Running out of bedtime stories I proposed to my grandsons that they listen to Ramkatha (Ramayana) in several sessions. They agreed with the rider that it be told in English. It lasted over a week and gave me good practice in on-the-fly translation. The kids found it fascinating.
Then while searching for Ramayana on Youtube, I found the full length animation film by Nippon Ramayana Films. The kids were eager to watch it and they did so in two sessions with a break in-between.
Later there were questions. The one that took the cake went like this, "Dadu, did you notice that whenever Hanumanji or a demon magically grew or shrunk in size, his loincloth and garments and ornaments grew or shrunk too?" I nodded in agreement. Next came the profound observation, "And don't you think that if it didn't happen that way, he would have to go 'nangoo-pangoo'?" (Nangoo- pangoo, according to the family dictionary, is naked.)
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