Week 7 Storytelling: The Treasures of Lanka

Week 7 Storytelling: The Treasures of Lanka

It's over at last. I am finally King of Lanka. What a great battle Rama fought against Ravana! Rama's entire army fought more valiantly than I have ever witnessed, but no warrior fought with the passion and strength of Hanuman. Seeing his great strength as well as his deep love for Rama has given me a profound respect for him. He is truly the most loyal creature on this earth, perhaps the most loyal creature in all of creation. Surely Hanuman can be trusted above all others! Yet here I stand questioning with whom I should share in the delights of the treasures of Lanka. 

For thousands of years the treasures of Lanka have only been shared with the most powerful Rakshasa. Never has any creature but a Rakshasa laid eyes upon them., not even the Treasure Lord himself. Is Hanuman so worthy as to disrupt this? I cannot know... I once viewed all creatures as inferior other than Rakshasa. Not even the gods compared to our greatness in my mind. Yet after witnessing the corruption that ran deep through many Rakshasa's veins I have begun to see differently. Rama, Lakshman, the animals; they are friends. Hanuman the most honorable among them. Perhaps creatures other than the Rakshasa are worthy.

Then there is the matter of the overwhelming greed that consumes many who have seen the treasures of Lanka. Within one room there is more wealth then anywhere else in the world. Perhaps more wealth than the heavens themselves! Many Rakshasa have seen this room and gone mad with greed. They become obsessed over the thought of possessing even a portion of such vast wealth. Does Hanuman possess a heart pure enough to resist this greed? Surely a monkey that has devoted his life to serving his friends is not concerned with material possessions. 

I have not only seen Hanuman's great loyalty towards Rama and Sita, but all those whom he calls friend. After recent events I am certain that Hanuman sees me as a friend. With this friendship he will be loyal to me until death. Seeing such great wealth could turn anyone against their closest friends; even family. Yet Hanuman is different. He has fought through the greatest trials simply to honor those he calls friend. I know it is safe. I am certain he is worthy, but I also know that no other being could possibly enter the room and see of the treasures. Surely Hanuman will be the only non-Rakshasa to ever enter the room that holds the great treasures of Lanka. And I trust that he will tell no one of what he sees. It is decided! I will take him to see because I care deeply for my friend Hanuman. I wish for him to witness the greatest treasure that exists on this earth!

Hanuman the loyal friend

Author's Note:

I chose to write about Vibhishana's decision to show the treasures of Lanka to Hanuman. I wrote this story as if it was in Vibhishana's mind and he was making considerations about why to allow Hanuman to see the great treasures. I thought about several reasons that would make one weary to let a friend see their closest treasure. I thought Vibhishana would consider several things: Letting an outsider (a non-Rakshasa) see the treasure, the greed that comes with seeing such vast wealth, and Hanuman's loyalty (perhaps due to fear that he would betray Vibhishana). I touched on each of these subjects, and gave reasons why Vibhishana thought they wouldn't be a problem with Hanuman. Overall, I think Vibhishana admires Hanuman and sees him as a dear friend, and that is what ultimately led him to reveal the treasures of Lanka.

Bibliography:

1) Buck, William (1976). Ramayana: King Rama's Way.

Week 6 Storytelling: The Sentry of Lanka

Week 6 Storytelling: The Sentry of Lanka

We have been standing guard at the gates of Lanka for an entire day without sleep. This war has put an intense strain on the Rakshasa, but it is finally over. Today for two hours Indrajit bombarded Rama’s forces and wiped out countless warriors. Moments ago it was discovered that Rama himself was among the fallen, which means an end to this dreaded war. Among the fallen a few animals remains, but there is no hope for their army. The Rakshasa are finally safe.

It has now been several hours since Indrajit's attack. Ravana is asleep, but I will surely be rewarded for my service when he awakes. Perhaps I will be promoted from the simple position of sentry! Wait... What is that? There is a faint glow, and steam is flowing through the air. Is that a shooting star? No, that is medicine hill flying through the air! How is this possible!? Hanuman survived Indrajit's attack. Now Trijata is approaching with Sita and several Rakshasa. I must stop them from seeing this sight. Ravana cannot hear of the fallen rising through gossip. I must tell him directly.

