THE GOLDEN STAG

Seeta, who was then gathering flowers in the forest, looked at the stag and stared spell-bound at its wondrous beauty. The deer, too, stared back at her and ran here and there in front of her, shedding a new beauty on the landscape.

"Do come and look! Do come and look!" cried Seeta, eager that Raama and Lakshmana too should see that wonderful stag.

"Come quickly, quickly!" she cried. Raama and Lakshmana came out of the cottage and saw the exquisite creature and marvelled at its beauty.

Lakshmana grew suspicious. It seemed to him it was no ordinary deer, but a Raakshasa in disguise. Both Raama and Lakshmana had heard about Maareecha and bad been told how, assuming the form of a deer, he would often beguile and destroy those who came for hunting deer in the forest.

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