Reading Notes: Babbitt: Jataka Tales, Part A

For this week, I chose to do another series of Jataka Tales, but this week's parts are written by author Ellen C. Babbitt. Part A of the Jataka Tales by Babbitt is composed of various short stories with imagery catering to children. 

Jataka Tales short story animal outline. Web Source: Wikimedia Commons

The Monkey and the Crocodile

In this short story, there is a monkey that lives in a tree on the bank of a river. There are many crocodiles that live in the bank. However, one particular mother crocodile longs for the heart of the monkey. So she tells her son he must go and bring the monkey to her so she can eat his heart. The young crocodile did not know what to do since he does not leave the water and the monkey does not swim, so he made a master plan. The crocodile son told the monkey he would take him to ripe fruit trees if he hopped on his back and the monkey greedily agreed. So when they were on their journey, the crocodile took the monkey underwater while on his back, knowing he could not swim. The monkey grasping for air as the crocodile arose was confused as to why the crocodile was trying to drown him. He revealed his plan to kill him and take his heart for his mother. The monkey outsmarted the crocodile by telling him his heart was in his old tree. So as soon as the crocodile started to head back, the monkey jumped up and swung on the trees until he reached the ripe fruit trees. The crocodile tried to outsmart the monkey again but failed when he decided to lay on a rock as a disguise giving the monkey an opportunity to jump on the crocodile's head while his eyes were closed and run back home.

How the Turtle Saved His Own Life

Some princes are playing in the king's courtyard lake watching the fishes that the king had just ordered some men to put some in the lake. Then suddenly the princes see a creature they have never seen before. A turtle emerged before them and they ran off screaming it was a demon. When the king found out, he told his men to capture the demon and kill it. The men thought of all the cruel punishments they could use to harm the turtle. The last person suggested they throw him in the lake where rocks flow. The turtle very well knew he wanted to go back to the lake so he could go home, so he outspokenly described getting thrown in the lake as horrifying. The less than smart men threw the turtle in the lake and off he happily went to his home.

The Merchant of Seri

A merchant of Seri sold tin and brassware by going town to town with another man. The other man that accompanied him was very greedy. All day the men would go up and down the streets calling out to the townspeople to either buy or trade with them. One day, the greedy man came across an old poor woman and her granddaughter. The woman used to have riches but now all they had was a golden bowl. The granddaughter asked her grandmother if they could see if the old bowl they never used was worth anything to the merchants. The old bowl was the poor woman's husband who used to eat out of it for days. The greedy man looked at it and scratched it with a needle, finding out its true value. He hoped to get it for nothing. In an attempt to trick the poor woman and her granddaughter he yelled screaming the bowl was worthless and scurried off. But the little girl did not lose hope and reached out to the merchant of Seri. The merchant told the poor woman and little girl he did not have enough to give to the woman and girl because it was worth far more than he had. But the family insisted on giving it away to make money. So the merchant gave them everything he had and set forth on a boat with the golden bowl, while the greedy man cried out in anger and frustration for he had lost the biggest prize.

The Turtle Who Couldn't Stop Talking

Two young wild Geese are looking for food when they see a turtle in a pond. The Geese approached the turtle the next day and they became good friends after their conversations. One day the Geese inform the turtle of their beautiful home far away and ask the turtle to go with them. The turtle is worried because he does not have any wings to fly. The Geese tell him if he can keep quiet, they can use a stick to fly him to their home. The turtle promises. As they are flying over a village, some children see the turtle in the air and make comments talking about how ridiculous the turtle looks. The turtle becomes angry and starts to respond to the children. He drops dead at the children's feet because he did not keep his promise to be quiet.

