Work text in Survey of Afro-Asian Literature

(First Semester, Prelim SY 2020-2021)

Week 1-2
LC1: Introduction to Survey of Afro-Asian Literature
Course Objectives: At the end of the course, the students should be able to:
1. Draw logical conclusions about life from the literary pieces they have read;
2. Analyze literary pieces and be able to reflect in the significant ideas and values expressed in them;
Learning Outcome:
 Identify and explain the atmosphere, mood, imagery and symbolism in short stories, poetries and other literary pieces
discussed;
 State the customs and traditions as related to the literature of each country being discussed;
 Make their own examples of how maxims, universal truths, and philosophies can be used in real life situations.
 Write a journal/blog relative to the literary articles read.

Introduction
As man started to walk the earth, he developed a system of recording down things around him and interpreting them according to
his own perception. This act of documenting may have been the start of the medium. Not all written material may be considered
literature. Only those that closely emulate the human experience, emotion and thought are regarded as literature.

Afro-Asian Literature mirrors not only the customs and traditions of African and Asian countries but also their philosophy of life
which on the whole are deeply and predominantly contemplative and hauntingly sweet. Afro-Asian Literature is the reflection of the
storm and the stress of developing nations seeking a place under the sun which every student must understand so he may know how
this literature affects the history and culture of a nation.

 In a simpler thought, Afro-asian literature refers to the literary output of the various countries and cultures in Africa and Asia. This
includes their oral traditions and from the first to the contemporary written and/or published prose and poetry.

Discussion
By Gautama Buddha

Buddha, 5th Century; B.C., a prince of the house Gautama and himself called Siddhartha, was the great religious leader of northern
India and the founder of Buddhism, one of the chief religious faiths of mankind today. He arrived at his beliefs by long meditation.
He held that "suffering is inseparable from existence, which is an evil; that the principal cause of suffering is desire; that the
suppression of suffering can be obtained by suppression of desire, and this in turn by Buddhist discipline."
The parable given below illustrates the Golden Rule. Find out if you think you could have done what Dighavu did.

1. A king of the Kosales and his queen were robbed of their kingdom and cruelly slain by Brahmadatta, king of the Kasis. At the
time of his death the condemned king looked at his son and gave his last injunction: ["Not by hatred, my dear Dighavu, is hatred
appeased. By love, my dear Dighavu, is hatred appeased."]

2. And the orphan prince wept and wandered in the forest and then took employment as a menial
in the royal stables of Brahmadatta. And one day he sang a song and played on the flute. And
the king heard him and was so pleased with him that he engaged the boy as his attendant, not
Indian Literature refers to the knowing who he was.
literature produced on the Indian
subcontinent until 1947 and in 3. And it so happened that on one occasion the king went out to hunt, taking Dighavu with him.
the Republic of India thereafter. And the king lost his way and felt tired and lay down. He laid his head on the lap of Dighavu
The Republic of India has 22 and fell asleep.
officially recognized languages.
4. And Dighavu thought within himself: "This king Brahmadatta of Kasis has done much harm
The earliest works of Indian
to us. By him we have been robbed of our troops and vehicles, our realm, our treasures and
literature were orally transmitted.
storehouses. And he has killed my father and mother. Now the time has come to me to satisfy
my hatred."

5.And Dighavu unsheathed his sword, but the dying injunction of his father came to his mind:
"Not by hatred, my dear Dighavu, is hatred appeased." And the prince put up his sword.

6. And the king dreamed a frightful dream, and when he awoke Dighavu told him the whole
truth, forgave him the murder of his parents, and gave him his life. And the king then rendered
back to Dighavu his father's kingdom and gave him his daughter to wed.

Activity 1
Instruction: Identify and explain the atmosphere, mood, imagery and symbolism in short stories.
 Imagery

Atmosphere

Mood/Imagery

Next Story

The Duel between the Elephant and the Sparrow by Panchatantra

In a dense bit of jungle lived a sparrow and his wife, who had built their nest on the branch of a tamal tree, and in course of time a
family appeared.
Now one day a jungle elephant with the spring fever was distressed by the heat, and came beneath that tamal tree in search of shade.
Blinded by his fever, he pulled with the tip of his trunk at the branch where the sparrows had their nest, and broke it. In the process
the sparrows’ eggs were crushed, though the parent-birds further life being predestined barely escaped death.
Then the hen-sparrow lamented, desolate with grief at the death of her chicks. And presently, hearing her lamentation, a
woodpecker bird, a great friend of hers, came grieved at her grief, and said: “My dear friend, why lament in vain? For the Scripture
says:
For lost and dead and past
The wise have no laments:
Between the wise and fools
Is just this difference.
“That is good doctrine,” said the hen-sparrow, “but what of it? This elephant curse his spring fever! killed my babies. So if you are
my friend, think of some plan to kill this big elephant. If that were done, I should feel less grief at the death of my children.
“Madam,” said the woodpecker, “your remark is very true. For the proverb says:
A friend in need is a friend indeed,
Although of different caste;
The whole world is your eager friend
So long as riches last.
“Now see what my wit can devise. But you must know that I, too, have a friend, a gnat called Lute-Buzz. I will return with her, so
that this villainous beast of an elephant may be killed.”
So he went with the hen-sparrow, found the gnat, and said: “Dear madam, this is my friend the hensparrow. She is mourning
because a villainous elephant smashed her eggs. So you must lend your assistance while I work out a plan for killing him.” “My
good friend,” said the gnat, “there is only one possible answer. But I also have a very intimate friend, a frog named Cloud-
Messenger. Let us do the right thing by calling him into consultation. For the proverb says:
So all three went together and told Cloud-Messenger the entire story. And the frog said: “How feeble a thing is that wretched
elephant when pitted against a great throng enraged! Gnat, you must go and buzz in his fevered ear, so that he may shut his eyes in
delight at hearing your music. Then the woodpecker’s bill will peck out his eyes. After that I will sit on the edge of a pit and croak.
And he, being thirsty, will hear me, and will approach expecting to find a body of water. When he comes to the pit, he will fall in
and perish.”
When they carried out the plan, the fevered elephant shut his eyes in delight at the song of the gnat, was blinded by the woodpecker,
wandered thirst-smitten at noonday, followed the croak of a frog, came to a great pit, fell in, and died.
“And that is why I say:
“Woodpecker and sparrow
With froggy and gnat,
Attacking en masse, laid
The elephant flat.”
Activity 2
Instruction: Compose your own saying or quote about what you have learned in the story. (5pts.)
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Comprehension Check-up

1. Who are the characters involved in the story?

2. What is the theme of the story?
3. What is true in the story based from your own experience?
4. What is the moral lesson of the story?
5. What is a doctrine?
6. Do you think revenge is good? Why or why not?
7. Was the hen-sparrow way of comforting good or not? How do you say so?
8. If you were the elephant in the story, how would you make up from what you have done?
9. What is the purpose of a duel?