Hanuman carrying Medicine Hill

"Let me pass to the edge of the wall," Trijata yelled as she and Sita walked towards me.

My efforts to block them were in vain. Sita slipped past as Trijata grabbed my shoulders, holding me in place.

"I see him! I see Rama! He is standing up as if from a deep slumber," Sita said. You could hear the joy in her voice. It is clear how deep this woman's love is for Rama.

Trijata, who also managed to get past me, now sees the scene unfolding. She was shocked by the great deeds that Hanuman did saying "how can Hanuman perform such incredible feats?"

Sita replied simply, "His love for Rama is great. With such great love nothing is impossible."

Word of the army being brought back would spread quickly through the city. I had to tell Ravana myself, no matter if it costs me my life.

As I rush towards Ravana's palace I begin to grow fearful. He finally slept peacefully knowing Rama was defeated. How can I be the one to end that peace? How will he react? The guards to Ravana's chambers look at me knowing I bear bad news.

"Ravana woke up moments ago, he will be out soon. We will leave to give you privacy with him Sentry," the guard said.

Both walked off. I can't help but think they are escaping a fate worse than death; disappointing the king of the Rakshasas. Ravana emerged from his chamber and saw me. I must have looked as if I came bearing bad news because his expression immediately became grim.

"What do you report sentry?" Ravana said. His voice boomed like a roll of thunder, even when speaking normally.

"King Ravana, it's Rama. He.. He lives," I managed to get the words out.

Ravana's expression did not change. He was silent for a moment and he simply turned around and returned to his room. Soon he emerged wearing armor as if he was ready to go to war. I couldn't let him act irrationally. I have brought him bad news, but I refuse to be the cause of his death.

"Ravana, I urge you to command a force against Rama once more, but please do not fight." I pleaded.

"Sentry, do you not understand?" He replied. "Sita will never love me as long as Rama lives."

Then an idea struck me. Perhaps I can use his love for Sita to dissuade him from going to battle. I replied, "Yes sir, but Sita may never forgive you if you kill Rama. Surely Indrajit can repeat his incredible feat and slay Rama once more."

"Perhaps you are right," Ravana said as he walked off.

His silence is worse than any reaction I could have expected. I fear for him. What thoughts race through his mind? How will he react? If Indrajit cannot defeat the army, surely Ravana will lead an attack. I will return to my post, but I fear the worst for this war and our king.

Author's Note:

I felt that the best way to show this chain of events was to tell the story using one of the sentries. By doing this I was able to use the sentry's thoughts, as well as dialogue from other characters such as Sita, Trijata and Ravana. In the original story Trijata and Sita simply see Hanuman carrying Medicine Hill, and when Ravana wakes up one of the sentries tells him that Rama is alive. There is no dialogue between Ravana and the sentry, and no reaction from Ravana. I used this opportunity to fill it in with my own idea of what could have happened. Ravana seems like one who doesn't become visibly angry, but instead internalizes and simply acts irrationally, but in a seemingly calm manner. His silence when the sentry reports the news is very important because it shows that Ravana is simply taking it in, and is so angry inside that he cannot say a word. He resorts to action, and immediately dons his armor to go kill Rama himself. Obviously in Buck's Ramayana, first Indrajit attacks again, so I had to use the sentry to speak some sense into Ravana. Surely the Rakshasas wouldn't want their king to go into a fight in which they had lost so many great warriors, so I used the sentry as a voice of the Rakshasas. He then convinces Ravana to go to Indrajit once more rather than attack Rama himself.

Bibliography:

1) Buck, William (1976). Ramayana: King Rama's Way.

Week 5 Storytelling: Hanuman’s Birth

Week 5 Storytelling: Hanuman’s Birth

“Ravi, come home it’s time for bed!” Nihal yelled from the window of his home in the rainforest canopy.

A meek voice replied, “Dad, let me play with my friends a bit longer!”

“Don’t you want to grow big and strong like Hanuman? To that you must sleep.” Nihal shouted back. 