The Ox Who Won the Forfeit

A long time ago a man owned a very strong Ox. His Ox was mighty and he always boasted about how proud he was of his Ox. One day the man decided to make a deal with the villagers betting his Ox can draw a line of one hundred wagons. If the man won, the village would have to pay him a thousand pieces of silver. The village men laughed and waited for the Ox to wow them. The man whipped the Ox and called him a wretch and rascal so he would move the wagons. But the Ox did not move because he was hurt. The man lost a thousand pieces of silver and went home crying of embarrassment. When he approached his Ox to ask him why he did not obey, the Ox said he has never been treated badly and never been whipped or called names. The man apologized to the Ox, and the next day the Ox pulled all the wagons with the kind thoughts of his owner in mind. The man won two thousand silver pieces and the Ox and man lived happily ever after.

The Sandy Road

A merchant with his packed goods came upon a desert. The desert was too hot during the day to walk on, so he waited until the sun went down to walk across the cooled down sand. All night, he and his men rode and were guided by one of their own. The men would stop at daybreak and build fires to cook rice, unyoke the oxen, and spread a big awning to cover themselves to sleep. In the early evening, they would again continue their journey. The pilot was supposed to be leading them, but had hardly gotten any sleep he closed his eyes to rest. When he awoke they were lost and the Ox and men had no water because he had told the others to throw it out since they would reach the city the next day. Everyone became fatigued and hopeless but the pilot knew they had to find water or they would not survive. So they searched and searched until the pilot saw a green tuft of grass. He began to dig and they uncovered a rock. A merchant put his ear to the rock and could hear water flowing, so he struck it with a hammer but could not break it. They called a servant boy to give it one last try and he successfully broke the rock and the well filled up immediately. The men were overjoyed and drank and watered the Ox. They had enough nourishment to make it to the next town to sell their goods then they returned home.

The Quarrel of the Quails

There was a fowler that would go to the forest and catch quails each day and sell them for a living. The man had learned to call the quails together like their leader. The wise leader was very saddened and unhappy by the fowler's doing, so he made a plan to stop it. He told the quails to put each of their heads in one of the little net holes the next time the man threw the net over them. Putting their heads through the holes would allow them to fly up together. The quails listened and managed to successfully escape several times. The man kept coming home empty handed which angered his wife. But the man knew that if the quails ever started fighting, he would be able to catch them again. One day one quail stepped on another's head in the net and the fighting trickled down to the others. Because of the quarreling going on the fowler was able to catch the quails in his net and sell them for a good price.

The Measure of Rice

One day a dishonest king had a valuer in his court. The valuer would set prices to be paid for animals, fine jewels, and other valuable items. The king did not like the valuer because he was an honest person. So the king thought of ways to get rid of the honest valuer and make a larger profit. He called upon a miserable peasant roaming the streets to see if he would like to take the position of the valuer. The peasant agreed and the king loved it because the peasant was unaware of the value of things so he would price them at whatever he pleased. One day an unhappy customer went to the old valuer to tell him what happened. So he made a plan to go to the king and take a fine present to the newly appointed valuer. The horse-dealer and old valuer tricked the king into exposing his unwise thinking and his valuer's incapability. The king asked the valuer what his whole city was worth and the valuer claimed a measure of rice. The ministers clapped and laughed loudly at the valuer's foolishness. The king then sent the valuer away because he was ashamed.

The Foolish, Timid Rabbit

A Rabbit was sleeping when he woke up and thought about the possibility of the world breaking up. Then some Monkeys' suddenly dropped a coconut and it fell slightly behind where the Rabbit was lying. In a panic, the Rabbit ran without looking behind him. He passed many other Rabbits who wondered why he was running and the Rabbit said the earth was breaking up. The word passed on from Rabbit to Rabbit than a Deer, Fox, Elephant, and finally the Lion. When the Rabbit told the Lion what had happened, the King of Beasts went back to the Rabbit's spot with him on his back to find a coconut sitting under the palm tree where he was laying. He told the Rabbit he was foolish because it had to have been the noise that came from the coconut hitting the ground. When he figured it out, he ran back to tell all the other animals. If it weren't for the Lion, the animals would probably still be running for their lives.

Babbitt. Jataka Tales.

Author: Ellen C. Babbitt

Web Source: Babbitt: Jataka Tales Part A