Next Story

A Summary of “The Mahabharata” by Aneeta Sundararaj

The Mahabharata is an epic that comprises one hundred thousand stanzas of verse divided into eighteen books, or parvas. It is the
largest single literary work in existence. Originally composed in the ancient language of Sanskrit sometime between 400 BC and
400 AD, it is set in a legendary era thought to correspond to the period of Indian culture and history in approximately the tenth
century BC.
The original “author” was Vyasa who tried to tell about the Great War between the Pandavas and the Kauravas - cousins who
claimed to be the rightful rulers of a kingdom. The background to get to where the epic starts is very confusing (in medias res). I’ll
present the background a bit here just to lay the groundwork. Background King Santanu married a strange woman he found by the
river.
They had many children and she drowned all of them (I told you she was strange). The king stopped her from downing the last child
(a boy). She then said she was a goddess and that this child was a god but had to remain on earth as punishment for stealing a sacred
cow in a past life. The child was named Devavratha, but to confuse you he is called Bhishma (one of firm vow).
The goddess went back to wherever it is that goddesses go, and the king continued ruling. One day he fell in love with a woman
who ran a ferry; her name was Satyavathi. King Santanu asked her father if he could marry her, and he said yes, but only if
Satyavathi’s children inherit, leaving poor Bhishma out in the cold. Bhishma was actually cool with this and said he would remain
celibate so that he never had children.
Thus, King Santanu and ferry woman Satyavathi married. They had two boys: one had no children and died in battle, and one
(Vichitravirya) grew to adulthood and married two women (Ambika and Ambalika). But before either of his wives had children,
Vichitravirya died and not long after that King Santanu also died.
Thus, the only surviving member of the royal family was Bhishma who had taken a vow of celibacy and refused to break it. What
Queen Satyavathis had not told anyone that before she was married she had actually been born from a fish and had had an encounter
with a sage and given birth to a son named Vyasa.
So even though Vyasa isn’t exactly the heir, he can still kind of inherit. Everyone agreed that Vyasa should sleep with
Vichitravirya’s two wives and their children would inherit. Ambika gave birth to a boy named Dhritarashtra. He was a nice enough
guy and should have become king, but he was born blind. Meanwhile, Vichitravirya’s other wife got with Vyasa and she gave birth
to a boy named Pandu. Dhritarashtra, being blind, realizes he can’t really rule, so he gives his kingdom to his brother Pandu. Pandu
is a pretty nice guy and loves to hunt.
One day he is out hunting and he kills a deer while it is in the middle of “love play.” Turns out this is no ordinary deer but a god
who curses Pandu and says essentially that since you interrupted me, I’m going to mess with you. The curse states that if you have
sex you’ll die. Pandu has no kids at this time, but he does have two wives: Kunthi and Madri. He decides that he can’t rule, so he
and his wives hang out in the woods. One day Kunthi (Pandu’s wife #1) calls out for the sun god. He actually appears and she is
freaked out. He says, don’t call me unless you want me. He essentially ravishes her, though it’s presented in the book as somewhat
consensual. She gives birth to a boy names Karna but sends him down the river in a basket. He is discovered and raised by a soldier
and his wife.
He comes back later as a force to be reckoned with. Pandu thinks that maybe things will work for him if he plays the system. He
tells Kunthi to have relations with some other gods and have children. Kunthi gets with Yama (god of death and justice) and she
gives birth to Yudhistira. Then she gets with Vayu (god of the wind) and has Bhimasena.
Finally she does the deed with Indra (chief god) and gives birth to Arjuna. Meanwhile, Pandu’s second wife, Madri, entices the gods
Aswins and has twins Nakua and Sahadeva. They are all boys, they are all awesome and they are collectively known as the
Pandavas. The epic focuses on these guys. Pandu just can’t resist his urges and tries to have sex with his wife Madri. He dies in her
arms and she flings herself on his funeral pyre. Kunthi (Pandu’s other wife) takes the boys to the blind brother of Pandu,
Dhritarashtra, so they can be raised to inherit the kingdom.
Meanwhile, Dhritarashtra (Pandu’s blind brother) married the princess Gandharai and becomes a blind king (not a desirable leader
but a nice enough guy). She blindfolds herself in sympathy of his blindness and never sees again. While Pandu was out in the woods
with his two wives avoiding sex, Dhritarashtra became king, and he and Gandharai had 100 sons (I think they are all born from a
metal ball that she harbors in her womb for years. When the ball “drops” she wacks it with a stick and out pop the boys).
These sons are not good boys and fight with their cousins all the time. The oldest of these children is named Duryodhana and he’s a
real baddy. This collection of boys is called the Kauravas All 105 boys are looked after by Bhishma who is constantly trying to train
them and have them get along. The epic is essentially an ongoing feud between the Kauravas and the Pandavas. If you haven’t
figured it out, the Pandavas are the good guys.

Details of the story The evil brothers were envious of their cousin Yudhistira and started scheming to dethrone him. Their first
attempt to kill the Pandavas was by burning them inside a palace. The Pandavas managed to escape, but then the evil brothers once
again attempted to gain control. One challenged the eldest brother Yudhisthira to a game of dice which led Yudhisthira to lose
everything, including his and his brothers' wife, Draupadi. He, along with his brothers and their wife Draupadi, were exiled from the
kingdom. For twelve years they had to live in the forest and upon the thirteenth year they were to hide in a city in disguise. It was
during those thirteen years that the brothers grew to learn what it was like to live with the bare minimum and became more
knowledgeable.

