<font color="red">Act III: Octopus’s Garden, Two Miles South</font>

Act III: Octopus’s Garden, Two Miles South

Author: * Jia Li Shen Chi - 66 Posts on this thread out of 798 Posts sitewide.
Date: Oct 17, 2007 - 21:00

Bima and the Naga
Act III: Octopus’s Garden, Two Miles South

When the screen brightens again, we see Bima floating gently down from its top as fish and other sea life swims by. Eventually he reaches a realm in which there are many Naga. This is their kingdom. The endless humming sea becomes the hissing of a thousand Naga in his ears.

"Who dares invade our sacred waters?" the Naga hiss at him in one voice. When he doesn't respond, they attack him, each serpent biting him at least once with its venomous fangs until he has wounds by the thousands all over his body, except for the tough skin on his chest, which is too thick for them to penetrate.

"Halt!" the eldest Naga orders. "That's enough. The intruder will die soon, if he isn't dead already. Our gracious sea goddess will not be pleased with our sacrifice if he is too damaged, or scattered about Her ocean floor in tiny bits."

The Naga swim off leaving Bima unconscious. After a short time Bima begins to stir and finally awakens.

"Oooh! My poor head!" Bima moans, but he bursts his bonds with ease.

"Where am I? Why do I have bite marks all over me?"

Bima shakes his head to clear it. The Naga, having heard his voice, return and stare at him in disbelief.

“What has happened?” They ask each other.

“Perhaps it’s vegetable poison!” cries out one Naga.

“Really? Who would poison a vegetable?” asks another.

“No. Perhaps he was previously fed vegetable poison. Our own poison acts as an antidote to it.

By now Bima is standing and appears to have regained all of his rather prodigious strength. Backing away in fear, they hiss among themselves.

"Did you do this to me?” he asks, pointing to the thousands of wounds. “You stupid snakes! Take that! Arrrrrggghhh!" Bima roars and grabs the nearest serpent by the tail.

The Dalang takes up the narration as Bima wages his own personal war on screen.

"Thus ensues the great battle between Bima and the Naga," says the Dalang. "Although truth be told, it wasn’t much of a fight and before they knew what had happened, the son of Kunti and the Wind God had pressed many of them underfoot, breaking their backs and their skulls. Seeing their brethren thrown about by the giant like so many rag dolls, they flee for their lives to see their holy king."

As he finishes speaking, the screen darkens.