Long ago, in the city of Ayodhya, there lived a good king named Dasharatha. He had four sons. The eldest, Rama, was loved by everyone for his kindness and fairness.

Dasharatha decided to make Rama the next king. The whole city got ready to celebrate. But one of the king's wives, Kaikeyi, wanted her own son, Bharata, to be king instead.

Years earlier, Dasharatha had promised Kaikeyi two wishes. Now she asked for them: make Bharata king, and send Rama to live in the forest for fourteen years. The king was heartbroken, but he had given his word.

Rama could have argued. Many people thought he should. Instead, he calmly bowed to his father and agreed to go, so that his father's promise would be kept.

His wife Sita would not stay behind, and his loyal brother Lakshmana would not either. So the three of them walked out of the city, and all of Ayodhya cried as they left.

This is the first lesson of the Ramayana: keeping your word, and caring about others' honor, sometimes matters more than getting what you want.