After the thirteenth year Duryodhana decided that he would fight against them which led to a huge war and the deaths of many.
Many died from both sides and after the war, they realized that nothing was really gained. The most dramatic figure of the entire
Mahabharata, however, was Krishna who was the supreme personality of Godhead himself, descended to earth in human form to
reestablish his devotees as care takers of the earth, and who practiced Dharma. Krishna was the cousin of both parties, but he was a
friend and advisor to the Pandavas, became the brother-in-law of Arjuna, and served as Arjuna's mentor and charioteer in the Great
War. Krishna is portrayed several times as eager to see the war occur, and in many ways the Pandavas were his human instruments
for fulfilling that end.

Throughout their lives and the terrible Great War, there were examples of the ethical gaps between men which were never resolved.
In the aftermath of the war, Yudhishthira alone was terribly troubled, but his sense of the war's wrongfulness persisted to the end of
the text. This was in spite of the fact that everyone else, from his wife to Krishna, told him the war was right; even the dying
patriarch, Bhishma, lectured him at length on all aspects of the Good Law (the Duties and Responsibilities of Kings). In the years
that followed the Great War, the only survivors on the part of the Kauravas, Duryodhana's parents, King Dhritarashtra and his
queen, Gandhari lived a life of asceticism in a forest retreat and died with yogic calm in a forest fire. Kunti, the mother of the
Pandavas was with them too. Krishna departed from this earth thirty-six years after the Great War. When they learned of this, the
Pandavas believed it was time for them to leave this world too and they embarked upon the 'Great Journey,' which involved walking
north toward the polar mountain that is toward the heavenly worlds, until one's body dropped dead. One by one, beginning with
Draupadi, the Pandavas died along the way until Yudhishthira was left alone with a dog that had accompanied him from the start.
Yudhishthira made it to the gates of heaven and there refused the order to drive the dog back, at which point the dog was revealed to
be an incarnate form of the God Dharma (the God who was Yudhishthira's actual, physical father), who was there to test
Yudhishthira's virtue. Once in heaven Yudhishthira faced one final test of his virtue:

He saw only the Dhartarashtra Clan in heaven, and he was told that his brothers were in hell. He insisted on joining his brothers in
hell, if that were the case! It was then revealed that they were really in heaven, that this illusion had been one final test for him. In
essence, the epic story represents an extended exploration of the responsibilities set forth by the code of dharma. In addition to
recounting a heroic tale, the Mahabharata contains a collection of writings on a broad spectrum of human learning, including ethics,
law, philosophy, history, geography, genealogy, and religion. It also features a number of legends, moral stories, and local tales all
woven into an elaborate narrative.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
 The Ramayana
This Sarga (section) details the stories of Rama's childhood and events related the time-frame. Dasharatha was the King of
Ayodhya. He had three wives: Kaushalya, Kaikeyi and Sumitra. He was childless for a long time and anxious to have an heir, so he
performs a fire sacrifice known as Putra-kameshti Yajna. As a consequence, Rama was first born to Kaushalya, Bharata was born to
Kaikeyi, Lakshmana and Shatrughna were born to Sumitra. These sons are endowed, to various degrees, with the essence of the
Supreme Trinity Entity Vishnu; Vishnu had opted to be born into mortality to combat the demon Ravana, who was oppressing the
gods, and who could only be destroyed by a mortal. The boys were reared as the princes of the realm, receiving instructions from
the scriptures and in warfare from Vashistha. When Rama was 16 years old, sage Vishwamitra comes to the court of Dasharatha in
search of help against demons who were disturbing sacrificial rites. He chooses Rama, who is followed by Lakshmana, his constant
companion throughout the story. Rama and Lakshmana receive instructions and supernatural weapons from Vishwamitra and
proceed to destroy Tataka and many other demons.

Janaka was the King of Mithila. One day, a female child was found in the field by the King in the deep furrow dug by his plough.
Overwhelmed with joy, the King regarded the child as a "miraculous gift of God". The child was named Sita, the Sanskrit word for
furrow. Sita grew up to be a girl of unparalleled beauty and charm. The King had decided that who ever could lift and wield the
heavy bow, presented to his ancestors by Shiva, could marry Sita. Sage Vishwamitra takes Rama and Lakshmana to Mithila to show
the bow. Then Rama desires to lift it and goes on to wield the bow and when he draws the string, it broke. [20] Marriages were
arranged between the sons of Dasharatha and daughters of Janaka. Rama marries
Sita, Lakshmana to Urmila, Bharata to Mandavi and Shatrughna to Shrutakirti. The weddings were celebrated with great festivity
in Mithila and the marriage party returns to Ayodhya.

After Rama and Sita have been married for twelve years, an elderly Dasharatha expresses his desire to crown Rama, to which the
Kosala assembly and his subjects express their support. On the eve of the great event, Kaikeyi – her jealousy aroused by  Manthara,
a wicked maidservant – claims two boons that Dasharatha had long ago granted her. Kaikeyi demands Rama to be exiled into the
wilderness for fourteen years, while the succession passes to her son Bharata. The heartbroken king, constrained by his rigid
devotion to his given word, accedes to Kaikeyi's demands. Rama accepts his father's reluctant decree with absolute submission and
calm self-control which characterizes him throughout the story. He is joined by Sita and Lakshmana. When he asks Sita not to
follow him, she says, "the forest where you dwell is Ayodhya for me and Ayodhya without you is a veritable hell for me." After
Ram's departure, King Dasharatha, unable to bear the grief, passes away. Meanwhile, Bharata who was on a visit to his maternal
uncle, learns about the events in Ayodhya. Bharata refuses to profit from his mother's wicked scheming and visits Rama in the
forest. He requests Rama to return and rule. But Rama, determined to carry out his father's orders to the letter, refuses to return
before the period of exile.

After thirteen years of exile, Rama, Sita and Lakshmana journey southward along the banks of river  Godavari, where they build
cottages and live off the land. At the Panchavati forest they are visited by a rakshasi named Shurpanakha, sister of Ravana. She tries
to seduce the brothers and, after failing, attempts to kill Sita. Lakshmana stops her by cutting off her nose and ears. Hearing of this,
her brothers Khara and Dushan organise an attack against the princes. Rama defeats Khara and his raskshasas.

When the news of these events reach Ravana, he resolves to destroy Rama by capturing Sita with the aid of the rakshasa Maricha.
Maricha, assuming the form of a golden deer, captivates Sita's attention. Entranced by the beauty of the deer, Sita pleads with Rama
to capture it. Rama, aware that this is the ploy of the demons, cannot dissuade Sita from her desire and chases the deer into the
forest, leaving Sita under Lakshmana's guard.

