Reading notes: Twenty Jataka Tales (Part B)

The flying horse from “The Goblin Town” flies the sailors home. Illustration by H. Willebeek Le Mair (1939).

The Two Pigs

1. Even though the mother is surrounded by drunken men, she refuses to give up her adopted pig-children. Loyalty to family is a common theme in these tories.
2. The men treat the pigs as people and are rewarded with a more peaceful society.

The Patient Buffalo

1. This monkey is extremely annoying. Surely, the buffalo will get some form of justice.
2. The buffalo is rewarded for not using his great power to hurt the weak or act sadistically.

The Sarabha

1. Although the king tries to hunt the Sarabha and kill it, the Sarabha tries to help him.
2. The Sarabha sees the king suffering and knows that it must help him as it would a family member.
3. This king does not forget the help he has received. For every good deed, the person or animal who performed it is rewarded.

The Goblin Town

1. I think the sailors who stayed are justified in that decision. If strange horse-bird creatures flew down from the heavvens, I’d be wary of riding it.
2. How will the men who stayed fare? Will they be eaten by goblins or will they be able to fend the goblins off?

The Great Elephant

1. The elephant sacrifices himself when he sees men in dire need.
2. The elephant gets the short end of the stick in this situation. Being remembered doesn’t seem like a great reward for sacrificing himself.
3. What would happen if the elephant had played a trick on them and never sacrificed himself? What if he had just lied about the elephant body because he was mischievous?

The Quarrelsome Quails

1. This story is a lot like the other animal king ones. If the king’s subjects listen to him, they will never be harmed.
2. The quails who cause internal strife in the flock are punished with death.

The Forest Fire

1. The little quail may not be physically strong, but he has enough power to push back flames.
2. I expected the quail to die because he didn’t do what his parents wanted and eat the insects.

The End of the World

1. The hare overreacts, but he isn’t punished for it.
2. He’s made an honest mistake and the lion seems to forgive him.

The Golden Goose

1. While a king may be majestic, nothing lasts forever.
2. The goose seems to indicate that wealth and promises are beholden to the passage of time.

The Noble Horse

1. The horse asks for mercy for the other kings.
2. This mercy is likely given only because the horse was great in battle. How would the horse’s request have been received if the horse hadn’t done much?

Bibliography

Noor Inayat (Khan). (1939). Twenty Jataka Tales