Naang Benyakai Transforms Herself
Naang Benyakai transforms herself into Sida’s dead body, floating upstream
Tosakan devised a plan to trick Phra Ram into withdrawing his army by having Naang Benyakai, Piphek’s daughter, transform herself into Naang Sida’s body floating to Phra Ram’s camp. Out of fear, Naang Benyakai obeyed Tosakan’s order, and went to see Naang Sida in order to examine her carefully from head to toe. Transformed into Naang Sida, Naang Benyakai went to see Tosakan.
He mistook her for Naang Sida and lifted her onto his lap. Naang Benyakai slid off his lap and changed back to her own form, before leaving him.
Phra Ram went down to the river to bathe and saw Naang Sida’s body floating by. He summoned Phra Lak. Both of them were so overcome with grief that they passed out. The whole monkey army also began crying. When Phra Ram and Phra Lak revived, Hanuman told them that he did not believe the body was Naang Sida, but rather a demon in disguise. A human body would have rotted and would not float upstream from Lanka to this encampment. He asked for permission to have the body burned, and Phra Ram agreed.
Naang Benyakai could not withstand the heat, so she turned back into a demon and flew away. Hanuman chased and caught her. He then tortured her to make her confess the whole ploy. Sukhreep asked Piphek to pass judgment on his daughter. Even though he loved her dearly, Piphek said that she should be beheaded and her head put on a spike as warning. Phra Ram saw that Piphek was very honest, and hence bestowed his mercy. Phra Ram released Naang Benyakai and instructed Hanuman to take her back to Lanka.
Hanuman lifted up Naang Benyakai and flew off with her, all the while courting her until she consented to be his wife. Later she gave birth to a son who was half demon and half monkey named Asuraphat.
Phra Ram is crying over Naang Sida’s body, which is really Naang Benyakai in disguise.