Extra Reading Diary: Raja Rasalu

I decided to do the extra reading this week instead of writing an essay on my readings from earlier in the week. The unit I decided to read was the Raja Rasalu unit and while I was reading I kept in mind my favorite stories. These are three of my favorite stories:

How Raja Rasalu Was Born

I enjoyed this story because it shows how Raja became to be as strong and powerful as he is. He was kept away from the world for 11 years before he decided he was ready to break out (a year early). He showed his smart early on as he sat outside his father's kingdom and broke the ladies carrying clay pitchers with stones and then their steel ones with his arrow. I felt like this story was great background for how Raja Rasalu became the man he is in all the stories of his triumphs later on.

How Raja Rasalu Killed the Giants

This is the first story where I thought I began to think of Raja as a superior man. He killed seven giants with one arrow that traveled through seven iron girdles. He also showed compassion with his strength as he volunteered to be a part of the city's sacrifice to the giants. I thought this was a great way to convey that Raja Rasalu was a great warrior and a very kind being. This story also reminded me a little bit about the popular movie The Hunger Games.

How Raja Rasalu Played Chaupur with King Sarkap

I think this was my favorite story in the unit. I think this could be a very good storytelling post if I used it. I thought the whole story was amusing because it seemed like such a high stakes battle when it was only a board game. I need to research the game a little more but I thought it was very entertaining to read how serious both players took the match.

Raja Rasalu and his trusty kitten playing chaupur against King Sarkap  (illustrated by John Betten).