No sooner had those words come out of Nihal’s mouth than Ravi came swinging through the trees headed straight for their home. His face was visibly excited at the mention of Hanuman, and he quickly readied himself for bed.

“Will you come tuck me in and tell me a story about Hanuman dad?” Ravi asked.

“Of course son,” Nihal said as he began tucking Ravi tightly under the covers, “I want to tell you about Hanuman’s youth. He used to be a little monkey just like you Ravi.”

Hanuman as a child

Ravi’s eyes lit up at the thought of Hanuman being the same as him. He sat in anticipation as Nihal began to tell the story of Hanuman’s origin.

“Ravi, do you know the wind you feel that cools you off on a hot day? That wind is the god Vayu. Vayu is Hanuman’s father, and his mother is the most beautiful monkey woman on all of earth Anjana. Anjana was already married, so she had to keep Hanuman a secret so she left him alone in a cave. All alone in the cave Hanuman began to grow hungry and started looking for something to eat. He gazed into the sky and saw a beautiful orange shape. ‘It must be a mango’ Hanuman thought, so he jumped towards it.”

“Daddy no, it’s the sun not a mango! Hanuman can’t get hurt!” Ravi exclaimed

“Don’t worry son he’ll be safe,” Nihal continued, “Vayu his father cooled Hanuman to keep him from getting burned up as he approached the sun! The Asura Rahu was approaching the sun to eat it causing a solar eclipse, and Hanuman accidently kicked him in the eye. Rahu fled to Indra, complaining that another Rahu was attempting to swallow the sun, so Indra got aboard his elephant Airavata and came to investigate. As Rahu approached Hanuman saw his large round form and once more attacked Rahu this time thinking he was a mango! Rahu yelled in pain and Indra shouted ‘Stop this at once!’ The noise of Indra’s shout diverted Hanuman’s attention and he caught sight of Airivata. ‘The biggest mango of all!’ thought Hanuman as he lept towards Airivata.

Ravi was laughing hysterically at the thought of Hanuman trying to eat so many things because he thought they were mangos. “Daddy, Hanuman is so silly,” Ravi said holding back his laughter. “What happens next? Indra doesn’t hurt Hanuman does he?”

Nihal chuckled at his sons amusement and continued the story, “Indra cast Hanuman down to earth with great force. Hanuman was hurt badly in the fall, and his father Vayu saw it all take place. The wind left the earth as Vayu went to the aid of his son Hanuman. The entire earth was without wind. Men grew restless, and climates changed in unnatural ways. The earth was out of balance with out Vayu flowing through the lands. Brahma came pleading for him to return to earth, and as a sign of goodwill he granted Hanuman invincibility. Still Vayu was not pleased. Something was still wrong with Hanuman, but now one could figure it out.”

“He still hasn’t eaten! He is hungry daddy, they need to feed him,” Ravi interrupted.

“Exactly! Too bad you weren’t there to help the gods figure that out Ravi,” Nihal said as he patted Ravi on the head. “Soon though Surya, the sun, realized the problem and brought three mangos to Hanuman. This pleased Vayu greatly and he returned to the earth. Wind flowed once more through the earth, rushing around bringing balance at last to the wilderness and peace to men. The next morning Hanuman awoke and are his mangos and Vayu carried him away.”

Nihal paused briefly noticing silence from Ravi he said “I will tell you more of this incredible story tomorrow son. Sleep tight, and have wonderful dreams of Hanuman. I love you.” He kissed his son and went of to his room to sleep.

Author’s Note:
I really enjoy the idea of writing a tale as a bedtime story. Putting a child to bed is the ideal situation to tell a wonderful imaginative story! It gives them entertainment, helps put them to sleep and maybe even gives them some really neat dreams! I thought that Hanuman would be the perfect story to tell to a child monkey. Just like a young boy wishes he could be superman, a young monkey must wish he could be Hanuman! With such incredible strength and the inability to be killed the young monkey’s look at him with adoration. The father Nihal used this opportunity to draw Ravi home. I know I’ve done similar things to get little boys to go to sleep! Simply asking them if they want to grow to be big and strong and telling them they need lots of rest will work! I used that in my story to show how much Ravi admired Hanuman. It was fun writing like a father telling the story to his child, and I barely changed any of the original story. I simplified some details and left out some more “violent” wording since it was a story being told to a child, but overall the story remained unchanged.

