Though Hanuman had found Sita, and offered to carry her on his shoulders to her long-lost husband, a difficulty arose; she feared that in rising to the height which so long a leap necessitated, she might be giddy, and find it necessary to lay hold of him; but of her own free will she would on no account so much as touch the limbs of living man except those of her husband. Instead, then, of availing herself of the monkey's offer, she prefers to remain where she is for the present, and simply sends back a kind message to Rama, with a gem to assure him that she has received his. Hanuman does not care to return without having effected some injury on his foe; he therefore destroys the grove and temple, and slays several of Ravana's heroes. At length he is made captive. When taken before Ravana, he confesses that he is a messenger from Rama to Sita, and earnestly advises her restoration. This so exasperates the giant that he would have slain him at once had he not been an envoy--and an envoy's life is sacred. Some of Ravana's people, however, set fire to his tail, and though he does not experience much pain, he manages to set fire to the city in several places.

When Hanuman had completed his work in Lanka, he made a return leap to India, placed Sita's gem in

[paragraph continues] Rama's hand, and told him all that had transpired in Ravana's capital. The prince was delighted to hear of his wife's constancy; but as the difficulty of transferring an army from the mainland over a hundred leagues of sea seemed impossible to surmount, he despaired of seeing her again. Sugriva, more practical and fuller of resource, says--

"Thy task must be
To cast a bridge across the sea,
The city of our foe to reach,
That crowns the mountain by the beach;
And when our feet that isle shall tread,
Rejoice and deem thy foeman dead." [**]

The army, which had remained some distance away, now marches to the seashore, and Rama is very curious to learn by what means so vast a bridge can be built. He in his anguish calls upon the sea to withdraw and allow his followers to march across as on dry land; but although the Ocean will not grant this prayer, he does assist with his advice, as he tells him to enlist the services of a tribe of Dasyas (servants), who, together with the monkey host, construct a bridge in five days. No sooner is this completed than the troops march across, Rama being carried by Hanuman, and Lakshman by Angad; and though Ravana hears of their approach, and his spies, terrified at the appearance of the invading army, counsel him to yield, he obstinately refuses, and at last the attack upon his city is made.