Week 15: Fables of Bidpai Part A

For Week 15's reading options, I chose to read the folktales from the Fables of Bidpai. After reading some of Aesop's fables in mythology and folklore and seeing in the description how the fables are similar, I decided to explore these short stories. Particularly, for Part A, I chose to focus on The Ape and the Boar. I was kind of disappointed with the length of most of the stories as I wish they were longer, but I decided to focus on The Ape and the Boar as it reminded me of other stories I read this semester. One story it reminded me of was the Wolf and the Otters. I think the central message in both stories is to warn of being greedy and the pitfalls that come with always wanting. We saw that with the two otters as well with the boar since it led to him breaking his own neck. One aspect of the story that I wish was more detailed was the conflict the monkey was going through. It was mentioned at the beginning how he had to save food for the winter and was getting tired of the fruit, but there was no resolution to this issue. Rather the story just went to the boar. If I were to retell the story, I would want to include some focus on the monkey's conflict rather than making it all about the boar.

Source: Fables of Bidpai, E. Boyd Smith, 1908

Incredible photos show orangutan wielding stick to fight off pig threatening her baby – The Sun

I actually found this picture to be quite fortuitous as it happened to show the ape fighting off a boar just like in the story.

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Week 9 Story: Bhima and the Nagas

Duryodhana was a jealous warrior. He could not stand if anybody was better him, no matter the competition. From archery to running to strength training, he saw how his Pandavas cousins performed at the highest marks. However, no made Duryodhana more angry than Bhima. Now Bhima was the best of the spot. He could bench over 300 pounds, squat 450 pounds, and run a mile in less than 6 minutes. No one could match him physically and for this Duryodhana plotted to get rid of Bhima. He knew he could not do it face to face combat, so he decided to poison his food during dinner. He extracted poison from the venomous King Cobra and sprinkled onto Bhima's dinner for the night. As Bhima took his first bites, he passed out and laid asleep on the ground. Duryodhana seizing his opportunity, gagged Bhima and threw into the holy Ganges for him to forever lie. Yet, as Bhima fell into the river it was fated by the gods that he was not to die. His destiny lied far ahead in the future. Thus when Bhima...

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Shiva and Parvati with their son, Ganesha Link to Storybook

Week 14: More Jataka Tales Part B

For Part B of Week 14 reading, I continued the Jataka Tales. Specifically for the week I read The Elephant and the Dog. What really sparked my interest to read the story was the title. As a fan of dogs and knowing the importance of elephants in Indian culture, I was curious to see how the two animals interacted in the story, and I was definitely not disappointed. I loved the heartwarming story of the dog and elephant's friendship and how they needed each other to live. It is always surprising to me how animals from different species are able to form friendships, but I think it highlights how even in animals, love and friendship has no boundary. If I were to retell the story, I would probably add a personal touch such as replacing the dog with my own dog, Max. He is a German Shepherd who loves to hang out with other dogs, so I think he quickly make friends with the elephant. Additionally, I think adding dialogue between the two animals could help showcase their friendship and add m...

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