Bibliography:

1) Buck, William (1976). Ramayana: King Rama's Way.

Week 4 Storytelling: Ravana's Prayer

Week 4 Storytelling: Ravana's Prayer

I am Ravana, the son of the great sage Vishrava and the rakshasa Kaikasi. Because of my father I should be of great power on earth, yet I have nothing. I am hideous. People look at me in fear, and cower away when I draw near. I desire wealth and a kingdom. I wish to be respected and loved. I have been on this earth a short time, but I have seen what it means to be respected and loved. I have seen the happiness that comes from such wealth and respect. I saw my brother Vaishravana, the The Treasure Lord, and was envious of his brilliance. His wealth was incredible. He possesses vast amounts of treasure, the beautiful kingdom of Lanka, and the respect of all those that inhabit it. Even a hideous demon such as myself would find happiness with such great wealth. My ten heads would finally smile in unison. My brother Vibhishana witnessed Vaishravana as well, and desires the same as myself. We will find a way to achieve such great wealth.

Ravana and Vibhishana

Who could grant such a wish, but Brahma himself? The same god who brought wealth up Vaishravana, and whom my father Vishrava worships will certainly bless me if I devote my life to him. I wish to no longer be of this hideous form, and I desire a means of acquiring great wealth and respect. If I cannot have these things my life is not worth living. I will devote my days to meditation and prayer over Brahma and every thousand years I will offer one of my heads as sacrifice. If I must endure ten thousand years without what I wish my life is not worth living. I will certainly remove my final head thus ending my life. One thousand years has passed. My prayers to Brahma have been unceasing, yet I have not yet seen the lord of creation. Does he not care for my desires? Does he not see Vibhishana and I suffering? His creations live a meaningless existence, yet he does not intercede. I will continue to pray, with great hopes that an answer will come. Even if I wait nine thousand years it will not be in vain, for I will finally die in peace knowing I would never have achieved such great wealth. It has now been five thousand years with no answer. The pain of removing my head for sacrifice is nothing compared to the pain I feel living my worthless life. Brahma, please I beg you to come and bring an end to this suffering! Give me the wealth I desire, or a means to acquire it! My brothers and I are suffering, and I have sacrificed so much! Why will you not answer Brahma? Nine thousand years have passed. I have but one head remaining, and am weak from such great sacrifice. Brahma has surely noticed my devotion, yet he does nothing. I vow that if I am given the chance to receive a blessing from Brahma I will choose something that will cause pain to all his creation and give me the wealth I desire. The lack of response from Brahma has driven my heart to great bitterness against him an all his creation. His lack of attention to the Rakshasa will be paid for if he ever answers my prayers. Neither gods nor demons will harm me, and I will take all I desire by force. I will ravage all the land, killing any of Brahmas creation that seeks to stop me. My life will end in one thousand years, but I will continue praying in hopes that I can seek revenge against Brahma and his disregard of my brothers and I.

Ravana sacrificing a head

It is time. Ten thousand years have passed and I must end my life. My hope is gone, but the bitterness remains. As I hold this knife to my neck I do not regret devoting these ten thousand years to Brahma. My life was not worth living in its current state, and without the hope of something more I would surely have ended my own life. Now that hope is gone and it is time to end my life… Now he has arrived! Brahma is here at last! As a started to remove my final head he arrived yelling “STOP”. As I contemplate the boon I should request the bitterness in my heart remains. How can I achieve what I desire, and still destroy the creation that Brahma finds so dear with out fear of death?

