Reading Notes, Jataka Tales, Part A

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The Lion.
(Source)

  • Monkey and the pearls
    • Why a girl monkey?
    • Would the monkey know to hide the pearls?
    • Clever trick
    • "You are the right man in the right place"
  • Three Fishes
    • I relate to putting off something you know you should be doing, but can't bring yourself to do.
    • Again, clever
  • The Tricky Wolf and the Rat
    • It seems the Jataka tales focus on wit and cleverness and trickery
    • A rat killing a wolf? Alright.
  • The Woodpecker, Deer, and Turtle
    • The power of friendship
  • The Golden Goose
    • I like the instant karma. Greed leaves them with less than they would have had had they not been greedy.
  • The Stupid Monkeys
    • Or rather, a stupid gardner also. This one I have mixed feelings about. Like, he wasn't greedy. But also, he did trust monkeys to do a job.
  • The Cunning Wolf
    • Was it necessary to explain that a dead man wouldn't have pulled back on the club?
    • By throwing the club, he lost any chance he had of killing another animal.
  • The Penny-Wise Monkey
    • The monkey could have picked up the rest of the peas
    • Would have been better if it were stated that the king was out to conquer new land.
    • "I will not be like this foolish Monkey, who lost much to gain a little. I will go back to my own country and enjoy what I now have."
  • The Red-Bud Tree
    • Perspective, reference frame
  • The Woodpecker and the Lion
    • Did the Lion not know that the woodpecker prevented him from closing his mouth? 
    • Greed, necessity of thanks
  • The Otters and the Wolf
    • And he did give the otters the head part they had been both desiring, Their deisres just changed once they got what they asked for.
Bibliography, The Jataka Tales, By Ellen Babbitt

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