Week 3 Storytelling: Two Brothers' Last Adventure

Sun Source

Many years ago there were two eagles who were brothers. They spent all of their time laughing and playing together. They especially enjoyed when they would go for journeys over new lands. The day came when they had explored the whole earth. 

“I want a new adventure, but there’s nowhere else to go,” the younger brother said. 

“Sure there is! We just need to look harder!” the elder said. 

The boys looked all over below them, but already knew the whole terrain. The younger started doing flips in the air out of boredom. He noticed the clouds above them. “Despite spending so much time up here we’ve never explored the clouds or what’s beyond them,” he mused aloud. 

“What a great idea!” his brother replied. “I’m sure the kingdoms of the sky are much more magnificent than those on the ground. Only the gods can reach them!”

The brothers flew up and through the clouds. “We are so close to the heavens! Why don’t we just fly up there?” the elder suggested. 

They soared and played, tumbling through the sky. They climbed higher and higher, not noticing just how close to heaven they were getting. While the brothers didn’t notice how high they were getting, the sun god did. “What are you two doing up here? You don’t belong here! Go back down below the clouds where you belong!” he thundered. 

“We just wish to glimpse heaven,” the younger said. 

“Just one peek! Then we’ll leave!” the elder begged, still flying higher. 

“ENOUGH!” The sun god was furious. He sent a burst of sun down towards the eagles, but it only struck the elder, as the younger was flying through his shadow at just that moment. 

The older brother fell all the way back to earth, his brother closely following his tail. The scorched bird crashed to the ground. His skin was burnt to a crisp. All of his feathers had been singed off. 

“Brother! Are you alive? How badly are you hurt? Please speak to me!” The younger was at his elder’s side, frightened about his safety. 

Before he could answer, the sun god boomed down towards them, “You heap of charred flesh shall stay on that mountain until you are healed! When your brother’s name is uttered in your presence your feathers will return to their previous glory and your flesh will be made healthy, but until then you will stay as you are now! And you, little one! You shall stay away from this mountain until your brother returns to you and you are not allowed to send anyone to speak your name to him!” 

So for the sake of a little adventure, the brothers, who did not respect the gods or their space, would be separated for a very long time, one very injured. 

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Author's Note:  This story was inspired by R. K. Narayan's 1972 telling of the Ramayana. I chose this story because I didn't like how little it was described in the book. It also troubled me that Jatayu never went and found or tried to save Sampathi that we know of. I wanted him to have a reason to not try to help him. There aren't too many stories about respecting others' space; I hope this story kind of teaches that lesson.