Author’s Note:

I chose to write the story from Ravana’s point of view in order to convey his thoughts and emotions. Although Ravana is obviously evil, it is clear that he has some humanity to him, and experiences emotions similar to a human. Narayan’s Ramayana didn’t go into the character of Ravana much, but he did fall in love with Sita, and showed obvious signs of love and desire. There were also subtle hints that he cared for his family, and the Rakshasas. Reading Buck’s Ramayana made me see that not all Rakshasa are inherently evil, and therefore I found it hard to believe that Ravana started out evil. Although his appearance was fearful he very well could have had a kind heart. It’s likely that he was driven to evil through greed and desire for wealth and glory. Brahma was the lord of creation, yet he made Ravana born as a hideous creature with nothing to his name. It also seemed like the gods had it out to get the Rakshasa considering that Indra killed a great deal of them and cast them out of Lanka. It seemed like Brahma had neglected Ravana and the Rakshasa altogether. This seemed like this could be a cause for he grew bitter and desired to cause pain to Brahma and still obtain the great wealth he desired.


Bibliography:

1) Buck, William (1976). Ramayana: King Rama's Way.

Week 3 Storytelling: Hanuman’s Plan

Week 3 Storytelling: Hanuman’s Plan

There she is. I have finally found Sita, but she is unkempt, undecorated and obviously in a state of despair. As I looked on I watched the vile rakshasa women torment her and attempt to weaken her spirit, but to no avail. Ravana approached Sita hoping she would finally choose him, but she rejected him. I know now that this woman is worthy of Rama, and does not deserve the treatment she has received from Ravana and the rakshasa. They will pay for this. I slipped down to let her know that Rama continues to fight for her, and I believe I saved her life as she attempted to take it herself. I cannot believe the mental torment Ravana has brought upon this precious woman! He must pay!

            In my rage I find myself desiring to destroy the kingdom of Ravana. Perhaps I can devise a plan to stir up strife within his kingdom. As I grow to a massive stature I am tearing through the Asoka Vana and destroying parts of Lanka. Ravana has sent an army of rakshasa against me, but they are nothing for my enormous strength. I feel as if I could take on Ravana himself! One by one the rakshasa attack, and one by one they fall before me. As they attempt to take me down I find myself wishing I could come face to face with Ravana himself, and then it dawned on me, “I need to allow them to capture me!” I had already destroyed the entire army, but knowing Ravana he would send more. I continued my destruction of Lanka, but began decreasing in size and strength to allow for my capture.

Hanuman destroying Lanka

            At last, more rakshasa have come for me. None other than Indrajit, Ravana’s son, bound and captured me (only because I allowed him to do so). I cannot wait to come face to face with Ravana and cause him to fear Rama. “I hope you know that Ravana will bring your life to a very painful end you foolish monkey,” Indrajit said as we marched towards Ravana’s palace. “I do not fear what he will do to me, rather I fear what Rama will do to all of your kind!” I shouted back at him as we climbed the last steps towards the palace.

Hanuman being held captive

            There he sat atop the throne. Ravana. The vile demon that had cause so much pain to my dear friend Rama. It took all my focus not to allow myself to lash out at Ravana on the spot. Rama deserved to put an end to him, and I would not allow myself to rob him of that. Visibly angry Ravana looked towards me and attempted to calmly speak “Who is it that sent you to torment this land? I replied, “the almighty Rama. The one who has slain hundreds of asura, the husband of Sita whom you wrongly kidnapped, and the man who will put an end to your life!” As I saw Ravana twitch I felt a slight sense of guilt. “Perhaps you should change your ways in order to preserve your life and the lives of all the rakshasa! Surely Rama will wipe you all out if you do not return Sita and seek forgiveness for your actions.” Ravana could no longer contain himself. He erupted with a violent anger, “NO MORTAL CAN DEFEAT ME!” he shouted, and then ordered my death.

            As Indrajit and the other rakshasa drew their weapons to execute me I decided to remove myself from their capture and report back to Rama. There was obviously no reasoning with Ravana, and Sita would only be saved if he were slain. With all my might I shredded the ropes that bound me and grew once more to a size that would strike fear in the heart of any who saw me. In my anger towards Ravana I decided to reduce his capital to rubble as I returned to Rama. No building shall be left standing in that vile creatures land. He will be the ruler of nothing before long, and the rakshasa will have nothing to return to. I must report to Rama all that has happened.