After some time, Sita hears Rama calling out to her; afraid for his life, she insists that Lakshmana rush to his aid. Lakshmana tries to
assure her that Rama cannot be hurt that easily and that it is best if he continues to follow Ram's orders to protect her. On the verge
of hysterics, Sita insists that it is not she but Rama who needs Lakshman's help. He obeys her wish but stipulates that she is not to
leave the cottage or entertain any stranger. He draws a chalk outline, the Lakshmana rekha, around the cottage and casts a spell on it
that prevents anyone from entering the boundary but allows people to exit. With the coast finally clear, Ravana appears in the guise
of an ascetic requesting Sita's hospitality. Unaware of her guest's plan, Sita is tricked into leaving the rekha and is then forcibly
carried away by Ravana.

Jatayu, a vulture, tries to rescue Sita, but is mortally wounded. At Lanka, Sita is kept under the guard of  rakshasis. Ravana asks Sita
to marry him, but she refuses, being eternally devoted to Rama. Meanwhile, Rama and Lakshmana learn about Sita's abduction from
Jatayu and immediately set out to save her. During their search, they meet Kabandha and the ascetic Shabari, who direct them
towards Sugriva and Hanuman.

Kishkindha Kanda is set in the ape (Vanara) citadel Kishkindha. Rama and Lakshmana meet Hanuman, the biggest devotee of
Rama, greatest of ape heroes and an adherent of Sugriva, the banished pretender to the throne of Kishkindha. Rama befriends
Sugriva and helps him by killing his elder brother Vali thus regaining the kingdom of Kishkindha, in exchange for helping Rama to
recover Sita.

However Sugriva soon forgets his promise and spends his time in enjoying his powers. The clever former ape queen Tara (wife of
Vali) calmly intervenes to prevent an enraged Lakshmana from destroying the ape citadel. She then eloquently convinces Sugriva to
honour his pledge. Sugriva then sends search parties to the four corners of the earth, only to return without success from north, east
and west. The southern search party under the leadership of Angada and Hanuman learns from a vulture named Sampati (elder
brother of Jatayu), that Sita was taken to Lanka.

Sundara Kand forms the heart of Valmiki's Ramyana and consists of a detailed, vivid account of Hanuman's adventures. After
learning about Sita, Hanuman assumes a gargantuan form and makes a colossal leap across the sea to Lanka. On the way he meets
with many challenges like facing a Gandharva kanya who comes in the form of a demon to test his abilities. He encounters a
mountain named Mainakudu who offers Hanuman assistance and offers him rest. Hanuman refuses because there is little time
remaining to complete the search for Sita.

After entering into Lanka, he finds a demon, Lankini, who protects all of Lanka. Hanuman fights with her and subjugates her in
order to get into Lanka. In the process Lankini, who had an earlier vision/warning from the gods that the end of Lanka nears if
someone defeats Lankini. Here, Hanuman explores the demons' kingdom and spies on Ravana. He locates Sita in Ashoka grove,
where she is being wooed and threatened by Ravana and his rakshasis to marry Ravana. Hanuman reassures Sita, giving Ram's
signet ring as a sign of good faith. He offers to carry Sita back to Ram; however, she refuses and says that it is not the dharma,
stating that Ramyana will not have significance if Hanuman carries her to Rama – "When Rama is not there Ravana carried Sita
forcibly and when Ravana was not there, Hanuman carried Sita back to Ram". She says that Rama himself must come and avenge
the insult of her abduction.

Hanuman then wreaks havoc in Lanka by destroying trees and buildings and killing Ravana's warriors. He allows himself to be
captured and delivered to Ravana. He gives a bold lecture to Ravana to release Sita. He is condemned and his tail is set on fire, but
he escapes his bonds and leaping from roof to roof, sets fire to Ravana's citadel and makes the giant leap back from the island. The
joyous search party returns to Kishkindha with the news.

Uttara Kanda is the last book of Ramayana. It is a book of made up of conversations between Kakbhusundi and Garud. This book
was added by Tulsidas after hearing it from Kakbhusundi and Garud. It depicts Ram's reign of Ayodhya, birth of Luv and Kush,
the Ashvamedha yajna and last days of Rama. At the expiration of his term of exile, Rama returns to Ayodhya with Sita, Lakshmana
and Hanuman, where the coronation is performed. On being asked to prove his devotion to Rama, Hanuman tears his chest open and
to everyone's surprise, there is an image of Rama and Sita inside his chest. Rama rules Ayodhya and the reign is called  Ram-
Rajya (a place where the common folk are happy, fulfilled and satisfied).
This is a book (kanda) which was not written neither in the original Valmiki Ramayan nor by Tulsidas' Ramcharitmanas.This is
totally an chapter added afterwards and no authentication of this chapter is seen in original Ramayana of Valmiki. In this chapter, as
time passes in reign of Rama, spies start getting rumours that people are questioning Sita's purity as she stayed in the home of
another man for a year without her husband. The common folk start gossiping about Sita and question Ram's decision to make her
Queen. Rama is extremely distraught on hearing the news, but finally tells Lakshmana that the purity of the Queen of Ayodhya has
to be above any gossip and rumour. He instructs him to take Sita to a forest outside Ayodhya and leave her there.

Further, to tell her not to identify herself as the Queen of Ayodhya as that would be an insult to our forefathers. Lakshmana
reluctantly drops Sita in a forest for another exile.

Sita finds refuge in Sage Valmiki's ashram, where she gives birth to twin boys, Luv and Kush. Shambuka, a shudra ascetic, is slain
by Rama for attempting to perform penance. This act of Shambuka is perceived by Rama as an act in violation of  dharma as he
believes that the bad karma, resulting from this act, caused the death of a Brahmin's son in his kingdom. 

Meanwhile, Rama conducts an Ashwamedha yajna (A holy declaration of the authority of the king). Luv and Kusha capture the
horse (sign of the yajna) and defeat the whole army of Ayodhya which come to protect the horse. Later on, both the brothers
defeat Lakshmana, Bharat, Shatrughan and other warriors and take Hanuman as prisoner. Finally Rama himself arrives and defeats
the two mighty brothers. Valmiki updates Sita about this development and advises both the brothers to go to Ayodhya and tell the
story of Sita's sacrifice to the common folks. Both brothers arrive at Ayodhya but face many difficulties while convincing the
people. Hanuman helps both the brothers in this task .

