Week 11 Reading Notes: The Jataka Tales of India Part A

 

Bhutanese painted a thanka of the Jataka Tales (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

The Foolish, Timid Rabbit:

The rabbit is foolish and gullible. He was sleeping under a palm tree and woke up abruptly. He started to run, leading other animals to follow him. The reason for his race to an indeterminate location was because he thought the earth was breaking up. Thanks to the wise and the King of Beast, the lion put an end to this interminable race. He asked why they are running, and of course, they told him because the earth is breaking up: words that came from a foolish rabbit. The wise lion, ask the culprit -the rabbit- where he had heard the sound of the earth breaking up. The rational lion understood quickly: the silly rabbit heard a coconut falling and thought the world would break up. What could be interesting is to write this story but with the point of view of another animal, wondering why he/she is running but still follow.

 

The Merchant of Seri:

In this story, a man takes advantage of an old lady’s naivety to make money. However, fortunately, another honest merchant bought the golden bowl. What could be interesting is writing from the dishonest merchant’s point of view, with his evil thoughts. Alternatively, to stage a TV game show like “The Price is Right.”

Bibliography: The Jataka Tales of India by Ellen C. Babbitt