Authors note:

I decided to write this storytelling post from the point of view of Hanuman since he was the main character in this section of the story. He alone goes to Ravana’s lands in search of Sita. Only Hanuman and the rakshasa witnessed all the events that happened in Ravana’s kingdom. I thought it interesting to delve into the mind of Hanuman. I was able to show his devotion towards Rama, his thought process as he allowed himself to be captured, and his anger towards Ravana when he couldn’t be reasoned with!

Bibliography:

Narayan, R.K. (1972) The Ramayana.

Week 2 Storytelling: The Transformation of Maricha

Week Two Storytelling: The Transformation of Maricha

Journal entry one:

It has been two days since that fool Rama and his brother Lakshmana have slain my mother Thataka. Subahu and I broke down weeping after hearing the terrible news. and have since been plotting our revenge against humankind. It is said that Rama shielded my mothers attacks with his arrows and pierced her throat killing her with a single shot. No mortal could perform such a deed, so it must not be true. Perhaps he had an army at his side, but Rama couldn’t have slain Thataka alone. Rama will suffer for what he has done. He will die a violent death and many humans will die for his transgressions.

Journal entry two:

Subahu has gotten word that the human Viswamithra will be performing a yagna at Sidhasrama. Rama and Lakshmana will be there as well. We must fight against them and stop this sacred ritual. These wretched humans should be unable to please the gods. I will talk to Subahu and the other asura and assemble an army to oppose the human. We will not only stop the yagna, but destroy every human present.

Journal entry three:

The yagna at Sidhasrama is tomorrow. The asura have made all the necessary preparations and are well equipped to defeat the humans. No matter how great their forces we will prevail and crush them all. Even if this Rama is as powerful as was told we will destroy him with our numbers.

Journal entry four:

It’s been several days since the yagna at Sidhasrama. I was humiliated. Defeat was unexpected to say the least. Subahu and I targeted Rama with all our might, and he launched me far out into the sea with a single arrow. As I flew through the air I watch Rama slay the asura with ease, beheading each one with a single arrow. Even my beloved brother Subahu was slain. Surely this man is not a mere human. He possesses a strength that no mortal could ever attain, and looks as though he is Vishnu himself. Surely the gods have blessed him and no asura could ever prevail against him. To avoid my untimely end I will devote my life to meditation and a life of peace. I was spared for a reason, and I must meditate and pray to the gods. I will dwell in a cave as an ascetic for the rest of my days.

Maricha witnessing Subahu's death

Journal entry five:

I have found peace. I have forgiven Rama for his transgressions for I now realize that violence will never solve any conflict. In fact this conflict is rooted in the violence of the rakshasas and their destruction of humankind. Rama is their protector and is only standing up for the human race. Perhaps the rakshasa are better off dead. Perhaps then the world will be at peace.

Journal entry six:

My nephew came to me today. The supreme ruler Ravana. He longs for a woman named Sita. This lust will be the end of the rakshasa. Perhaps for the better. He mentioned a name that brought a great terror into my heart that I thought I had long cast away. Rama. Nothing good will come of this, but there will never be peace until either all the humans are slain or all the rakshasa. Whenever both exist there will be an eternal conflict. Rama is their saviour. Assisting Ravana will certainly be the end of me, but I would rather die than live to see the conflict of this world continue. Living in peace has shown me that as long as the rakshasa devour and destroy there will never be peace. As long as we exist the humans will always live in fear and seek to eliminate us. Maybe helping Ravana will unleash a chain of events that will lead Rama to exterminate all the rakshasa once and for. I will help Ravana. Not for his sake, but for the goal of peace in this world. Though it will take violence to achieve it, the result will be harmony on the earth.

