Riddles at the Lake

Riddles at the Lake

by Donald A. Mackenzie

• Moments of flowery language to mimic: ''a strange and dread adventure threatened them with dire disaster'' "a brahmin was wont to kindle his holy fire" "for birds ever flutter over pools" "But his valor was as naught"
• Nakula's death is depicted quite simply, this contrasts with the vivid language used in the previous paragraph and intensifies the sincerity of the warning to answer the riddle before drinking

• I am a yaksha: A mischievous Indian nature spirit
• This water spirit has a lot of questions...I've always wondered what the riddler gets from making travelers answer their questions. It is an odd form of "payment"
• Beautiful Ideological answer to a riddle in which the tenants of Holiness are established: "Man's unconquered enemy is anger, and his disease is covetousness; he who seeketh after the good of all is holy; he who is selfishly cold is unholy."
• I love a good reveal! The yaksha actually being the god of wisdom, Dharma, is such an interesting way to evolve the story! Now rather than simply ending the tale with a drink of water, the wise Yudhishthira has received boons and undone the damage of his foolish companions