Week 12 Story: The Little Bird

"I wonder what it would be like to live like them," Sakuntala wondered aloud as she sat on her perch high in the air. Her feathers ruffled with the gust from the wind. She was watching a small village bustle with it's usual evening activities.

Suddenly, a large maple leaf onto her branch. The leaf flipped over and a sparkle caught Sakuntala's eye. A beautiful blue tinted fairy poked out of her leaf. The fairy looked up at Sakuntala's wide bird eyes and shrank back in fear of being eaten. 

"Oh, fairy of the forest! Don't be afraid, I will not eat you," Sakuntala said sweetly. The leaf began to slip off of the branch, but before it could fall to the ground Sakuntala caught it with her beak and placed it against the trunk of the tree, safe. The fairy looked at Sakuntala in wonder.

"Thank you, sweet bird," the fairy said softly, "I'm Menaka. I heard you speaking about the people below. For your kindness, I will grant your heart's desire." And with that, Menaka touched Sakuntala's forehead lightly, and quickly she began to turn into a young human girl. As she turned into her human form, the branch could no longer hold her weight, and she fell into the bushes below. When she woke up, a hermit and his sister had taken her into their hut in the small village. They asked her many questions about who she was and where she came from, but she could not speak well for the first few years of her life. The small village took Sakuntala in as their own and raised her. 

One day in her young adult years, Sakuntala and her friends, Priyambada and Anushua, were sitting in the forest talking and picking flowers. Sakuntala had a way with animals, and when she sang many would come and lay next to her. However, she was not very fond of beetles. One big black beetle landed on her shoulder and she screamed with fear.

Priyambada laughed and said, "You need someone to protect you, Sakuntala, someone like Dushmanta Maharajah!" Anushua laughed with Priyambada, but Sakuntala blushed. The bushes behind the trio rustled, and a young hunter came through them.

He wore beautiful garments with royal symbols, and had an engraved bow with emeralds embedded in it. His eyes locked with Sakuntala's, and for a moment there was a stillness. The hunter regained his thoughts and came toward the young women.

"Excuse me, but I heard my name," he spoke with confidence, "I thought I heard someone scream as well, so I came as soon as I heard to help."

Priyambada looked at him with confusion, "You heard your name? We couldn't have said your name, we don't even know you!" 

He glanced at Priyambada, but couldn't help but keep his gazed upon Sakuntala. 

"My name is Dushmanta Maharajah, king of Hastinagar!" He smiled a bright smile and his eyes twinkled. The girls looked wide eyed with surprise. The king of Hastinagar was standing right in front of them! 

The four began making small talk and just who and why the girl had screamed. Dushmanta swore to protect Sakuntala from any more beetles, and they all laughed as he pulled out his bow and arrows, looking for any beetles that may approach them.
After some time, Priyambada and Anushua left Sakuntala and Dushmanta alone, for they had been looking only at each other since Dushmanta had arrived. 

Dushmanta and Sakuntala talked until sun down, and with each passing moment their love grew even deeper for each other. Dushmanta took Sakuntala's hands and looked her in her dark eyes.

"Sakuntala, allow me to be by your side for the rest of our lives. I will make sure no beetles come near you for the rest of your days, if you will be mine."

Sakuntala blushed deeply and smiled, "I would happily accept, however, you must ask my father first."

Dushmanta agreed immediately, and he stayed in the little village near the forest for the next few days, waiting for his future bride's father. Days went by, and he became loved by everyone in the village, but Sakuntala's father still had not arrived home. With Sakuntala's aunt's permission, Dushmanta and Sakuntala wed with their friends and family as witnesses, minus Sakuntala's father.

A few more days passed, and Sakuntala's father had still not return. 

Dushmanta took Sakuntala by the hand and said, "My dear, I must return to my kingdom. What is a king who does not rule?" 

Sakuntala cried with fear, "What if you forget me? I am just a common village dweller, and you are a noble king, how can you remember someone like me?"

Her future husband took her hand and said softly, "As long as you have my ring, I will never forget you." He placed a golden and emerald band on her left hand's finger, and smiled, "I will send my messengers to escort you back to my kingdom, our kingdom, as soon as I return home."

That night, Dushmanta left the small village, leaving his wife behind. 

Sakuntala's heart beat a little slower, a little sadder.

(Sakuntala and Dushmanta meet for the first time, Wikipedia Commons)

**AUTHORS NOTE***

In this part of the story, it describes Sakuntala's younger years. She grows up with Kanava and his sister Goutami as parent figures in their ashram, which is a small village of religious hermits. Her best friends are like sisters to her, Priyambada and Anushua. Sakuntala's beauty is breathtaking and everyone in the ashram loves her, however she is unconscious of her beauty and grows up very modest and humble. She picked flowers, sung to the animals and also befriended them. One day when Sakuntala and her friends are older, they are sitting in the forest picking flowers and talking when a beetle startles Sakuntala. They all joke and one of her friends says that she should ask Dushmanta Maharajah, the handsome king of Hastinagar and noble knight. He happens to be hunting in the same forest, and hears his name. He follows the voices and approaches Sakuntala and her friends. He is instantly memorized by Sakuntala, but she is incredibly shy and can barely look at him. Her friends leave and Sakuntala and Dushmanta talk alone. He asks her to be his love, but she says she must ask her father. He complies and waits for her father for many days, but he must leave to return to his kingdom, so he marries Sakuntala with her friends and aunt Goutami as witnesses. Sakuntala does not want Dushmanta to leave because she's afraid he will forget her, so he gives her his ring and says that by the time she's done reading the letters, one for each day, his messengers will be back to escort her to the kingdom. He then leaves for Hastinagar, leaving Sakuntala in the ashram.

I think this would be a great story to retell in a very Disney-esque, "The Little Mermaid" type way, so instead of Sakuntala being a mermaid, I changed her into a bird which fit more of the story. When I first read this, that's what immediately came to mind for some reason. I would like to come back and add more detail in their appearances if I decide to put this story into my portfolio!

Bibliography: Sakuntala, by Sunity Devee from "Nine Ideal Indian Women"