A lonely king sat upon his throne. He had been looking for a wife for years to no avail. Most women in his kingdom were, ugly, married, evil, or could not have children. He had unsuccessfully dated in the past and each woman he wanted to marry ended up having flaws that were too big to allow them to become a queen.
This king had prayed and prayed to his god to find a wife who could bare to have his children, a fertile wife. He was getting older and he needed to have a son, someone who could run his kingdom when he passes away.
The king was out on a stroll along the river that ran through his kingdom. He’s grown up by this river, and it gave him peace of mind when he was troubled. This day was special, it was the five year anniversary of his first prayer in hopes of finding a lover. He knelt by his favorite tree and prayed again.
“Oh god, hear me. I am getting old, my time is nearing an end and my life has been spent alone and without a true mate. My expectations are not high, I just want someone to spend my life with, to keep me company.”
His prayer was interrupted by singing, it’s was so beautiful that the king was convinced it had to be a siren. The kings loneliness got the best of him though, and he followed the voice until he saw her, sitting by the riverside.
“Woman, are you a trick? Do you have flaws that do not show on your outer shell? Are you a siren sent to end me? You are too beautiful to be true, would you wed me?”
“I am not any of those things, and yes I will wed you, but you cannot say a word against me or tell me what I can or can’t do or I will leave you in an instant.”
The king agree to her terms and they married happily, it wasn’t until their first son was born that the king saw who she truly was. His wife threw they’re child into the river as soon as she got a chance. The king was heartbroken, but it would be losing his wife he was so happily married to if he spoke against her.
The next 6 children she gave birth to were all thrown into the river. The king couldn’t handle the pain anymore, and when she gave birth to the eighth child, a son, he threw a fit of rage, knowing she would likely throw his last son into the river as well.
“You demon, who are you to kill your own children? Who is this horrible woman I’ve married? Are you sacraficing them to an evil god? Is this your ritual to overthrow me?!”
His wife, no expression on her face, stood up with his son and left,he had broken his promise to her
Image source: Ganga, Bhishma, and Shantanu
Source. Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913).
Authors Note: I wanted to emphasize how loney the Shantanu was so that it made sense he would stay with his child killed Ganga for that long. I feel that in a realistic story he would have left earlier, but by painting him as lonely and wishing for a wife from the gods, I’m sure it paints him as lonely enough to stay with someone who would do that to his children.
This king had prayed and prayed to his god to find a wife who could bare to have his children, a fertile wife. He was getting older and he needed to have a son, someone who could run his kingdom when he passes away.
The king was out on a stroll along the river that ran through his kingdom. He’s grown up by this river, and it gave him peace of mind when he was troubled. This day was special, it was the five year anniversary of his first prayer in hopes of finding a lover. He knelt by his favorite tree and prayed again.
“Oh god, hear me. I am getting old, my time is nearing an end and my life has been spent alone and without a true mate. My expectations are not high, I just want someone to spend my life with, to keep me company.”
His prayer was interrupted by singing, it’s was so beautiful that the king was convinced it had to be a siren. The kings loneliness got the best of him though, and he followed the voice until he saw her, sitting by the riverside.
“Woman, are you a trick? Do you have flaws that do not show on your outer shell? Are you a siren sent to end me? You are too beautiful to be true, would you wed me?”
“I am not any of those things, and yes I will wed you, but you cannot say a word against me or tell me what I can or can’t do or I will leave you in an instant.”
The king agree to her terms and they married happily, it wasn’t until their first son was born that the king saw who she truly was. His wife threw they’re child into the river as soon as she got a chance. The king was heartbroken, but it would be losing his wife he was so happily married to if he spoke against her.
The next 6 children she gave birth to were all thrown into the river. The king couldn’t handle the pain anymore, and when she gave birth to the eighth child, a son, he threw a fit of rage, knowing she would likely throw his last son into the river as well.
“You demon, who are you to kill your own children? Who is this horrible woman I’ve married? Are you sacraficing them to an evil god? Is this your ritual to overthrow me?!”
His wife, no expression on her face, stood up with his son and left,he had broken his promise to her
Image source: Ganga, Bhishma, and Shantanu
_to_his_father,_Santanu..jpg){kind=link}
Source. Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913).
Authors Note: I wanted to emphasize how loney the Shantanu was so that it made sense he would stay with his child killed Ganga for that long. I feel that in a realistic story he would have left earlier, but by painting him as lonely and wishing for a wife from the gods, I’m sure it paints him as lonely enough to stay with someone who would do that to his children.
Callie,
ReplyDeleteI really liked your version of this story. It really allows the audience to see why this man allowed this to happen, and it definitely develops his character a lot more than the original. I thought the introduction was funny, and it definitely got my attention as a reader. In your author's notes, you put "he would stay with his child killed Ganga." Did you mean to put "child killer?" Either way, I thought it was a great story, and it ended up being pretty sad.
Hi Callie,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your version of the story. When I read the original I had the same thoughts as you did. A few notes...
-I think this sentence should use the word bear instead => a wife who could bare to have his children
- "His wife threw they’re child" <= this should be 'their', the possessive form of the word.
- Sacraficing should be sacrificing
Other than those few mistakes, I think that this story is written really well and I am looking forward to reading more of your work.