guard over his wife during his absence.  Lured farther and farther away from home, Rama finally brings down his quarry, which, in falling, calls for help in a voice so exactly like his own that his brother, hearing the despairing accent, is torn between the desire to rush to his rescue and the necessity of remaining to protect Sita.  But the little wife, sure her husband is in danger, so vehemently urges her brother-in-law to leave her that he finally dashes off.  A moment later Sita sees an old hermit draw near to ask alms.  While she is entertaining this holy guest, he frightens her by suddenly announcing that he is Ravana, king of the demons.  As Sita resists all his advances, Ravana, suddenly resuming his wonted shape, snatches her up in his arms and whisks her off in his flying chariot.  Notwithstanding the rapidity of his course, the king of the vultures, seeing them dart through the air and hoping to rescue the frantic Sita, attacks Ravana, only to fall mortally wounded to earth.  Because Sita—­the personification of vegetation—­has now been abducted by the demon,—­who typifies winter,—­the whole earth shows signs of mourning, and the two brothers hurry back to the hut, their hearts filled with nameless apprehensions.

  Like streamlet in the winter frost,
  The glory of her lilies lost. 
  With leafy tears the sad trees wept
  As a wild wind their branches swept. 
  Mourned bird and deer; and every flower
  Drooped fainting round the lovely bower. 
  The sylvan deities had fled
  The spot where all the light was dead.

Reaching their hermitage and finding their worst fears justified, both brothers set out in quest of Sita, and soon come across the dying vulture, who reports what he has seen, and bids them, after burning his body, find the monkey king, Sugriva, who will aid them.  After piously fulfilling the brave vulture’s last wishes, Rama and his brother visit the monkey monarch, who reports that, as the demon flew over his head, Sita flung down a few of her ornaments, begging that they be taken to Rama.  An alliance is now concluded between Rama and Sugriva, and, as each party pledges himself to help the other, Rama begins by slaying the brother and chief foe of the monkey king, who in his turn undertakes to trace Sita.

To discover where she may be, Hanuman, the monkey general, sets out, and, following Sita’s traces, discovers she has been carried to Ceylon.  But, on arriving at the southern point of the Indian peninsula and finding some two hundred miles of water between him and this island, Hanuman, son of the god of the winds, transforms himself into a huge ape, and in that shape takes a flying leap from the top of Mount Mandara (the fabled centre of the earth) to the top of Mount Sabula, which overlooks the capital of Ceylon.  Then, reconnoitring from this point, the monkey general perceives that Ravana’s palace is so closely guarded that he can only steal into it in the guise of a cat.  Prowling through the royal premises, he searches for Sita until he finally discovers her in a secluded garden, bitterly mourning for her spouse.