Topic Research: Vikram and Betaal

Upon delving into more research on potential storybook topics, I decided my initial idea of Vikram and Betaal interested me the most. The frametale used to tell stories within a story gives me the option to diversify the tales I'm able to tell through this project. In order to do further research and understand the original tale, I read the corresponding UnTextbook unit titled Twenty-Two Goblins. The stories that stood out to me the most are as follows:

1. The Snake's Poison: In this story, a Brahman is graciously offered food by a woman and he goes elsewhere to eat it. While the Brahman looks away, a hawk flies by with a snake in its mouth. As the snake dies, its poison falls into the food and the Brahman dies once eating it. Betaal asks King Vikram who was responsible for the Brahman's death: the woman, the hawk, or the snake. The King subverts the expectations of the reader and answers that the Brahman himself is responsible for his own death.

2. The Four Brothers: Four brothers who fear they will not accomplish anything in life resolve to learn virtues by themselves. Each brother learns a particular aspect of reanimating a corpse and the last brother is able to breathe life in the body. The brothers accidentally reanimate the corpse of a lion and are eaten. Betaal asks the King which brother is to blame for their death and the King responds by saying that the brother who gave the corpse life, despite knowing that it was a lion, was foolish and arrogant and was responsible for their deaths.

3. Conclusion: In the conclusion (and slightly before it), the King finds out from Betaal that the monk who has set him upon the task of retrieving Betaal is planning to kill him and forcibly become King of the Fairies. With Betaal's advice, the King is able to outsmart the monk. The frametale itself has an unexpected albeit entertaining conclusion.

I like the idea of having different consequences for the King's responses. This could be fashioned into a story in Twine where the reader would have to decide which of the answers is correct. If they fail, they either "die" or have to restart the game. Once they reach a story that they don't know the answer to, the goblin will trust the reader and allow them to beat the game.

(Brothers running away from a reanimated lion; source: Perham W. Nahl)