This image represents the lake that the brothers stumbled across. Image

 

On one hot summer day five brothers were out and about in the forest. They had told their mother that they were going outside to play and that they would be back for dinner. All of the brothers started playing tag and hide and go seek. The boys rummaged around this forest all the time but they became somewhat lost. They had been out there for what seemed like hours and were beginning to become very hot and thirsty. Zack, the oldest of the boys, suggested they head back home. But Nick, the second oldest, convinced Zack to stay for a little bit longer. 

​

After walking a couple more miles, trying to find their way out, they came across a lake they had never seen before. That's when they knew that they were really lost, but the boys instantly became overjoyed because they were all so thirsty. But this lake was not like a pretty lake that you wanted to get into and play in. It was very dark and dirty with a thick foggy haze hovering over the lake. Nick was the boy who got to the lake first but as he they approached the lake they heard a voice asking them questions.

​

The voice muttered, "Where did you come from? How did you get here and find my lake?"

​

Nick refused to acknowledge the voice and drank from the lake anyways. Three out of the four other brothers followed along in Nick’s footsteps and all drank from the lake.  But Zack heard the voices and refused to drink the water from the lake before answering the questions he was asked. Zack was not sure what to tell the voice but he had a gut feeling that he should respond. 

​

All of the boys except Zack began to get very sick. The brothers were all throwing up and felt like they were dying. The boys just knew that it was from the lake water, because Zack was not sick at all. 

​

“You stupid boys should have listened to me and answered my questions,” said the voice. 

​

The boys began pleading for forgiveness, but the voice had no mercy and the boys got even sicker. They all started to think as if they were actually dying. But then, Zack began to plead to the voice for forgiveness. 

​

"Please forgive them. They are just stupid little boys." said Zack.

​

“Since you listened to me and answered all of my questions properly I will show your brothers some mercy,” said the voice. 

​

After that the boys began feeling better and were all ready to go home. There was only one problem though. They were lost. They wandered around the lake for a few minutes before hearing the voice again. 

​

The voice murmured, “Jump into the lake.”

​

All of the brothers were very hesitant about this after they had gotten so sick from drinking the lake water. The boys all looked around at each other but soon decided to listen to the voice this time and do as it said. It paid off too because they woke up at home in their beds feeling so much better. The brothers also vowed to never go on a forest adventure again and to listen to what people told them. 

​

Author’s Note: My story was based off of The Voice in the Lake. While they are living in the woodland, the Pandavas are drawn nearer by a brahmin who is urgent in light of the fact that a baffling monster deer has taken his staff and the fuel he uses to make the conciliatory fire. The Pandavas pursue the deer yet can't get it. Worn out and parched, they search for water. Nakula finds a lake, yet a voice reveals to him that, prior to drinking, he should address a few inquiries. Nakula overlooks the voice, drinks water, and bites the dust. In a steady progression, Sahadeva, Arjuna and Bhima meet a similar destiny. Yudhishthira comes and discovers his siblings all dead. He also hears the voice, and he responds to the inquiries. This was a test by his dad, Yama, the divine force of death and of Dharma. The siblings return to life, and they get the endowment of unrecognizability for their thirteenth year of exile.

In my story I wanted to keep the same concepts of the original story without being tragic. I also wanted the brothers in my story to learn a lesson. In my story they were taught to listen to what they are told and good things will and come and vice versa. This story is an example of good Karma. 

​

Bibliography: The Mahabharata: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic, R. K. Narayan, Story