Storytelling for Week 6: Everybody Wants to be a Cat

Hanuman finally crossed the ocean and arrived at the city of Lanka. It had been months since Ravana stole Sita, Rama’s wife. Hanuman promised Rama he would find his beautiful wife and return her to him. Rama’s camp had heard she was here but it was up to Hanuman to find where she was being held prisoner. Hanuman was in awe at the beauty of Lanka. The gates shimmered in the moonlight and everything appeared to be made of precious stones.

There were four gates at Lanka facing each cardinal direction. Upon the walls were many rakshasas, demon sentries. The sentries were dispersed throughout the tops of the walls standing watch. Hanuman became as small as a fly and snuck through a crack in the city wall. Searching for Sita in his true form as a monkey would be questionable. Hanuman would be discovered to easily. He then shifted into an unkempt black cat in order to avoid detection. He prowled through the city streets, peering through every household window. He saw many things, none of which helped in his quest for Sita. Lanka appeared strange through his cat eyes. He could see through the night with amazing clarity. What once would have appeared as shadowy silhouettes in the distance was now a clear picture of a rakshasa and a rakshasi making their way home.

Hanuman tried to speak to the couple and ask if they had seen Sita but the only thing that came from his mouth was a low purr. The couple exclaimed and began to pet him. Hanuman was confused and hissed as he ran away. Hanuman was easily distracted in his new form. He was unable to control his urge to pounce as mice scurried past him in the streets. Hanuman discovered a secret underground colony of mice. He was delighted and immediately chased after a small brown mouse that disappeared into a hole in the gutter. Hanuman turned around and saw a grey mouse staring right at him. He took off after the mouse but it was also too fast. Hours passed as Hanuman was playing with the mice. Hanuman finally remembered he had come here on a mission. Hanuman quickly scampered away to continue searching for Rama’s bride.

Hanuman slinked toward Ravana’s palace, ever watchful. The guards paid no heed to the wild black cat entering the gate. Hanuman first saw Ravana’s concubines, littering the floor in one massive empty room. He made his way through these women but none were as beautiful as Sita was said to be. There were leftover salmon crumbs from last night's feast on a great table. Hanuman leapt up onto the table and started licking the fish. Hanuman did not know what had taken over him but knew he must find Sita soon. He heard a beautiful but sad song off in the distance behind the palace. Hanuman followed the music and found the sad and lonely Sita withering under a tree with tears slowly running down her face. He quickly changed back into his monkey form so he could speak again. Hanuman jumped around with joy and raced to tell Sita that he had come to rescue her.

Hanuman allowing himself to be taken before Ravana

Author's Note- A song in the Disney movie The Aristocats inspired the title for my story. I decided to tell the story of Hanuman becoming a cat while he is searching for Sita. I chose this because I found it very humorous in the Ramayana. I wanted to describe how he could see very clearly at night which was an obvious advantage in the search for Sita. I also wanted to illustrate some of his feline urges which I thought were funny in the original story. I liked how they showed Hanuman acting as a cat but I wanted to make it my own in my story. The basic premise is the same, but I altered minor details. I changed the way that Hanuman found Sita in the story. In Buck's version Vayu the Wind Lord helped Hanuman find Sita with his gusts of wind. That eventually led Hanuman to Sita. In the original story Hanuman strikes Lanka before he enters the city. I decided to take out that part and make up a new way for him to enter. I thought that it would just take up unnecessary space in my story. It’s fun and easy for me to write about cats because I can use my experiences as a cat owner to add new details. My own cat likes to jump on the table and eat off my plate, so I wanted to keep that the same. 

Bibliography-Buck, William (1976) "Hanuman's Jump"Ramayana:King Rama's Way 228-241