Raimpiyan
Based on the story by Sowmya Rajendran and the Brothers Grimm
Illustrated by Elizabeth Mayuku and Hiromu Arakawa
Chapter 1: The warlock’s garden
Mr. and Mrs. Roja lived in a small house that looked onto a beautiful garden — a garden they never dared enter…
…because it belonged to a wicked and powerful warlock.
“There he is!” cried Mrs. Roja.
“Hide!” cried .
Mrs. Roja. Would sit by her window and gaze at the garden for hours.
But lately, she had spent a lot of time thinking about food.
“Today, I’d like chocolate pudding stuffed with spinach,” she decided. “And minced.”
Mr. Roja wasn’t surprised. “Ever since you’re been pregnant,” he said, “you’ve wanted to eat the oddest things.”
“Or perhaps,” Mrs. Roja went on, “I’ll have bananas, Brussels sprouts and, um, toothpaste. Oh yes, that would be lovely.”
“Are you sure?” asked Mr. Roja.
“Yes,” Mrs. Roja replied, “I am. Although I still think something might be missing…”
“Worms?” Mr. Roja suggested. “Or maybe you’d like some crushed ants on top?”
“Wait a moment!” Mrs. Roja cried, pointing to the warlock’s garden. “That’s it.”
“What is?”
“That vegetable. Oooh. It looks so green and juicy. I must have it!”
Mr. Roja looked. “Well you can’t have it,” he said. “I’m not going in that garden. The warlock would eat me alive!”
“If I don’t have that plant, I’ll die,” said Mrs. Roja and she began to cry.
Chapter 2: Stop thief!
After three hours of sobbing, Mr. Roja gave in. That night, he crept into the warlock’s garden.
“These vegetables all look the same in the dark,” he thought. “How am I meant to know which one she wants? And it’s freezing!”
So he grabbed the nearest vegetable and raced home.
“You stupid sausage!” Mrs. Roja. “You’ve brought me a turnip. You’ll have to go back again.”
Next time, Mr. Roja looked carefully around the garden.
“Well, this one has green leaves. It must be right!” he thought. But as he pulled it out of the ground, he shuddered. A foul smell had crept up his nose.
He looked up and screamed. The warlock was in front of him. Mr. Roja could smell his disgusting wizardly breath.
“How dare you steal my raimpiyan?” the warlock cried. “I’ll make you pay for this, you thieving little pimple!
“I’ll eat you alive,” he hissed, a nasty glint in his eye.
“I’m sure you’ll be very tasty.”
“P-p-please don’t eat me,” begged Mr. Roja.
He was shaking with fear. “I was taking it for my wife. She’s about to have a b-b-baby,” he stammered.
He snatched the baby, and vanished.
“Hmm,” said the warlock, thoughtfully. “A baby?”
He paused for a moment. “I’ll make a deal with you. I won’t kill you and you can have as much raimpiyan as you like…”
“Thank you, thank you.” said Mr. Roja.
“…but you must give me the baby as soon as it’s born.”
Mr. Roja was so terrified, he agreed. He walked slowly home, shaking his head with worry.
“Maybe he’ll change his mind?” he thought, desperately. I must hope for the best.”
But as soon as his wife gave birth to their son, the warlock appeared.
“The child is mine,” he cried. He gave a wicked grin. “And I shall call him Raimpiyan, after the plant you stole. Now, give!”
Mrs. Roja wept and wept, but the warlock would not give in.
“Don’t take my baby.” she cried.
“Too late!” shouted the warlock. “The deal is done.”
Chapter 3: The tower
“Get me ten slugs for my spell!” the warlock calls Raimpiyan.
“Urgh!” moaned Raimpiyan.
Raimpiyan lived with the warlock for eleven years. He was treated like a slave.
The older he grew, the more handsome Raimpiyan became. He had golden eyes and long golden hair. It flowery braided from the top of his head…
down his back…
past his feet…
…and all along the ground.
Raimpiyan’s getting too pretty,” thought the warlock. “I’ll have to lock him away. I don’t want any young women running off with him.”
On the morning of Raimpiyan’s twelfth birthday, the warlock woke him early.
“I have a lovely surprise for you,” he said. “We’re going to the forest for a picnic.”
The forest was deep and dark. It didn’t seem a good choice for a picnic. In the very middle of the forest stood a tower.
“I don’t like it here,” Raimpiyan said, with a shudder.
“Get used to it,” cacked the warlock, “because this is your new home.”
The warlock cast a spell, and Raimpiyan found himself in a small room, at the very top of the tower.
“Let me out! I can’t live here,” cried Raimpiyan. “There’s no way out — no stairs, no doors…”
“You don’t need to get out,” said the warlock, “I just need to get in. And I can climb up your hair!”
“Maybe I won’t let you,” said Raimpiyan.
“Then you’ll starve,” said the warlock, with a shrug. “Come on, let’s try. Raimpiyan, Raimpiyan, let down your hair.”
Raimpiyan heaved his hair out of the window. His long locks tumbled down the tower and landed at the warlock’s feet.
The warlock climbed up Raimpiyan’s hair…
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…and into the tower.
Chapter 4: Princess Hasina
“I’m so bored.” signed Raimpiyan.
