Hanuman Volunteers

Hanuman volunteers to steal the box containing Tosakan’s heart

Tosakan battled Phra Ram and Phra Ram shot him with the Phromat arrow, severing his body and head, but miraculously the body joined with the head once more.

Piphek told Phra Ram that the hermit Khobutra had removed Tosakan’s heart from his body, placed it in a glass box, and hidden it between two rocks which fitted together seamlessly.  Phra Ram instructed Hanuman and Ongkhot to obtain Tosakan’s heart box.  Realizing that this mission had to be done with great care and guile, Hanuman asked Phra Ram to trust him and told him that he would return within seven days.

Hanuman went to see hermit Khobutra and spun him a story about how he and Ongkhot had fallen out with Phra Ram, and hence fled to come to offer their allegiance to Tosakan.  Hanuman also said that Phra Ram had already learned from Piphek that Tosakan had removed his heart, and placed it with hermit Khobutra for safekeeping.  Therefore, hermit Khobutra should take the box along when they went to see Tosakan.  But upon arriving at the city, hermit Khobutra should let Ongkhot stay outside the city with the box because if the heart got too close to Tosakan, it would return to his body.  The hermit agreed to follow Hanuman’s suggestion.  Meanwhile, Hanuman created a fake heart box for Ongkhot, and instructed him to bury the real one on the slopes of Mount Anchan beside the ocean.  Upon seeing Hanuman alone in the sky, Ongkhot should then take the real heart box to Phra Ram.

When Tosakan saw Hanuman arriving with hermit Khobutra, he was angry, but the hermit finally prevailed on Tosakan to accept Hanuman.  Finally Tosakan adopted Hanuman as his son, to replace Intarachit.  He handed over Intarachit’s possessions including Naang Suwankanyuma.

Naang Montho objected to all of this, saying that an enemy could never be sincere.  Keeping him would be like keeping a snake.  There would be no gain but only pain in the future.

Hanuman Volunteers

In the central pavillion, Noong Montho objects to the adoption of Hanuman as her son. (From left to right) Tosakan was angry seeing Hanuman arriving with hermit Khobutra. The hermit convinced Tosakan to accept Hanuman. Naang Montho objected to the acceptance of Hanuman. Tosakan formally adopted Hanuman as one of his sons.

NEXT:  CHAPTER 38  Tosakan takes the form of Phra Indra