Week 14 Reading Diary: Jataka Tales by Francis and Thomas Part C

Three Fish

I read Part C of Jataka Tales by Francis and Thomas. I found the story of The Three Fishes to be particularly interesting. I had to really think about the story to be honest. The story began about three fish that were described as Very thoughtful, Thoughtless, and Duly thoughtful. I would think that the very thoughtful fish would be what you would want to be right? But, the Duly thoughtful fish was the one that saved the day. I could also be interpreting this in the completely opposite way as what I am supposed to. But anyway, the story goes that the Duly thoughtful fish tells the other to fish that they need to leave because the area where they were was very dangerous because there were a lot of fishermen in that area. The other two fish were so lazy that they just stayed until one day the Very thoughtful fish and the Thoughtless fish swam into a fisherman’s net. The Duly thoughtful fish saved them by acting like a fish that broke out of the net. They were all able to escape because of the Duly thoughtful and the other two fish owed their lives to him.  

Jataka Tales by Francis and Thomas

Week 14 Reading Diary: Jataka Tales by Francis and Thomas

I read Part 2 of the Jataka Tales by Francis and Thomas. The story of The Grateful Animals was definitely interesting. A really mean prince got thrown into a raging river by his servants. A rat, a parrot, a hermit, and a snake saved him. The rat and the snake were people that really loved riches and buried money under the ground in their past lives. While saving the prince, the rat, the parrot, and the snake all became in really bad shape and needed to be taken care of. The hermit nursed back all of them including the prince. He tended to the animals first before the prince because they were the smallest and the most vulnerable. The snake, the parrot, and the rat were all so appreciative and told the hermit he could have their treasure except the parrot. He offered rice. The prince eventually became king and was going to have the hermit killed until he told the villagers what happened. They were outraged and killed the king. The hermit became king and all was well in the land.

The Snake

Jataka Tales by Francis and Thomas

Week 13 Reading Diary: Jataka Tales by Francis and Thomas

I am reading Jataka Tales by Francis and Thomas. I think I am starting to get obsessed with these Jataka Tales. We only have a few weeks left in the semester, but I am starting another one! They are just so good! One thing I have noticed about most of the Jataka Tales, they all seem to have some sort of advice or wisdom being told. It is always so clever and creative. One story that stood out to me in my readings today was the Haughty Slave. This man that had a wife and a son decided to hide his money because he did not trust his wife with it. He wanted to make sure it fell into his son’s hands after he died. He buried the money and only him and his servant knew where it was. So, when the man died his mother told his the son to take the servant and go find the money. The boy did just that, but the servant would take him to the spot and then not tell him. He did this several times before he sought advice from his father’s old friend. The old friend told him to dig where the servant takes him out everyday. There, he will find his father’s money. So, the son did just that and found the money!

Buried Treasure

Jataka Tales by Francis and Thomas

Week 13 Reading Diary: More Jataka Tales by Babbitt

 am really enjoying getting to read more Jataka Tales! They are just so much fun for me! I read More Jataka Tales by Babbitt (Part B). The story of Beauty and Brownie really stuck out to me. Beauty and Brownie were leaders of the Deer and their father told them to take their herds and go away, but travel by night so they will not get caught. They had to go away because there was not enough food for all of them, and their mother and father were afraid that they would get trapped in the traps that the hunters set out for them. Beauty did what their father asked, always traveled by night and was very safe. None of the herd was harmed. However, Brownie forgot and traveled during the day. They went through villages during the day time, and after it was all done only a few survived from the herd. This was such a good story and a good life lesson. When one of our elders tells us something we should listen carefully and follow through because they tell us what to do for a good reason!

Hunters killing Brownie's herd

More Jataka Tales by BabbittI

Week 12 Reading Diary, continued: More Jataka Tales by Babbit

I am really loving reading these Jataka Tales! They are so much fun to read and really make you think. Some of them also make you feel all warm and fuzzy insideJ I read More Jataka Tales by Babbit. The Woodpecker, Turtle, and Deer was such a sweet story about friendship and working together to save their friends. They all sacrificed their safety to save their friends. The deer got captured by a trap that the hunter had set up, and the turtle chewed through the rope to free the Deer. The woodpecker distracted the hunter by pecking at his face so he would go back inside. Once they saved the deer the turtle got captured, but the deer saved the turtle by luring the hunter into the forest. The deer then went back to free the turtle with his antlers. What a precious story! It definitely makes you appreciate your friends that would do anything for you!

The Deer and the Turtle

Babbit, More Jataka Tales