Jatayu was a really interesting character. We, that is Ram, Lakshman, Jatayu and I roamed around the festival market, talking and checking out the wares on display. Jatayu had removed his wings and feathers but had kept the face paint. "To honor the festival," he explained. He was a very good story-teller. He entertained us all the while telling us stories about his people.
We asked him where he had come from. He was a forest-dweller. His tribe lived in the forest to the west of Ayodhya. They spent the day gathering berries from the forest and hunting. Sometimes they got good game, deer, or rabbits, or forest goats and sometimes they had to satisfy themselves with squirrels and berries. The forest had several streams flowing through it. Once they had gathered sufficient food for the day, they grouped around one of the streams and lay down. The cooking duty rotated everyday, so everyone could enjoy the serenity of the forest.
"You haven't lived life till you have lain down on the forest floor, beside a cool stream, listening to the sounds of the water and the birds and the air whooshing through the trees, watching the light filter through the leaves," he said.
We contemplated the scene in silence.
"Maybe we'll visit you someday," Lakshman said.
"Maybe you will," Jatayu smiled,"If I am around at that time, I will personally show you all my favourite spots. We'll hunt and I will cook for you. I am a very good cook, by the way."
"Don't make the offer," Ram said,"Lakshman will hold you to it."
Jatayu laughed.
We had dinner together in the palace. After Jatayu had left, the three of us spent half the night discussing what the challenge for the next day's archery contest was going to be. The likeliest candidate was a blindfold contest.
The challenge defied all our conjectures. Overnight, a new arena had been created for the final contest. I guess that the judges thought we were getting too simplistic tasks. So, for this task a circular area had been cleared. A bell was hung in the center of the arena, at about twice Ram's height. We had to ring the bell with our arrow, and at the same time ensure that our opponents were not able to ring it before we did. There were walls constructed at regular intervals, around the bell. The contestants could use them for protection. Since the judges could not find suitable targets for our skills, they made us target one another.
We loaded our bows and the contest started. Ram was the first to aim at the bell. I shot his arrow out of the air. Next I sent an arrow flying towards the bell. A counter-arrow from Ram broke its shaft. I aimed at Ram. He looked surprised. I guess he wasn't sure if I would have the heart to hurt him. He jumped sideways and hid behind a wall.
I shot another arrow at the bell. It was deflected by a couple of needles from Jatayu. He sent needles at the bell, but Ram stopped the needles from reaching the bell. Jatayu sent another salvo, but I was ready this time.
All three of us realized simultaneously that while the other two were still in the game we couldn't hope to touch the bell. So we finally directed our attention to one another.
I broke Ram's bow, but he got another. Jatayu aimed at me and I got away only by dropping to the ground and rolling away. Ram sent a volley of arrows at Jatayu's wings. The cloth tore away and finally we could see Jatayu's technique.
He had tied a belt with pockets to his arms and forearms. The needles were kept in these pockets. A small cross-bow was tied to each of his wrists and the trigger was tied to the middle finger of the same hand. He just needed to twitch the finger a little to send the needles flying. Diverting the attention of his opponent with the flowing feathers further helped.
I decided to break Jatayu's cross-bows. My first attempt was in vain. He deflected it easily. My second attempt touched one of the cross-bows, but didn't break it.Meanwhile, Ram had sent another arrow towards the bell. This also Jatayu stopped. This was looking hopeless. At this rate, we would keep going till evening and the last one to drop of exhaustion would win. This called for desperate measures.
I loaded my quiver with arrows. I came out into the open and started raining arrows at the two of them, forcing them behind the walls. Hoping that they were sufficiently distracted, I shot at the bell. They weren't. Ram shot down my arrow with one of his own. He had also come out and was answering me with a rain of his own arrows. Jatayu also got the same idea and came out. Now I was pointing my arrow at Jatayu, Ram was pointing at me and Jatayu was pointing at Ram. It was an impasse.
The was a commotion in the crowd. Suddenly the closing bell sounded, even though it wasn't the end of the day yet. Perhaps the judges had decided to give us another test. Or perhaps all three of us would be declared winners. I was sure we were equal in talent. It would be only by sheer luck that one of us could win.
The crowd parted. The palace security came marching into the arena. They went to Jatayu and told him that he was being arrested.
"Why?!" we exclaimed.
"On charge of murder."
We were stunned. Jatayu just smiled and went with them.
