The Eyes of the Forest

There was once a young man named Jeevadatta. He lived alone in a small forest patch outside the city of Kusala, and he had a daughter whose mother had died whilst she was small.

"Daughter Shwetha, I look after you like a child. So in case of danger, you should only think about your own safety," Jeevadatta used to give his daughter frequent advice.

She was growing up day by day and one day, while Jeevadatta was looking for fruit in the forest, milk from a tree fell into his eyes and he became blind and Shwetha had to take care of him.

"Father, I am now a big child. You stay in the cave and I will bring you something to eat."

Saying this, she set out with her friend, the monkey Kansapa.

"Why are you going so fast and confusing me?"

"Because of the speed, we can't attack anyone."

At that time, a prince of the royal family named Raghuvan, who was hunting, saw the beautiful woman and left his hunting to the side and came to the country without being seen by them.

"Antula, who is this woman? I want to get her."

The entourage minister named Antula looked at her.

"This is the daughter of that blind Thausa. But you can't have her without Thausa's consent, you must say."

"What kind of story is that? She doesn't have much freedom."

However, Raghuvan kept an eye on her and one day he came to her residence. Hearing his footsteps, Jeevadatta came waving his sword.

"Who is this and why have you come?"

"My name is Raghuvan. I want to marry your daughter."

She looked at the evil-looking prince outside the house.

"Oh, then there are a few things to do."

Seeing the danger that had come to his house, Jeevadatta gave him a note with the duties to be assigned.

"Oh, these are some easy tasks."

Then Raghuvan did all those things, but the last task was to fall on the horse that had come from a tree.

'' Okay, I'm ready''

So Jeevadatta decided to finish off the dangerous man at this last opportunity. The monkeys in the house spoke in that language.

Then Raghuvan came quickly from between two trees and prepared to fall on the horse, and at once the monkeys threw a large spear into the air and watched it hit its target.

After a while, Raghuvan's neck broke and his head fell on a rock, and at once Shwetha sat down next to his head.

"No matter how glorious you are, you have not learned the language of talking to monkeys, this is what happened. It was these monkeys who said that you would cause danger."

Then the monkeys came and gathered around her, shouting. Raghuvan's eyes closed forever.