Reading Notes Week 10: Shedlock's Stories and Legends Part B

The Bull That Demanded Fair Treatment: Good for the bull! This was a longer, more dialogue-heavy tale, but I especially appreciated the development and the bull's insistence that he not be addressed as any lower than he deserved. I hope to write a character who so very effectively sticks up for themselves in a similar manner.

The Bull that Proved his Gratitude: I love the portion of this jataka which talks about how the village children played with, around, and even on the bull, riding on his back and pulling on his ears. I felt this was such a cute scene as well as a great sense of the bull's gentle, patient, and funloving nature. This tale is an example of how a general moral/similar story can be retold in a completely different way- certain aspects, such as the feat of strength and good feeding of the animal from childhood, remained the same, but this story incorporated more of the relationship the bull had with others.

The Horse That Held Out to the End: The horse is introduced using many of the five senses for what reads well in terms of introduction: fed rice, golden dish, perfumed stall, crimson curtains, etc. It all paints a great picture of the scene. I wonder what it's like to cook for this horse. Is there a special recipe book? P e r s e v e r a n c e

The Monkey that Saved the Herd: One paragraph intro: main character, what they do, setting, antagonist. Boom. Four sentences. A natural origin story: how the canes became hollow, like straws. The king of the monkeys beseeches Nature, and it occurs. I'm curious how 80,000 monkeys drinking at once didn't drain the lake though.

The Mallard that Asked for too Much: Greed and selfishly taking advantage of goodwill will cost you that which you deemed not enough in the first place. Short, simple, and brutally effective. Also, reminiscent of the golden hair plotline in Tangled- once Mother Gothel tried to cut her hair for her own use, it lost its magic age-defying powers, just as the mallard's feathers, when plucked in excess, failed to be golden.

The Merchant who Overcame all Obstacles: A very kinesthetic description of the sand: "so fine that when taken in the closed fist it could not be kept in the hand." Another perseverance lesson, as well as a reminder that mistakes can be redeemed so long as you don't give up hope.

The Elephant that was Honored in Old Age: this jataka would let people know that it is unacceptable to respect their elders, and to correlate honor only with services renders. I also read it as a cautionary tale to know what makes you useful to others. In addition, this story was different because the protagonist had an advocate to do most of the speaking. Generally, the main character speaks for themselves, but I rather liked that the Buddha spoke for the She-Elephant because it was a twist.

The Faithful Friend: The playful image of the dog swinging about on the elephant's trunk is so cute and provides a contrast between happy times of the beginning and the depressed times to follow upon their separation. "The King paid great honor to the Bodisat for knowing the motives even of animals." A good moral to make understanding others a priority.

Bibliography:

    Shedlock, Marie L. Eastern Stories and Legends. Link.

Image Info: The 2018 Spanish cover for Marie Shedlock's Eastern Stories and Legends.
Source: Peter's Books. Link.