136 HUNTING IN THE .ir'NOLE. 



And Sita replied : — 



"I am listening to the breezes 

 J'roni the country of the Sunlight, 

 Bringing words of bitter anguish 

 From my Rama, well-beloved," etc., 



like all the nursery ballads of every people, running on to a 

 great many verses. 



The messenger returned to Rama with the assurance that Sita 

 was waiting patiently for his coming with the friendly apes, to 

 free her from the tyrant Ravana. Then Annouma and his allies 

 raised a mighty army of apes, and began to build a bridge of 

 stone over to Ceylon ; and while his soldiers brought stone, 

 Annouma uprooted trees and carried rocks, " more than the 

 hairs upon his body." Wliile the bridge was building the bears 

 sent a regiment of their best warriors to reinforce their friends 

 the apes, and together they marched across the bridge toward 

 the centre of Ravana's kingdom. 



But he, knowing of their coming, had prepared endless ob- 

 structions and legions of opponents. First they were obliged 

 to conquer thousands of crocodiles from the island marshes; 

 then flooded river-beds and mountain torrents opposed them ; 

 then came fire, — whole forests sacrificed to the flame. But the 

 brave apes and bears were sworn to win or die ; and they con- 

 quered each obstacle in turn, and finally arrived before the castle, 

 wliere they thraslied Ravana in several well-fought battles, in 

 wliich Annouma was always in the thickest of the fight, and 

 drove him into his citadel, — his last resort. The siege lasted 

 ten years, with varying fortune ; and before it was over, all the 

 gods and goddesses had taken sides, — some for Rama and some 

 for Ravana, — and were helping their favorites with every means 



■ 