Author’s Note:

I chose to write this story as a journal entry because it is the best way to peek into Maricha’s mind. I was able to convey separate events in a very distinct manner by using individual entries. Using a journal is also an effective way of seeing the innermost thoughts and emotions of Maricha as problems unfold around him. With this story I wanted to show Maricha’s violent thought process and how it evolved over time through fear of Rama as well as a desire for peace seeing the horrors that violence causes. He originally starts off infuriated with the murder of his mother, and gradually grows fearful of Rama’s power. It’s incredibly effective to show this anger and fear through a first person perspective. This allowed me to add in details and thoughts that amplify how I believe Maricha felt. I didn’t make any changes to the original events from the story, but I created all the thoughts of Maricha from thinking about how a violent demon would react to Rama’s actions. I focused mainly on the major events from the Ramayana to show how greatly each impacted Maricha emotionally. Keep in mind that, this is just my interpretation of how Maricha felt. He very way could have turned to peace completely out of fear, rather than out of a hatred towards violence.

Bibliography:

Narayan, R.K. (1972) The Ramayana.

Week One Storytelling: He Caught Fishes in Other Men's Ditches

He Caught Fishes in Other Men's Ditches

The once was a little man named Tommy Tittlemouse. He moved into a small home in a rural area one summer. The move was quick and subtle. None of the neighbors saw anyone or anything go in or out of the house except for Tommy. All of Tommy's neighbors thought he was exceptionally strange, and it was assumed that Tommy lived alone in his small home. Tommy didn't reach out to his neighbors when he arrived in the area, so they assumed he wanted to be left alone.  Each day he would wake up at exactly 6 a.m., walk onto a neighbor's property (uninvited) and begin fishing in a large ditch until sunset. Each day of the week Tommy would rotate between three of his neighbors, but he followed a strict pattern. Monday and Tuesday he walked east one mile to the property of Frank Wellington, Wednesday and Thursday he walked one mile west to the property of Elijah Smithson and Friday he walked six miles north to the property of Gerald Barnsworth. The three men all knew that Tommy came to their property but could do nothing about it because they had to work, so instead they avoided him altogether. The men began growing suspicious of Tommy after several months of him trespassing on their property. They began planning to find out what exactly he was doing. The men kenw that Tommy was not catching substantial amounts of fish in their ditches, but they did not like Tommy constantly coming onto their property uninvited. One day the three men got together and decided to see what Tommy was up to. Frank, Elijah, and Gerald took a day off work and went to “fish” with Tommy on Geralds property. When they approached the ditch Tommy began to hurriedly pack his things and took off towards his home. The men pursued Tommy and arrived at his small house. “Surely he wants to meet his neighbors. Let’s invite ourselves in just as he has done with our property!” Gerald said. The other two men agreed and they began to open the door to Tommy’s home. As soon as the door was cracked they smelled a wonderful aroma and grew very hungry. They saw a large pot of fish soup cooking over a stove and Tommy tending to a sickly woman on the other side of the tiny home. The three men knew immediately that Tommy had been fishing to provide warm soup for his sick wife and approached him with great sympathy. They learned that Tommy had lost his job and had to move to a small home in a rural area just to put a roof over his wifes head. He was too embarrassed to reveal his situation to anyone so he avoided the neighbors and instead fished in order to feed his wife since he couldn’t find a job. He revealed that if he was lucky he would catch a fish every two days and that food was scarce. He ate only one meal each week just so his wife could eat every day. The three men were grief stricken after hearing such a sad story and devised a plan. Each night the men go out and secretly release live fish into their ditches so that Tommy will catch several each day. They even mix up the types of fish so Tommy has a little variety! Now he and his wife now eat a full three meals each day, and Tommy is still seen catching fishes in the other men’s ditches.

Tommy fishing in a ditch

Author's Note. This story is based on the nursery rhyme "He caught fishes in other men's ditches". You can find the rhyme in The Nursery Rhyme Book, edited by Andrew Lang (1897), as well as quoted below:

LITTLE Tommy Tittlemouse

Lived in a little house;

He caught fishes

In other men's ditches.

As you can see, the rhyme simply states that Tommy Tittlemouse lives in a small house and catches fish in other men's ditches. I wanted to expand a little on that and express why he lives in a small house, who these other men are and why Tommy fishes in their ditches! There was a lot of room to make up a cool story, which is why I chose this nursery rhyme.