and strong,
  The clouds are dark in the sky;
Why can't you rest in your grave,
  Oh body, please tell me why?"

Then the headless body answered:

"When I was alive, I was like you,
  A king, having fun all the time,
Fighting my enemies, being brave,
  Living my life just fine.
        But now I'm dead,
        My sins are heavy,
And I can't rest in my grave!"

The night went on, dark and sad, while Rasalu sat in the graveyard and talked to the headless body. When morning came and Rasalu said he had to go, the headless body asked him where he was going. When he said “to play a game with King Sarkap,” the body told him not to, saying, “I am King Sarkap’s brother, and I know how he is. Every day, before breakfast, he cuts off the heads of two or three people, just for fun. One day, there was no one else around, so he cut off mine! He will probably cut off yours for some silly reason. But, if you really want to go and play with him, take some bones from this graveyard and make dice out of them. Then the magic dice that my brother uses won’t work anymore, or he will always win.”

So Rasalu took some bones and made them into dice, and put them in his pocket. Then, he said goodbye to the headless body and went on his way to play with the King.

As Raja Rasalu traveled along, he came to a forest that was on fire. A voice called out from the fire, “Oh, traveler! Please save me!”

A watercolor illustration of Raja Rasalu saving a tiny cricket from a raging forest fire. The fire is depicted with vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows, consuming the forest in a chaotic inferno. Smoke billows into the sky, obscuring the sun. Raja Rasalu is carefully scooping up the cricket in his cupped hands, his face etched with compassion. The cricket is extending one of its feelers to him in gratitude. The textures are sharply contrasted: the smooth skin of Raja Rasalu’s hands, the delicate legs of the cricket, the crackling flames. The lighting is intense and dramatic, with the fire casting long, flickering shadows. The background is a swirling vortex of flames and smoke. The color palette is dominated by warm, intense colors, creating a sense of danger and urgency.

The Prince turned toward the fire, and saw that the voice was coming from a tiny cricket! Rasalu grabbed it from the fire and set it free. The little cricket was very thankful and pulled out one of its feelers and gave it to Rasalu, saying, “Keep this, and if you ever need help, put it in the fire, and I will come to you right away.”

The Prince smiled, saying, “How could you help me?” But he kept the feeler anyway and went on his way.

When he got to King Sarkap’s city, seventy princesses, the King’s daughters, came out to meet him. They were all happy and giggling, but one, the youngest, felt sorry for the Prince because she knew he was going to his doom. She called out to him:

"Fair Prince, on the gray horse,
    Turn back! Turn back!
Or get ready to fight!
You might lose your head today!
If you love life, stranger, please,
    Turn back! Turn back!"

But he smiled at the princess and answered:

"Fair princess, I come from far away,
Ready to win in love and war!
King Sarkap will be sorry I came,
I'll chop his head in four pieces!
Then I'll ride away like a groom,
With you as my bride!"

When Rasalu answered so bravely, the princess looked at his face and saw how handsome and strong he was. She fell in love with him and wanted to go with him anywhere in the world.

But the other sixty-nine princesses were jealous and laughed at her, saying, “Not so fast, brave warrior! If you want to marry our sister, you have to do what we say first, because you will be our younger brother.”

“Fair princesses!” said Rasalu happily, “Tell me what to do and I will do it.”

So the sixty-nine princesses mixed a hundred pounds of millet seeds with a hundred pounds of sand, and told Rasalu to separate the seeds from the sand.

Then he thought of the cricket, and took the feeler out of his pocket and put it in the fire. Right away, he heard a whirring noise, and a lot of crickets flew to him, including the cricket whose life he had saved.

A watercolor illustration of Raja Rasalu separating millet seeds from sand with the help of countless crickets, all meticulously sorting the grains. The sixty-nine princesses are watching with astonished expressions from a nearby balcony, their eyes wide and their mouths agape. The scene is bathed in warm sunlight, casting long shadows. The crickets are arranged in neat rows, each diligently picking up a grain of millet and depositing it in a separate pile. The millet seeds are golden brown, and the sand is a mixture of white and yellow. The ground is covered with a layer of fine dust. Raja Rasalu stands at the center of the scene, his face calm and confident. The princesses are dressed in colorful silks, adding a touch of elegance to the scene. The color palette is warm and earthy, reflecting the natural elements involved. The texture of the millet seeds and sand is finely detailed.

