Week 2 Story: The Monkey Who Gathered Lotuses

There lived a monkey tribe in the Himalayas, and their leader was Devadetta. His consorts were many, but his sons were few, and cursed. None lived to the age of adulthood, and he despaired at finding an heir to his kingdom, a prosperous and wholesome land.

What Devadetta did not know was that among his consorts there hid a Rakshasi, a wily shape-changing spirit who schemed to take over his kingdom, seeding her curses through the land and preventing any other heirs from interfering with her plans.

This Rakshasi waited until she carried the king’s child, then spirited him away to a far forest. She raised him with falsehoods of the king’s depravity and awful deeds. The child grew to hate his unmet father.

When the young monkey reached his coming of age, she rejoiced in his strength and courage.

“See, my son, how valiant and cunning you are,” she told him as they journeyed back to the kingdom of Devadetta.

“Your evil father cannot stand against you.”

When the young monkey was presented to his father, the old man rejoiced and held him close. The Rakshasi became too eager watching them, and forgot herself, losing her shape for an instant.

“What a son I have! Truly there is none so fortunate as I,” spoke the king, but inwardly he lamented and knew his good fortune could not hold. He observed how the boy fought his embrace and saw the malice in his son’s eyes. He had also seen the flaming eyes appear in the face of his old consort, and knew then what cursed his lands.

“My son, do an old man this small favor: Go to the lake and find the flowers which grow upon the water. Bring them back to me that we may adorn you properly for your coronation,” said the king.

The young monkey was confused, having been prepared for a violent confrontation. But his mother nodded and he left the hall, making his way down the mountain to the lake. 

Passing through the trees, he the voices of all the other monkeys speaking in awe of him and his father.

“A strong son! Such a wonderful prince!”

“…I heard that the king was crying tears of joy …”

The kingdom astonished him; prosperity was evident. The inhabitants of the trees were cheerful and kindly. What a contrast to the bleak and starved nation recounted to him by his mother! Such thoughts he mused on as he arrived at the shore of the lake.

He gazed over the water, and saw an abundance of lily and lotus. The scent was divine. Footprints led to the water in many places, but he saw that none reappeared leading back up the path, and this troubled him. As he stared, a slight breeze touched him and he looked up to see his mother staring at him. Her eyes and fur had become red.

“This is a trap, my son. You must not enter the water, else the ogre dwelling beneath will swallow you up. This is the king’s killing ground. You are his enemy. Forget the flowers, my son, do not touch them. Kill the ogre, and prove yourself a warrior to the people of this land. Lure him out of the water and kill him! Kill him!” Then she was gone.

He examined the branches which hung over the water, and found a few vines which he knotted together from a sturdy tree limb. He swung over the water and collected a white lotus flower, then repeated his swing. Bracing for the next jump, a pair of eyes larger than his head broke the water’s surface, and a booming voice hailed him.

“That is my garden.

I work very hard on it, and it has the best fertilizer, monkeys. You knew that, I see, from the footprints along the bank.”

The prince said nothing, tightening his grasp on the flowers.

“Your valor is impressive, and how delightful to see a monkey flying overhead. I saw the red demon also, and something of her in you. It has been many years since her curses have befouled my garden, causing my blooms to wither and rot. Her kind cannot smell the flowers truly, but perceive instead a rank and vexing odor. I have no love for her kind.”

The prince realized the ogre was speaking of his mother, and knew then he was raised in deception. He could not speak, and a lily fell from his hand as he slumped to the ground. The ogre picked up the lily.

“It would seem the flowers do not trouble you. Take heart in that. You have met the king of this land. Is he not a good and wholesome ruler? Are you not his son? Such valor, such resource, and what dexterity you have. Listen well.”

The prince returned with the ogre to the hall, who carried flowers of every shape and size. As they entered the hall, the Rakshasi glowered fiery red at her son. The scent of lotus and lily carried throughout the hall. The Rakshasi flew higher and higher to escape the flowers, but could not. Hitting the roof of the room, she burst into seven pieces which showered down upon the king. He felt the curses lifting off his land. His heart filled with joy and he knew his kingdom was safe in the hands of his son.

Image Information: Monkey Says Hello

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

Author's Note
The original story was about a young and clever monkey who confronted his father, a despot reigning over a tribe of monkeys who neutered all his sons so he could never be replaced. His mother hid her son and raised him in solitude, only bringing him back for a confrontation after he was strong enough to stand up to the evil king Devadatta. I took some liberties with this, and exchanged villains. The mother is portrayed as a Rakshasi who tries to use her son to take over the kingdom of a peaceful ruler, and the ogre is a gardener who uses monkeys for fertilizer.

Bibliography
 "The Monkey Who Gathered Lotuses" from The Jakata, Volume I by Richard Chambers