Ravana laughed after listening to Hanuman. He ordered his soldiers, “A monkey is very fond of its tail. Set fire to his tail and flog him out of Lanka.”
Everyone in the court consented and ridiculed Hanuman. Hanuman, too, smiled heartily after hearing the order.
The demon soldiers and guards tied yards and yards of rags soaked in oil on Hanuman’s tail that kept growing. The whole city of Lanka assembled there to see the spectacle. Old rags and pieces of cloth were brought from the houses of Lanka for wrapping the elongated tail. The longest of tails was dipped in oil. Then they set it ablaze. Seeta, hearing of the insult and treatment of Hanuman, prayed to the Fire-god that he should not harm his son Hanuman.
Hanuman was paraded through the streets and mocked by the men, the women and the children. In the twinkling of an eye he shook off the ropes that bound him. He leapt from building to building, setting fire to everything. People ran in terror as the fire spread. All of Lanka except the Ashoka Vatika and the palace of Vibheeshana was on fire.
