108 SRI RAMA. 



monkey tribes, the subjects of the monkey-prince, Sri Rama's 

 own son. Following the sounds, they reached an extensive 

 plain, where they found the monkey hosts assembled. The 

 throng parted right and left to let the two brothers pass 

 through, and they made their way to a large beringin tree, 

 where they found the monkey-prince seated in state. The 

 latter rose and received them with the utmost respect, and 

 asked what had brought them to that remote spot. The un- 

 fortunate Sri Rama was quite unable to reply, but Raja 

 Laksamaua explained the situation shortly, and stated their 

 desire to ascend Mount Inggil-ber-inggil in order to fix from 

 its summit the exact whereabouts of Kachapuri, which tradi- 

 tion said could be seen thence, looking no larger than a dove's 

 nest. The monkey-prince assured them that he could do all 

 that was necessary, and Sri Rama then found his voice and 

 addressed his son promising him anything that he might wish 

 for, if he could only accomplish the deliverance of the Princess. 

 The monkey said that the wish of his heart was to be per- 

 mitted, just for once, to eat a meal with his father off the 

 same leaf and to sleep for once in his arms. This demand 

 Sri Rama at once agreed to, promising further to acknow- 

 ledge the monkey as his son and to take him back to his 

 kingdom if he succeeded in releasing his mother by fair and 

 open means without descending to the fraud practised by 

 Maharaja Duwana. The monkey was accordingly admitted 

 to a share of Sri Rama's dinner and bed and his monkeyish 

 misbehaviour is described. The King having kept his part 

 of the bargain, called for the performance of his son's under- 

 taking. The latter alleged a difficulty in finding a place to 

 take off from in making a leap over to Kachapuri. Sri Rama 

 suggested the large tualang tree which it had taken him seven 

 days to walk round and the branches of which reached to the 

 clouds. The monkey declared that it would not bear him, 

 but at his father's request he tried and, as he foretold, the 

 tree sunk beneath him and came down with a crash. Sri 

 Rama next suggested a plain called Kerushik, but three 

 attempts on the part of the monkey only resulted in such a 

 disturbance of the surface of the plain that showers of sand 