At one point of time, Valmiki brings Sita forward. Seeing Sita, Rama realises that Luv and Kush are his own sons. Again complicit
Nagarsen (One of the primaries who instigated the hatred towards Sita) challengea Sita's character and asked her to prove her purity.
Sita is overflown with emotions and decides to go back to Mother Earth from where she emerged. She prays to her
mother Bhoomidevi (Goddess of Earth), the ground breaks into half and closes after Sita vanishes into it. Rama rules Ayodhya for
many years and finally takes Samadhi into River Sarayu along with his 3 brothers and leaves the world. He goes back
to Vaikuntha in his Vishnu form.
 Activity: Compare and contrast the story of Mahabharata and Ramayana by providing details in the venn diagram. (15pts.)

Mahabharata Ramayana

Differences
Hebrew literature consists of ancient,
medieval, and modern writings in
the Hebrew language.

It is one of the primary forms of Jewish

literature, though there have been cases
of literature written in Hebrew by non-
Jews.

Hebrew literature was produced in many

different parts of the world throughout
the medieval and modern eras, while
contemporary Hebrew literature is
largely Israeli literature.

In 1966, Agnon won the Nobel Prize for

Literature for novels and short stories
that employ a unique blend of biblical,
Talmudic and Modern Hebrew, making
him the first Hebrew writer to receive
this award.

It is divided into seven eras:

 Ancient era
 Medieval era
 Modern era Weeks 3-4
 18th century LC2: Hebrew Literature
 19th century Course Objectives: At the end of the course, the students should be able to:
 20th century 1. Draw logical conclusions about life from the literary pieces they have read;
2. Analyze literary pieces and be able to reflect in the significant ideas and values
 Contemporary era
expressed in them;
Learning Outcome:
 Explain the theme, message, universal truths in the selected literary pieces.

Discussion
Activity 4
Instruction: Get a Bible and read the story of Joseph and the Parable of Talents.
After which, answer the following questions below. (10pts.)
Bible reference: Joseph Story- Genesis 37-45
Parable of the Talents- Matthew 25:14-30

1. In your own opinion, what is the significance of Parables?

 _____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

2. Based from the story in the life of Joseph, would you do the same thing? Why or why not?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

3. Read the bible and search for other parable story, select one and give its moral lesson in life.
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

The Bible Story of Joseph, from the Book of Genesis, is one of heroic redemption and
forgiveness.  Joseph was the most loved son of his father, Israel, given the famous robe of many
colors. When Joseph reported having dreams of his brothers, and even the stars and moon,
bowing before him, and their jealousy of Joseph grew into action.  The brothers sold him into
slavery to a traveling caravan of Ishmaelite are who took him to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar,
the captain of Pharaoh's guard.

In Egypt, the Lord's presence with Joseph enables him to find favor with Potiphar and the keeper
of the prison.  With God's help, Joseph interprets the dreams of two prisoners, predicting that
one of them will be reinstated but the other put to death.  Joseph then interprets the dreams of
the Pharaoh, which anticipate seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. Pharaoh
recognizes Joseph's God-given ability and prompts his promotion to the chief administrator of
Egypt.

Shortage of food in Canaan forces Jacob to send his sons to buy grains from the Egyptians.
Benjamin, Joseph's younger brother remains at home as Jacob fears losing him, as he did
Joseph.  When Joseph finally encounters his brothers again, he deliberately conceals his identity.
He accuses them of being spies and tells them to return with Benjamin or he will not sell them
grain.  

The ongoing famine forces Jacob to reluctantly send his sons back to Egypt with Benjamin, and
they are unexpectedly invited to dine at Joseph's house. Joseph then tests the character of his
brothers by placing a silver cup in the sack of Benjamin and falsely accusing him of theft.  

When Judah offers to stay in place of Benjamin, Joseph knows that his character has changed
and reveals that he is their brother. Joseph explains they need not feel guilty for betraying him as
it was God's plan for him to be in Egypt to preserve his family.  He told them to bring their
father and his entire household into Egypt to live in the province of Goshen because there were
five more years of famine left.  

Joseph supplied them with Egyptian transport wagons, new garments, silver, and twenty
additional donkeys carrying provisions for the journey.  Jacob is then joyously reunited with his
son Joseph. 
 The Parable of the Talents
Matthew 25: 14-30 ESV

14 
“For it will be like a man going on a journey, which called his servants [a] and entrusted
to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents,[b] to another two, to another one, to
each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents
went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had
the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went
and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 Now after a long time the master of
those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five
talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me
five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done,
good and faithful servant.[c] You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over
much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came
forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents
more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been
faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 He
also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a
hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no
seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here,  you have
what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You
knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed?  27 Then
you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have
received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him
who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have
an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken
away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be
weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Activity 5
Instruction: Read and answer the following questions below.
1. If you were in the shoes of the slaves, what would you do with the money and
why?
2. Do you think that the reason of the third slave is reasonable by hiding the
money since the amount is too small? Justify your answer.
3. Do you think that punishment of the third slave is appropriate by taking all the
money his master gave him since he didn’t do anything about it?
4. How can we become good stewards of the resources God has given to us?

Week 5
LC3: Persian Literature
Course Objectives: At the end of the course, the students should be able to:
1. Draw logical conclusions about life from the literary pieces they have read;
2. Analyze literary pieces and be able to reflect in the significant ideas and values
expressed in them;
Learning Outcome:
 Appreciate the relevance of ideas gained to current issues and problems
 Draw a character map and make a grammar story to summarize the story.

Discussion
Persian Literature comprises oral
compositions and written texts in Activity 6
the Persian language and is one of the Instruction: Watch at your own pace the movie entitled “Prince of Persia” and
world's oldest literatures. answer the Grammar Story below: (15pts.)

It spans over two-and-a-half millennia.  Theme

Its sources have been within Greater
Iran including present-  Setting
day Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan,
the Caucasus, and Turkey, regions
of Central Asia (such as Tajikistan)  Plot
and South Asia where the Persian
language has historically been either the  Climax
native or official language.

For example, Rumi, one of the best-loved  Main Characters and their role
Persian poets, born in Balkh (in modern-
day Afghanistan) or Wakhsh (in modern-
day Tajikistan), wrote in Persian and  Moral Lesson of the movie
lived in Konya (in modern-day Turkey),
at that time the capital of
the Seljuks in Anatolia. Not all Persian
literature is written in Persian.

At the same time, not all literature Weeks 7-8

written in Persian is written by ethnic LC4: Arabian Literature
Persians or Iranians, as Turkic, Course Objectives: At the end of the course, the students should be able to:
Caucasian, and Indic poets and writers. 1. Draw logical conclusions about life from the literary pieces they have read;
2. Analyze literary pieces and be able to reflect in the significant ideas and values
expressed in them;
Learning Outcome:
 Show understanding of the sequence of events through filling in of
charts and the like

Reading Task
The Lady and Her Five Suitors
A merchant's wife has an affair. One day her lover gets into a fight and is thrown in prison, so she puts on her most beautiful clothes
and goes to have him freed, saying that he is her brother. She has to petition the magistrate (Wali) for his freedom and arranges for
the lovestruck Wali to visit her house that night. She repeats this process with the Kazi (Qadi), Vizier, and King. Finally, she has a
carpenter make a cabinet with five separate locking compartments, dyes four different gowns, and prepares a meal.
The Kazi arrives first and she has him put on a gown. They hear a tapping at
the door, she says it's her husband and hides the Kazi in one of the
compartments. It is actually the Wali, whom she has write a letter of pardon for
her "brother." She has him put on the second gown. Then there is another
knock, and she says it's her husband and puts him into the second
compartment. This happens with the Vizier and the King as well. Finally the
carpenter arrives and she tells him there's a problem with the top compartment.
He climbs into it to prove it's all right, and she immediately closes it, goes out,
frees her lover, and leaves the city with him. The five men remain trapped in
the cabinet for three days until the neighbors hear their voices and let them out;
revealing them all in the clothes the woman gave them.

Q.What is your reaction or realization about the story?

A GLIMPSE ABOUT THE

STORY:

A lady’s lover is put into jail.

To get him out she invites all Post Comment
the important people of state
Discussion
to her house. The Kazi, Wali, Arabic literature (Arabic: ‫ربي‬VV‫ األدب الع‬/ ALA-LC: al-Adab al-‘Arabī) is the
writing, both as prose and poetry, produced by writers in the Arabic language.
Wazir and King are tricked
The Arabic word used for literature is "Adab", which is derived from a
into her home as they all meaning of etiquette, and which implies politeness, culture and enrichment.
desire her. She gets the Wali
write a release note for her Arabic literature emerged in the 5th century with only fragments of the written
lover. They are put into a language appearing before then. The Qur'an, widely regarded as the finest
piece of literature in the Arabic language,[1] would have the greatest lasting
cabinet because they each
effect on Arabic culture and its literature. Arabic literature flourished during
time fear the next one to be the Islamic Golden Age, but has remained vibrant to the present day, with
the lady’s husband. The poets and prose-writers across the Arab world, as well as in the Arab diaspora,
carpenter is locked up achieving increasing success.
because he has a dispute with
the lady over the size of the
cabinet. The lady leaves the
city with her lover. The five
suitors are released by the
neighbors after urinating on
each other.

Did you know?

Arabic literature emerged in

the 5th century with only
fragments of the written
language appearing before
then. The Qur'an, widely
regarded as the finest piece of
literature in the Arabic
language.
The Qur'an, the main holy book of Islam, had a significant influence on the Arab language, and marked the beginning of Islamic
literature. Muslims believe it was transcribed in the Arabic dialect of the Quraysh, the tribe of Muhammad. As Islam spread, the
Quran had the effect of unifying and standardizing Arabic.

Not only is the Qur'an the first work of any significant length written in the language, but it also has a far more complicated
structure than the earlier literary works with its 114 suras (chapters) which contain 6,236 ayat (verses). It
contains injunctions, narratives, homilies, parables, direct addresses from God, instructions and even comments on itself on how it
will be received and understood. It is also admired for its layers of metaphor as well as its clarity, a feature it mentions itself in sura
16:103.
“You talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts.”
― Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

“If you love somebody, let them go, for if they return, they were always yours. If they don't, they never were.”
― Kahlil Gibran

The Analects of Confucius Summary

The Analects of Confucius is an anthology of brief passages that present the words of Confucius and his disciples, describe
Confucius as a man, and recount some of the events of his life. The Analects includes twenty books, each generally featuring a
series of chapters that encompass quotes from Confucius, which were compiled by his disciples after his death.
Book I serves as a general introduction to the various disciples in the work. Book II deals largely with issues of governance. Books
III and IV are seen as the core texts, outlining Confucius's ideology. Much of the work concerns itself with the concept of the Tao or
the Way, the chun-tzu or the gentleman, Li or ritual, Te or virtue, and Jen or goodness. There are additional terms in the work, but
these comprise the core concepts. Taken together they form the backbone of Confucian ideals.
The Tao, or the Way, refers to a literal path or road. In the context of the work it refers to the manner in which anything is done; a
method or doctrine. Confucius speaks often about the Tao under Heaven, meaning a good way or path to achieving morally superior
ends. This could include self-conduct or how a kingdom is ruled.
Jen is most often translated as "goodness" or "humanity". The gentleman, or chunt-tzu, possesses this quality. Its translation is a bit
difficult to represent exactly in English, but the text provides a good deal of context when discussing the gentleman and goodness. It
is helpful not to simply think of the term as meaning "goodness" but also to see how its juxtaposition with the other terms forms a
greater picture of how Confucius defined goodness and other positive human qualities. For example, words like "altruistic" or
"humane" are useful in understanding this term.
Te corresponds most closely to the word "virtue", although you may encounter some disagreement among scholars regarding this
translation. A better definition, some scholars say, is to think of it as "character" or "prestige", an attribute that would have been
desirable in a human being.
The gentleman or chun-tzu is the central term in The Analects and the other terms are generally used in reference to this persona.
For this reason it is difficult to summarize the gentleman easily, but considering the term in the light of the other ideas in the text is
helpful. The gentleman is one who follows the Way and acts according to a system of morals and beliefs that are not common
amongst other individuals. The use of the term "gentleman" to describe the chun-tzu is itself problematic, as it can conjure images
related to an aristocratic existence. Some scholars see a similarity between the term and Nietzsche's concept of the Ubermensch,
although there is dispute over this idea as well. A "superior man" is another suggested translation of the term. Taken in
consideration with the other terms presented, a more complete concept of the chun-tzu emerges.
Li, or ritual, is another core concept in the text. Although the work does not go into great detail on what ritual traditions actually
entailed, their importance is presented as paramount in the cultivation of te and an understanding of the Tao. The general principles
of conduct comprise much of what this term encompasses. Here, moral initiatives outweigh pure historical knowledge. In other
words, practicing what we might call good manners and conducting oneself in a moral and fair affectation were considered
characteristic of a gentleman. An appropriate attitude was also necessary: one of reverence and respect for one's elders and for rites
and cultural norms that had been handed down by past generations.
Also important to consider in reading The Analects is the historical context in which Confucius lived and the events that surrounded
his struggle to spread his doctrine. During the Sixth century, powerful warlords and families gained control of the state of Lu,
gradually undermining and marginalizing the ducal house. Consequently, the normal structure and function of government and
social rituals were altered, much to the dismay of Confucius. Confucius sought a revival of the Chou traditions that once had been
the norm in Lu. He saw these ways as legitimately bettering society. The term li fits best in understanding the Chou traditions that
Confucius so eagerly wished to reinstate.
Eventually, Confucius and his disciples sought an audience with various leaders in Lu to help bring these traditions back.
Confucius's plan failed, however, and he left Lu after becoming convinced that the sort of rulers he needed to enlist to his side were
not present there. So began a long period of traveling around to neighboring states seeking out such a ruler. Some of this period is
captured in the text. Confucius eventually returned to Lu upon the invitation of Jan Ch'iu and lived out his days teaching young men
about the Chou traditions. However, he was not able to set up a state based on the teachings he held so dear.
The structure of The Analects can make it a difficult work to comprehend. On first reading, the passages can appear to be quite
haphazard in their arrangement. From an academic standpoint there is more disagreement than agreement over how best to translate
and represent the text for a modern reading audience.
 The Conceited Coachman

One day Yen Tzu, prime minister of the state of Chi, went out in his carriage. His coachman's wife, from her gate, saw her husband
looking thoroughtly smug and conceited under the great carriage awning as he drove his four horses.

 When the coachman went home, his wife told him she wanted to leave him.

Her husband asked her why.

 " Yen Tzu is prime minister of Chi, " she replied. " He is famed throughtout the states. But I saw him out today, deep in thought
and not giving himself any airs. You are only a coachman, yet you look so conceited and pleased with yourself. That's why I want to
leave you. " 

 After this, her husband behaved more modestly. When Yen Tzu, surprised, inquired the reason for this change, the coachman told
him the truth. Then Yen Tzu recommended him for an official post.

smug  If you say that someone is smug, you are criticizing the fact they seem very pleased with how good,
clever, or fortunate they are.

conceited  If you say that someone is conceited, you are showing your disapproval of the fact that they are far t
The Tale of Genji

The work recounts the life of Hikaru Genji, or "Shining Genji", the son of an ancient Japanese emperor, known to readers as
Emperor Kiritsubo, and a low-ranking, but beloved concubine called Kiritsubo Consort. For political reasons, the emperor removes
Genji from the line of succession, demoting him to a commoner by giving him the surname Minamoto, and he pursues a career as an
imperial officer. The tale concentrates on Genji's romantic life and describes the customs of the aristocratic society of the time.

Genji's mother dies when he is three years old, and the Emperor cannot forget her. The Emperor Kiritsubo then hears of a woman
(Lady Fujitsubo), formerly a princess of the preceding emperor, who resembles his deceased concubine, and later she becomes one
of his wives. Genji loves her first as a stepmother, but later as a woman, and they fall in love with each other. Genji is frustrated by
his forbidden love for the Lady Fujitsubo and is on bad terms with his own wife (Aoi no Ue, the Lady Aoi). He engages in a series
of love affairs with other women. These are however unfulfilling, as in most cases his advances are rebuffed, or his lover dies
suddenly, or he becomes bored.

Genji visits Kitayama, a rural hilly area north of Kyoto, where he finds a beautiful ten-year-old girl. He is fascinated by this little
girl (Murasaki), and discovers that she is a niece of the Lady Fujitsubo. Finally he kidnaps her, brings her to his own palace and
educates her to be like the Lady Fujitsubo, who is his womanly ideal. During this time Genji also meets Lady Fujitsubo secretly, and
she bears his son, Reizei. Everyone except the two lovers believes the father of the child is the Emperor Kiritsubo. Later the boy
becomes the Crown Prince and Lady Fujitsubo becomes the Empress, but Genji and Lady Fujitsubo swear to keep the child's true
parentage secret.

Genji and his wife, Lady Aoi, reconcile. She gives birth to a son but dies soon after. Genji is sorrowful but finds consolation in
Murasaki, whom he marries. Genji's father, the Emperor Kiritsubo, dies. He is succeeded by his son Suzaku, whose mother
(Kokiden), together with Kiritsubo's political enemies, take power in the court. Then another of Genji's secret love affairs is
exposed: Genji and a concubine of the Emperor Suzaku are discovered while meeting in secret. The Emperor Suzaku confides his
personal amusement at Genji's exploits with the woman (Oborozukiyo), but is duty-bound to punish Genji even though he is his
half-brother. He exiles Genji to the town of Suma in rural Harima Province (now part of Kobe in Hyōgo Prefecture). There, a
prosperous man known as the Akashi Novice (because he is from Akashi in Settsu Province) entertains Genji, and Genji has an
affair with Akashi's daughter. She gives birth to Genji's only daughter, who will later become the Empress.

In the capital the Emperor Suzaku is troubled by dreams of his late father, Kiritsubo, and something begins to affect his eyes.
Meanwhile, his mother, Kokiden, grows ill, which weakens her influence over the throne, and leads to the Emperor ordering Genji
to be pardoned. Genji returns to Kyoto. His son by Lady Fujitsubo, Reizei, becomes the emperor. The new Emperor Reizei knows
Genji is his real father, and raises Genji's rank to the highest possible.