We rushed to the court where Jatayu was being brought before the King. A dead man was lying on the ground. His face was covered with cloth and the rest of his body......the rest of his body was covered with thin, black needles.
We asked him where he had come from. He was a forest-dweller. His tribe lived in the forest to the west of Ayodhya. They spent the day gathering berries from the forest and hunting. Sometimes they got good game, deer, or rabbits, or forest goats and sometimes they had to satisfy themselves with squirrels and berries. The forest had several streams flowing through it. Once they had gathered sufficient food for the day, they grouped around one of the streams and lay down. The cooking duty rotated everyday, so everyone could enjoy the serenity of the forest.
"You haven't lived life till you have lain down on the forest floor, beside a cool stream, listening to the sounds of the water and the birds and the air whooshing through the trees, watching the light filter through the leaves," he said.
We contemplated the scene in silence.
"Maybe we'll visit you someday," Lakshman said.
"Maybe you will," Jatayu smiled,"If I am around at that time, I will personally show you all my favourite spots. We'll hunt and I will cook for you. I am a very good cook, by the way."
"Don't make the offer," Ram said,"Lakshman will hold you to it."
Jatayu laughed.
We had dinner together in the palace. After Jatayu had left, the three of us spent half the night discussing what the challenge for the next day's archery contest was going to be. The likeliest candidate was a blindfold contest.
The challenge defied all our conjectures. Overnight, a new arena had been created for the final contest. I guess that the judges thought we were getting too simplistic tasks. So, for this task a circular area had been cleared. A bell was hung in the center of the arena, at about twice Ram's height. We had to ring the bell with our arrow, and at the same time ensure that our opponents were not able to ring it before we did. There were walls constructed at regular intervals, around the bell. The contestants could use them for protection. Since the judges could not find suitable targets for our skills, they made us target one another.
We loaded our bows and the contest started. Ram was the first to aim at the bell. I shot his arrow out of the air. Next I sent an arrow flying towards the bell. A counter-arrow from Ram broke its shaft. I aimed at Ram. He looked surprised. I guess he wasn't sure if I would have the heart to hurt him. He jumped sideways and hid behind a wall.
I shot another arrow at the bell. It was deflected by a couple of needles from Jatayu. He sent needles at the bell, but Ram stopped the needles from reaching the bell. Jatayu sent another salvo, but I was ready this time.
All three of us realized simultaneously that while the other two were still in the game we couldn't hope to touch the bell. So we finally directed our attention to one another.
I broke Ram's bow, but he got another. Jatayu aimed at me and I got away only by dropping to the ground and rolling away. Ram sent a volley of arrows at Jatayu's wings. The cloth tore away and finally we could see Jatayu's technique.
He had tied a belt with pockets to his arms and forearms. The needles were kept in these pockets. A small cross-bow was tied to each of his wrists and the trigger was tied to the middle finger of the same hand. He just needed to twitch the finger a little to send the needles flying. Diverting the attention of his opponent with the flowing feathers further helped.
I decided to break Jatayu's cross-bows. My first attempt was in vain. He deflected it easily. My second attempt touched one of the cross-bows, but didn't break it.Meanwhile, Ram had sent another arrow towards the bell. This also Jatayu stopped. This was looking hopeless. At this rate, we would keep going till evening and the last one to drop of exhaustion would win. This called for desperate measures.
I loaded my quiver with arrows. I came out into the open and started raining arrows at the two of them, forcing them behind the walls. Hoping that they were sufficiently distracted, I shot at the bell. They weren't. Ram shot down my arrow with one of his own. He had also come out and was answering me with a rain of his own arrows. Jatayu also got the same idea and came out. Now I was pointing my arrow at Jatayu, Ram was pointing at me and Jatayu was pointing at Ram. It was an impasse.
The was a commotion in the crowd. Suddenly the closing bell sounded, even though it wasn't the end of the day yet. Perhaps the judges had decided to give us another test. Or perhaps all three of us would be declared winners. I was sure we were equal in talent. It would be only by sheer luck that one of us could win.
The crowd parted. The palace security came marching into the arena. They went to Jatayu and told him that he was being arrested.
"Why?!" we exclaimed.
"On charge of murder."
We were stunned. Jatayu just smiled and went with them.
We rushed to the court where Jatayu was being brought before the King. A dead man was lying on the ground. His face was covered with cloth and the rest of his body......the rest of his body was covered with thin, black needles.
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