Thinking About Your Thinking

Metacognitive Reading Worksheet

R.K. Narayan's The Ramayana — Chapter Seven: “When the Rains Cease”

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DATE

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B DAY

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BEFORE READING: Preparing My Mind

1. The chapter is called “When the Rains Cease.” At this point in the story, Sita has been taken, the ally has been secured, and the army is coming — but it is not here yet. Before you read, what does a title about the end of the rain season suggest to you? What kind of story do you think this will be?

2. Think about a time when you had to wait for something important, and there was nothing you could do to make it happen faster. How did the waiting affect your mood? What did your mind do with all that time?

DURING READING: Monitoring My Understanding

Comprehension Check-In: Rate your understanding of each section as you read (1 = confused, 5 = clear).

Section	1	2	3	4	5
Part A: Sugreeva’s coronation; Rama’s advice about leadership; his private reflection on Kooni and the clay balls; his refusal to live in the city; Hanuman pressed to stay with Sugreeva
Part B: The rainy season arrives; Rama sinks into depression; he speaks to the rain, lightning, and deer as if they are connected to Sita; Lakshmana comforts him
Part C: The rains end; Sugreeva still has not arrived; Rama’s fury; Lakshmana goes to Kiskinda; finds Sugreeva lost in wine and pleasure; Tara’s sharp lecture; the women stop Lakshmana at the gates
Part D: Sugreeva takes responsibility and vows never to drink again; Rama greets him warmly with no accusation; the vast army parades past; search parties sent in all directions; Rama describes Sita to Hanuman and gives him his ring
Part E: The underground city; the search party’s despair at the ocean’s edge; Sampathi (Jatayu’s wingless brother) appears; confirms Sita is in Lanka; Jambavan reveals Hanuman’s true power; Hanuman prepares to leap across the sea

Double-Entry Journal: Choose two moments that made you stop — one from the rainy-season section and one from anywhere else in the chapter.

Describe the moment in your own words. Include a page number if you can.

The moment (in your own words, with page number if possible)	My reaction: what did this make me think or feel?

How People Handle Being Stuck: Three characters in this chapter are waiting, trapped, or at a dead end. For each one, describe how they respond and what it tells you about them.

Think about whether their response makes sense to you, even if it is not admirable.

Who is stuck?	How do they respond to being stuck or unable to act?	What does their response tell you about them?
Rama — trapped by the rains with no way to search for Sita
Sugreeva — now king, with a promise to help Rama that he has let slide
Angada — the search party has failed, exceeded the deadline, and reached the ocean’s edge with nowhere to go

AFTER READING: Reflecting on My Understanding

3. Look back at your Comprehension Check-In ratings. Which section was hardest to follow? Be specific about what caused the difficulty. What did you do, or what could you do now, to clear it up?

4. In his advice to Sugreeva, Rama remembers throwing clay balls at Kooni as a child — mocking her deformity — and wonders privately whether that old cruelty is what set everything in motion. He thinks a small act of unkindness might have changed his entire life. Do you believe small cruelties can have consequences that large? Have you seen this happen?

5. Jambavan tells Hanuman that a curse has kept him unaware of his own true power all his life. The moment someone names what he is actually capable of, everything changes. Have you ever had someone see something in you that you couldn’t see in yourself? What was it like to be told it?

6. Rama sent a furious message threatening to destroy every monkey on earth if Sugreeva didn’t come. Then, the moment Sugreeva actually arrives, Rama greets him warmly, says nothing about the broken promise, and just gets on with the plan. Does this make Rama seem forgiving, or does it bother you? Is there a difference between forgiving someone and just moving on?

7. Thinking About Your Thinking: Go back to your Before Reading answer about waiting. Now that you have read Rama’s experience during the rains, compare his response to yours. Also — which character in this chapter did you find most relatable, and what does that tell you about yourself?

The Ramayana Unit — Metacognitive Reading Practice Chapter Seven: When the Rains Cease Monitor. Question. Clarify. Connect.