Phra Ram Instructs Phra Phrot and Phra Satarut

Phra Ram instructs Phra Phrot and Phra Satarut to capture Phra Mongkut and Phra Lop

Naang Sida asked hermit Wachamaruek to look after her son while she went to bathe at a stream.  A wild monkey warned her not to leave the child alone with the hermit, so she returned to fetch the child.  When the hermit opened his eyes and did not see the child, he was alarmed.  So he drew a picture of the baby on a slate board and was about to give it life.  When Naang Sida returned with her child, the hermit stopped the life-giving ceremony.  Naang Sida asked him to bring the drawing to life anyway, so that her son would have a friend.  The hermit named her son Mongkut and the boy he created Lop.

As Phra Mongkut grew older, the hermit created an arrow for him.  At the age of 14, Phra Mongkut and Phra Lop asked for permission to go into the forest, and tried the arrow by shooting at Phaya Rang tree, breaking it up and causing a very loud and reverberating noise which reached as far as Nopburi and Kaiyaket.  Alarmed by such a big noise, Phaya Anuchit, Phra Phrot and Phra Satarut rushed to see Phra Ram.

Phra Ram released his horse Uppakarn, to which was attached an announcement that whosoever rode this royal horse would be guilty of treason and be executed.  He then instructed Hanuman or Phaya Anuchit, as he was now called, to pursue the horse.  Phra Phrot and Phra Satarut would follow up with troops to capture the guilty one.

Seeing the two boys riding on a horse, Phaya Anuchit tried to catch them but was struck unconscious by Phra Mongkut’s arrow.  A breeze revived him.  Transformed into a small monkey, Hanuman tried to make friend with the boys and catch them.  Again he was hit unconscious by the arrow.  This time he was bound up with vines and on his forehead Phra Mongkut wrote a spell that only the owner of the monkey would be able to untie him.  Phaya Anuchit felt very disgraced by this.  He had to go back to Phra Ram for help.   Afterwards he followed Phra Phrot and Phra Satarut to help capture the two boys again.

Phra Phrot shot his arrow and struck Phra Mongkut down.  Phaya Anuchit leaped up and snatched him.  Phra Lop, however, managed to escape.

Phra Ram instructs Phra Phrot and Phra Satarut

(left) Phra Mongkut riding on a horse and Hanuman is tied up by Phra Mongkut and Phra Lop. (right) Phra Phrot, on the chariot, shoots an arrow at Phra Mongkut and Hanuman rushes to catch him.

NEXT:  CHAPTER 45  Arrows cannot harm one another