Then Rasalu said, “Separate the millet seeds from the sand.”

“Is that all?” said the cricket. “If I knew it was such a small job, I wouldn’t have called so many of my friends!”

The crickets started working, and in one night they separated the seeds from the sand!

When the sixty-nine princesses saw that Rasalu had done what they asked, they gave him another task. They told him to swing them all, one by one, in their swings until they were tired.

Rasalu laughed and said, “There are seventy of you, including my bride over there, and I’m not going to spend my life swinging girls! By the time I swing each of you once, the first one will want another swing! No! If you want a swing, get in all seventy of you into one swing, and then I’ll see what I can do.”

So the seventy princesses climbed into one swing, and Raja Rasalu, standing in his shiny armor, tied the ropes to his strong bow and pulled it back as far as it could go. Then he let go, and the swing shot into the air like an arrow, with all seventy princesses in it, laughing and smiling.

But as it swung back, Rasalu drew his sharp sword and cut the ropes! The seventy princesses fell to the ground! Some were hurt, but the princess who loved Rasalu was okay because she fell out last, on top of the others.

After this, Rasalu walked fifteen steps to the seventy drums that everyone who came to play with the King had to beat. He beat them so loudly that he broke them all! Then he came to the seventy gongs, all in a row, and he hit them so hard that they broke into pieces.

Seeing this, the youngest princess, who was the only one who could run fast, ran to her dad, the King, and said:

"A strong Prince, Sarkap! Is making trouble,
He swung us, seventy princesses, and threw us down!
He broke the drums and the gongs,
He will kill you, Dad, and take me as his bride!"

But King Sarkap answered:

"Silly girl, you're making a big deal
  Out of nothing;
He's just scared of my power.
  His armor will shake.
After I eat, I'll go
And cut off his head!"

Even though he said these brave words, he was really scared because he had heard about Rasalu. He found out that Rasalu was staying at an old woman’s house in the city until it was time to play. Sarkap sent slaves to him with food as a gift, but the food was poisoned!

When the slaves brought the food to Raja Rasalu, he stood up proudly and said, “Go tell your master that I don’t want to be friends with him. I am his enemy, and I won’t eat his food!”

Then he threw the food to King Sarkap’s dog, which had followed the slave, and the dog died!

Rasalu was very angry and said, “Go back to Sarkap, slaves! And tell him that Rasalu doesn’t think it’s brave to kill an enemy with tricks.”

When evening came, Raja Rasalu went to play the game with King Sarkap. As he walked by some pottery ovens, he saw a cat running around. He asked her what was wrong, and she said, “My kittens are in an unbaked pot in that oven. It’s on fire, and my babies will be baked alive! I can’t rest!”

Raja Rasalu felt bad for her, and he asked the potter to sell him the oven as it was. But the potter said he couldn’t sell it until the pots were done, because he didn’t know how many would be whole. After some arguing, he finally agreed to sell the oven, and Rasalu looked through all the pots and gave the kittens back to their mother. She was so thankful that she gave him one of them, saying, “Put it in your pocket, it will help you when you’re in trouble.” So Raja Rasalu put the kitten in his pocket and went to play the game with the King.

Before they started playing, King Sarkap said what they would bet: on the first game, his kingdom; on the second, all the wealth in the world; and on the third, his own head. Raja Rasalu said what he would bet: on the first game, his armor; on the second, his horse; and on the third, his own head.

A watercolor illustration of Raja Rasalu on his Arabian horse, Bhaunr, playing dice against King Sarkap in his throne room. Servants and other court members are seated around the intricately carved, wooden game board to watch, their faces displaying a mix of anticipation and apprehension. Dhol Raja the rat, looking mischievous, observes the game from atop a pile of cushions, while a small, curious kitten paws playfully at his tail. The throne room is richly decorated with tapestries depicting scenes of hunting and warfare. The lighting is warm and inviting, emanating from numerous oil lamps. King Sarkap’s face is stern as he considers his next move, while Raja Rasalu maintains a composed expression. The color palette is rich and regal, with golds, reds, and blues dominating the scene. The textures are varied and detailed: the smooth wood of the game board, the soft velvet of the cushions, the gleaming metal of the dice.

