Reading Notes: The Indian Story Book Part A

Title: The Indian Story Book Part A
Author: Richard Wilson
Illustrator: Frank Pape
Year: 1914

- King Visvamitra is bored and wants to go to war, but due to his power, everyone wants to be his friend. I could tell a story where the king decides to go to war with some of his allies, resulting in everyone losing respect for him. I could also tell a story where he and his army travels a great distance, taking a lot of attrition, and ultimately losing the battle. Or, I could tell a story where Visvamitra, still bored and longing for battle, instead creates a sport to play against his allies to satisfy his boredom.

- The King lives like a hermit in order to win the favor of the gods. He asks for all the divine weapons in order to defeat the hermit. I could tell a story where he realizes that he could just ask the gods to give him the cow or a cow with the same power. I could also tell a story where, due to his time as a hermit, he finds happiness the way that the other hermit has and no longer seeks war.

- The king threw a dart at the hermit which the hermit swallowed. His eyes turned red and he glowed, but did nothing. I could tell a story where this dart has an effect on him like that of the Hulk or something similar.

- At the end of the story, the King devotes his life toward becoming more powerful in order to get revenge on the hermit, only to ask the gods for the power to see good in everyone. In the end, he no longer wanted revenge or the cow.

- When the King asked which holy man would travel to the forest to find the angry sage and his son, they all replied that it was a noble mission...for someone else. They all tried to get each other to do the mission. I found that part to be very humorous. 

- Even the animals are afraid of the angry hermits son because the angry hermit had cursed them simply for crossing his path. The son is completely alone.

-  At the end of the story, the hermit finds that his son has married a princess and become very wealthy. I could tell a story where this causes his anger to fade and changes his entire outlook on people.

Tempting Rishyasringa 

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons