For story continuity, please check my previous blogs.

Chapter Six -The Mysterious Rope
 

Paranjothi, who was lying alone on a mat in the dark room of the prison, remembered the advice of his uncle.  When he reached the city of Kanchi, according to his uncle's advice, he threw away his spear!  But, that wicked spear fell on the rogue elephant!  Paranjothi laughed when he thought that it was the consequences of it that landed him in prison. 

What would his mother and uncle think if they found out that he had to spend the first night in Kanchi city in jail? What would Umaiyal think who stood alone outside the house and send him off with tears in his eyes when he left for Kanchi?

 After learning Tamil literature and sculpture in Kanchi and going back to the town, if you tell them about this first day incident, they may not believe you, they may deny it.  If someone had told me this afternoon what would happen, would I have believed it?

Suddenly, Paranjoti remembered something.  What did that Buddhist monk say?  Didn't he tell you that you would face trouble tonight?  It has come true!  is he really a sage who knew everything? Paranjothi laughed to himself as he remembered his encounter with the Buddhist monk that noon.

 That incident is as follows.
 After walking all morning, Paranjothi knew that Kanchi city was only an 10 miles distance away, so he lay down under a tree on the side of the road to take some rest. A bundle lay beneath his head and a spear by his side. 

After a while he saw a Buddhist ascetic coming along the road.  His uncle and mother had insisted that he should not associate with Buddhists or Jains and that he should stay away if he saw them.  So, Paranjothi closed his eyes when he saw the Buddhist Monk in the distance.  He was determined to pretend to be asleep until the Monk was far beyond him.

 For a while he felt someone standing close to him and staring at him and he slowly opened his eyes.  Paranjodi was a brave young man with a strong heart, but when he opened his eyes the sight before him made him stunned.  

The Monk came close to him and stood staring at him.  His facial expression scared him. The snake hanging upside down by the tail in his hand was even more hideous and terrifying. It was a five-foot-long cobra.  But, it was dead! Its body was bleeding. 

To be continued....