Then they started to play, and it was Rasalu’s turn to go first. He forgot what the headless man had told him and played with the dice that King Sarkap gave him. Sarkap also let his famous rat, Dhol Raja, run around the board and knock over the pieces, so Rasalu lost the first game and gave up his shiny armor.

Then the second game started, and Dhol Raja knocked over the pieces again. Rasalu lost the game and gave up his horse. Then Bhaunr, his Arabian horse, started talking and said to his master:

    "I was born by the sea and cost a lot of money;
    Dear Prince! Trust me like you used to.
      I'll take you far away from these tricks--
I'll fly like a bird,
      For thousands of miles!
Or, if you have to stay, before the next game,
      Put your hand in your pocket, I pray!"

Hearing this, King Sarkap was angry and told his slaves to take Bhaunr away because he was giving his master advice. When the slaves came to take the horse away, Rasalu started to cry, thinking about all the years he had spent with Bhaunr. But the horse called out again,

"Don't cry, dear Prince! I won't be with strangers.
Take your hand and put it where I said."

These words made Rasalu remember something, and when the kitten in his pocket started to move, he remembered the warning and the dice made from bones. He felt brave again and called out to King Sarkap, “Leave my horse and armor here for now. You can take them when you win my head!”

King Sarkap saw how confident Rasalu was and started to get scared. He told all the women in his palace to come out in their fancy clothes and stand in front of Rasalu to distract him. But he didn’t even look at them. He took the dice from his pocket and said to Sarkap, “We’ve been playing with your dice, now we’ll play with mine.”

Then the kitten went and sat by the window where the rat, Dhol Raja, used to come, and the game started.

After a while, Sarkap saw that Rasalu was winning and called for his rat, but when Dhol Raja saw the kitten, he was scared and wouldn’t go near. So Rasalu won and got his armor back. Then he played for his horse, and King Sarkap called for his rat again, but Dhol Raja was too scared. So Rasalu won the second game and got Bhaunr back.

Then Sarkap tried his best for the third and last game, saying,

"Oh dice, help me today!
I'm playing with a real man.
This is a big deal, life or death!
Help Sarkap, like Sarkap helps you!"

But Rasalu answered,

"Oh dice, help me today!
I'm playing with a real man.
This is a big deal, life or death!
Help me like Heaven helps me!"

So they started to play, while the women stood around in a circle, and the kitten watched Dhol Raja from the window. Then Sarkap lost, first his kingdom, then all the wealth in the world, and finally his head.

Just then, a servant came in to say that King Sarkap had a daughter. Sarkap was so sad that he said, “Kill her now! She was born at a bad time and brought me bad luck!”

But Rasalu stood up in his shiny armor and said, “No! She didn’t do anything wrong. Give me this baby to marry, and if you promise never to play for someone’s head again, I will let you live!”

Then Sarkap promised never to play for someone’s head again. He took a mango branch and the baby and put them on a golden plate and gave them to Rasalu.

As he left the palace, carrying the baby and the mango branch, he met some prisoners, and they called out to him,

"You're a great hawk, oh King! The others
Are just scared birds. Please let us go,
Free us from these chains!"

Raja Rasalu listened to them and told King Sarkap to let them go.

Then he went to the Murti Hills and put the baby, Kokilan, in a palace under the ground. He planted the mango branch at the door, saying, “In twelve years, the mango tree will blossom, then I will come back and marry Kokilan.”

And after twelve years, the mango tree started to flower, and Raja Rasalu married Princess Kokilan, whom he won from Sarkap when he played the game.

A watercolor illustration of Raja Rasalu marrying Princess Kokilan under a flowering mango tree. The time of day is late afternoon, casting long, romantic shadows. Queen Lona and other members of the royal family watch happily from a short distance, their faces filled with joy and pride. Bhaunr the horse and the parrot are also present, standing respectfully to the side. Princess Kokilan is dressed in a beautiful red and gold sari, her face radiant with happiness. Raja Rasalu is smiling warmly at his bride. The mango tree is laden with fragrant blossoms, their petals falling gently on the couple. The ground is covered with colorful flowers. The overall color palette is warm and romantic, with pinks, reds, and golds dominating the scene. The watercolor style captures the softness and beauty of the occasion.

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Rat that Ate Iron

RÁJÁ HARICHAND'S PUNISHMENT.

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