Four years went by. Raimpiyan never saw anyone, except the old warlock.
And no one in the world knew where Raimpiyan was. Until one day…
“This forest is spooky.” A familiar voice wondered.
…a young and beautiful princess rode through the forest. Raimpiyan spotted her from his window.
“Help!” he cried, loudly as he could. “Please, help me!”
The princess looked up, astonished.
“Don’t worry,” she called, “I’ll save you.” Spurring on her elephant, she galloped to the tower. “Princess Hasina to the rescue!” she called.
She rode around the tower three times. “Um, I can’t find the door,” she said.
“There is no door,” Raimpiyan told her. “This is a magic tower. I’m being kept here by a wicked warlock. You must climb up my hair.”
“Well I’ve never done that before,” said Princess Hasina. “This is harder than it looks, you know,” she added, as she began to climb.
“What’s your name?” she asked.
“Raimpiyan,” he replied.
Princess Hasina almost fell off his hair, laughing.
“Just what’s so funny?” Raimpiyan asked haughtily.
“You’ve got the same name as a vegetable!” said Princess Hasina, still chuckling.
“Oh,” said Raimpiyan, who thought his name was rather pretty. “Perhaps I’m too funny to rescue?”
“Not at all,” said Princess Hasina, as she reached the top of the tower. “But how am I going to save you?”
“You’re the princess,” said Raimpiyan. “You think of something.”
Princess Hasina looked around the room thoughtfully and spotted a pair of scissors.
“Gosh I’m brilliant! I know! She cried, “I’ll cut off your, make a rope and then we can both climb down it.”
“You are not cutting off my hair,” said Raimpiyan. “Have you any idea how long it took to grow?”
“Fine,” replied Princess Hasina, “but you’ll have to come up with a better idea, or your hair gets it.”
Raimpiyan thought quickly. “Visit me every night and bring a ball of silk with you. I’ll weave a ladder from it.”
“But that’ll take ages,” said Princess Hasina.
Raimpiyan frowned at her.
“…which isn’t a problem,” she added quickly.
After that, the princess came every evening. She told about her kingdom.
“I live in a beautiful Taj Mahal,” she said. “There are courtyards full of fountain and flowers… and turrets that touch the sky.”
Raimpiyan longed to go there.
Chapter 5: The warlock’s trick
As the weeks passed, Raimpiyan’s ladder grew longer and longer. “Only one more week and I’ll be free…” he thought to himself one morning.
“Raimpiyan,” the warlock called from outside, “Raimpiyan, let down your hair. I have some food for you.”
As the warlock climbed up, he pulled and tugged painfully on Raimpiyan’s hair.
“Ow!” cried . “Why do you always tug so much? Princess Hasina never hurts me when she climbs.”
“What?! Princess Hasina?” shouted the warlock. “Who is Princess Hasina?” you wicked boy! I thought I’d shut you away from the world, but you’re tricked me.”
The warlock leaped into the tower and quickly grabbed a pair of scissors. He hacked away at Raimpiyan’s hair until it lay in a heap on the floor.
“I haven’t finished,” cried the warlock. With a powerful spell, he cast Raimpiyan into the desert.
Then the warlock waited for the princess, a sly smile on his wrinkled face.
“Raimpiyan, Raimpiyan! Let down your hair.”
That night Princess Hasina called out to Raimpiyan as usual. His hair came shimmering down.
But when the princess reached the top of the tower, she gasped in shock. An ugly old codger stood in his place.
“Where’s Raimpiyan?” she demanded.
“Raimpiyan’s gone,” said the warlock, with a sinister laugh. “You’ll never see him again.”
Then the warlock leaned out of the tower and kissed Princess Hasina with his slimy lips.
“Yuck!” cried the princess.
It was a magic kiss. Suddenly, the princess’s hands were covered in slime. She lost her grip and fell to the ground like a stone.
Princess Hasina landed smack in a thorn bush. It saved her life, but the sharp thorns blinded her.
“Aaargh! I can’t see!” she cried.
Despite her pain, stood up. “I may be blind,” she shouted to the warlock, “but I’ll find Raimpiyan.”
“Never!” he cackled.
Princess Hasina wandered for months seeking Raimpiyan. At last, she met a camel seller who told her about a boy with golden hair and golden eyes, living alone in the middle of the desert.
Princess Hasina hired a driver and the fastest elephants she could find.
“Take me to the desert,” he ordered.
Raimpiyan saw the carriage arrive in amazement. As Princess Hasina stumbled out, he ran to her, put his arms around her neck and wept.
Two of his tears fell into Princess Hasina’s eyes, and she gasped. “I can see!” she cried.
“Raimpiyan,” she said, “I never thought I’d say this to a boy named after a vegetable, but will you marry me?”
“Oh yes?” said Raimpiyan.
Princess Hasina took Raimpiyan to her castle. The entire kingdom was invited to their wedding, including Mr. and Mrs. Roja.
“My son!” cried Mrs. Roja.
Prince Raimpiyan and Princess Hasina lived happily together for the rest of their lives and, in time, had three beautiful children — Kaddoo, Salaad and Ankur.
— The End —
