Reading Notes Jatakas
The Cunning Crane and the Crab by W. H. D. Rouse.
https://sites.google.com/view/jatakas/crane-and-crab
I found this story to be interesting. The beginning of it was pretty straight forward and they author didn't try and hide the fact the crane was deceiving the fish. What I didn't expect was for the crab to come along. I thought that the story would end with the crane eating all of the fish and the morale would be to be more hesitant of predators. But when the smart crab deceived the cocky crane and made him agree to letting the crab put his claws around the crane's neck, the story changed a bit. In the end when the crane "got what was coming for him" I feel like the morale of the story shifted towards more of a good vs. evil theme where the villain eventually gets caught.
The Crocodile and the Monkey's Heart by Marie L. Shedlock
https://sites.google.com/view/jatakas/monkey
"He grew strong and sturdy, big of frame, well-to-do, and lived by a curve of the river Ganges in a forest haunt." (Shedlock)
- I liked the imagery they used to introduce the monkey.
The Monkey Who Gathered Lotuses by Robert Chalmers
https://sites.google.com/view/jatakas/lotuses
"Approaching the lake with caution, he studied the footprints on its banks and marked how all of them led down to the water, but none ever came back. Realizing that the lake was haunted by an ogre, he divined that his father, being unable himself to kill him, wished to get him killed by the ogre." (Chalmers)
- I didn't expect the monkey to find out his father's plan by observing the footprints. I thought this was a cool twist.
"Seeing this from afar, the Bodhisatta's father knew that his plot had failed. "I sent my son to fall a prey to the ogre, and here he is returning safe and sound, with the ogre humbly carrying his flowers for him! I am undone!" cried the old monkey, and his heart burst asunder into seven pieces, so that he died then and there." (Chalmers)
- I thought the fact that the monkey king's heart literally broke and killed him was an interesting ending.
Bibliography
1. The Cunning Crane and the Crab by W. H. D. Rouse. https://sites.google.com/view/jatakas/crane-and-crab
https://sites.google.com/view/jatakas/crane-and-crab
I found this story to be interesting. The beginning of it was pretty straight forward and they author didn't try and hide the fact the crane was deceiving the fish. What I didn't expect was for the crab to come along. I thought that the story would end with the crane eating all of the fish and the morale would be to be more hesitant of predators. But when the smart crab deceived the cocky crane and made him agree to letting the crab put his claws around the crane's neck, the story changed a bit. In the end when the crane "got what was coming for him" I feel like the morale of the story shifted towards more of a good vs. evil theme where the villain eventually gets caught.
The Crocodile and the Monkey's Heart by Marie L. Shedlock
https://sites.google.com/view/jatakas/monkey
"He grew strong and sturdy, big of frame, well-to-do, and lived by a curve of the river Ganges in a forest haunt." (Shedlock)
- I liked the imagery they used to introduce the monkey.
The Monkey Who Gathered Lotuses by Robert Chalmers
https://sites.google.com/view/jatakas/lotuses
"Approaching the lake with caution, he studied the footprints on its banks and marked how all of them led down to the water, but none ever came back. Realizing that the lake was haunted by an ogre, he divined that his father, being unable himself to kill him, wished to get him killed by the ogre." (Chalmers)
- I didn't expect the monkey to find out his father's plan by observing the footprints. I thought this was a cool twist.
"Seeing this from afar, the Bodhisatta's father knew that his plot had failed. "I sent my son to fall a prey to the ogre, and here he is returning safe and sound, with the ogre humbly carrying his flowers for him! I am undone!" cried the old monkey, and his heart burst asunder into seven pieces, so that he died then and there." (Chalmers)
- I thought the fact that the monkey king's heart literally broke and killed him was an interesting ending.
Bibliography
1. The Cunning Crane and the Crab by W. H. D. Rouse. https://sites.google.com/view/jatakas/crane-and-crab
2. The Crocodile and the Monkey's Heart by Marie L. Shedlock. https://sites.google.com/view/jatakas/monkey
3. The Monkey Who Gathered Lotuses by Robert Chalmers. https://sites.google.com/view/jatakas/lotuses
Illustration by W. Robinson. https://sites.google.com/view/jatakas/crane-and-crab. The Crane and the Crab.
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