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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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...

Nice to meet you, my name is Neal

Wow. It is crazy to think that I am already back in Norman for my senior year. While my first threes years were full of unique experiences, I never would have imagined all of these recent events occurring. Although it has been a struggle to get through the pandemic, as I am sure everyone can agree with, I am looking forward to completing my senior year and pursuing my future. To start off, I am psychology major on the pre medicine track. Ever since I took psychology in high school I found studying the mind and the way people act so interesting. However, I always had the goal of becoming a physician which explains the pre-med track. Although I am an OU student, I still consider myself a proud Texan. I come from a relatively small town in East Texas where high school football is king and perhaps the most famous thing is that Matthew Mccounaughey graduated from my high school (he even came to our high school graduation this year to give a speech!). Wikimedia Commons : Longview ...

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