However, when Genji turns 40 years old, his life begins to decline. His political status does not change, but his love and emotional
life begin to incrementally diminish as middle age takes hold. He marries another wife, the Third Princess (known as Onna san no
miya in the Seidensticker version, or Nyōsan in Waley's). Genji's nephew, Kashiwagi, later forces himself on the Third Princess, and
she bears Kaoru (who, in a similar situation to that of Reizei, is legally known as the son of Genji). Genji's new marriage changes
his relationship with Murasaki, who had expressed her wish of becoming a nun (bikuni) though the wish was rejected by Genji.

Genji's beloved Murasaki dies. In the following chapter, Maboroshi ("Illusion"), Genji contemplates how fleeting life is.
Immediately after the chapter titled Maboroshi, there is a chapter titled Kumogakure ("Vanished into the Clouds"), which is left
blank, but implies the death of Genji.
Chapter 45–54 are known as the "Uji Chapters". These chapters follow Kaoru and his best friend, Niou. Niou is an imperial prince,
the son of Genji's daughter, the current Empress now that Reizei has abdicated the throne, while Kaoru is known to the world as
Genji's son but is in fact fathered by Genji's nephew. The chapters involve Kaoru and Niou's rivalry over several daughters of an
imperial prince who lives in Uji, a place some distance away from the capital. The tale ends abruptly, with Kaoru wondering if Niou
is hiding Kaoru's former lover away from him. Kaoru has sometimes been called the first anti-hero in literature

MY NATIVE VILLAGE

Dear native village, hail the seat of mirth,

Joy of my youth, and witness of my birth;
Loveliest village of the plain,
Where health and plenty cheered the labouring swain,
Where smiling spring its earliest visit paid,

In the Native Village sight of fair green earth was given

Here first beheld the radiant light of Heaven,
Here tottering childhood made its first essay
To run, to speak, and taste the charms of play,
Here gentle Spring appears more sweetly mild,
And fading Autumn leaves a lovely wild,
Here Winter's cheerful in the darkest storm,
And Nature pleasing in her rudest form.
The Native Village is the seats of my youth,
when every sport could please,
How often have I loitered over thy green,
Where humble happiness endeared each scene,
While many a pastime circled in the shade,
The young contending as the old surveyed,

Once more the little-known village claims my care,

For still my kindest wishes centre there.
Peace to the blooming, never-fading spot,
Your native scenes, where memory loves to dwell
May rocks and mountains from their seats be torn,
And clouds and darkness shroud the face of morn,
If I forget this favorite piece of earth,
The lovely village that proclaimed my birth!

Haiku (俳句), 

 Is a type of short form poetry originally from Japan. Traditional Japanese haiku consist of three phrases that contain a kireji, or
"cutting word",17 on (a type of Japanese phoneme) in a 5, 7, 5 pattern, and a kigo, or seasonal reference. However, modern haiku
vary widely on how closely they follow these traditional elements.

Haiku originated as an opening part of a larger Japanese poem, known as a renga. These haiku that were written as an opening
stanza were known as hokku and eventually writers began to write them as their own stand-alone poems. Haiku was given its
current name by the Japanese writer Masaoka Shiki at the end of the 19th century.
Originally from Japan, haiku today are written by authors worldwide. Haiku in English and haiku in other languages have their own
styles and traditions while still incorporating aspects of the traditional haiku form. Modern Japanese haiku (現代俳句, gendai-
haiku) are also said to increasingly vary from the tradition of 17 on or taking nature as their subject.

In Japanese, haiku are traditionally printed as a single line while haiku in English often appear as three lines.

There are several other forms of Japanese poetry related to haiku, such as senryū and tanka, as well as other art forms that
incorporate haiku, such as haibun and haiga.

THE VANITY OF THE RAT

A long time ago, there was a rat couple who had a daughter. They had no other children so they gave her everything. The time came
when their daughter is ready for marriage so they wanted the best spouse for her. They looked for a rat that could best fit for her
daughter but to no avail.

One day, the father said that the sun would be a good husband for his daughter because it is the most powerful and bright.

They asked the sun if he could marry their daughter. The sun felt honored but refused because he said that the cloud is more
powerful since the sun is powerless with it.

They climbed up a mountain to see the cloud. They asked the same thing, in which the cloud also refused because the wind is more
powerful since the cloud goes wherever he blows.

They found the wind in a grove of tress and asked to marry their daughter. Likewise, the wind also refused because he can blow
everything but the stone.

They head to the stone and still asked the same question. The stone refused. The reason is although the wind cannot move him, the
rats and moles could since they can burrow under the stone’s feet and the latter fall over.

In the end, their daughter married a rat.

There were two twin brothers of the Cao family. Tan was the older brother and Lang was the younger. They were schooled by a
Taoist named Chu Chu who had an eighteen-year old daughter. He then married her to Tan, and the young coupled lived happily
together.

 However, Lang felt less close to his brother now that he was married. In fact, this emptiness hit Lang so hard that he left his house
and started wandering around the country.

 He reached a large river and could not cross it. There was not even a small boat anywhere nearby to transport him to the other side.
He was so sad that he sat down and wept until he died. After his death, Lang was transformed into a limestone lying by the river.
Troubled by the long absence of his brother, Tan went out to look for him. When he reached the riverside, he sat on the limestone
and died of exhaustion. He was transformed into an Areca tree.

His young wife in turn was upset by the long absence of her husband and went out to search for him. She reached the place where
the areca tree grew, leaned against it and died. She was transformed into a plant with large piquant leaves which climbed on the
areca tree.

Hearing of this tragic love story, local residents set up a temple in their memory.

 One day, King Hung went by the site and heard the story from the local people. He ordered his men to take and grind together a
leaf of betel, an areca nut and a piece of lime. Juice as red as human blood was squeezed out from the melange. He tasted the juice
and found it delicious. Then he recommended the use of betel chewed along with areca nut and lime at every ceremony.

From this time on, chewing betel became a custom for Vietnamese, and very often they begin their conversations with a quid of
betel.

I, Too
BY LANGSTON HUGHES
I, too, sing America.

I am the darker brother.

They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.

Tomorrow,
I’ll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody’ll dare
Say to me,
“Eat in the kitchen,”
Then.

Besides,
They’ll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed—

I, too, am America.