Rama and Sita: A Tale from Ancient Java - Hardcover

In even the most remote villages of Bali you will hear, late into the night, the shimmering metallic music of the gamelan, a collection of gongs, chimes, flutes, drums, and cymbals whose music provides the accompaniment to the beautiful dances that serve to entertain the Gods, Rama and Sita.

In even the most remote villages of Bali you will hear, late into the night, the shimmering metallic music of the gamelan, a collection of gongs, chimes, flutes, drums, and cymbals whose music provides the accompaniment to the surpassingly beautiful dances that serve to entertain the Gods at the annual celebrations. Here, even the youngest children learn to dance, absorbing the delicate hand and arm movements of their parents and of the puppets whose characters and adventures the children recognize as readily as our children recognize television personalities. Among the stories learned by every child is the saga of Rama and Sita, a particularly beloved tale of intrigue, adventure, and mystery. In this new edition, illustrated with vibrant, exuberant, full-colour, double-page drawings, we read this great Hindu epic retold for English-speaking children, with the characters drawn from both ancient and modern shadow puppets - noble princes, terrifying giants, and menacing ogres. The entire world of gods and men is there onstage in miniature. Through deeds and words the puppets teach the children who they are, what to believe, how to behave, and their place in the universe. This edition lovingly depicts the whole cast of puppets as they come alive in hands of the puppeteer. On the one side are the gods and noble princes, learned and gentle, who must also be fierce warriors. Arrayed against them is all the evil of the world, red-eyed giants and savage tyrants, each awaiting their turn, each telling an ancient story that will continue long into the night.