Reading Notes

The Foolish, Timid Rabbit
Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt

  • Rabbit and Lion: main characters; Monkey, Elephant, Fox: secondary characters
  • Story similar to children's movie, Chicken Little
  • Monkey drops coconut on ground, Rabbit thinks the earth is breaking, causes a frenzy to other animals to join in on rampage
  • All mighty lion comes in to prove all rumors of the earth to be false

The Monkey Who Gathered Lotuses
Tayodhamma Jataka in The Jataka: Volume 1 translated by Robert Chalmers.

  • Main Characters
    • Bodhisatta--> monkey son
    • Monkey father
    • Ogre
  • Secondary Characters
    • Monkey mother 
  • Son grew up without a father because it was known the father was frightened by his children that they would one day surpass him as King
  • Son was eager to meet his father, so he questions his mother on where he resides. He finds out he is located at the foot of a certain mountain, so thus he goes to seek out his father. 
  • Weary of his son coming to meet him and overtaking the throne, the King sends him on a journey that he surely believes will kill the son. 
  • Mission: to bring back lotuses from a river that contains an ogre. footsteps are leading up to the river but none returning: there it is known that no one comes back alive
  • Knowing of his father's intentions, the son devises a plan to outsmart the King. He will leap back and forth from the bank, grabbing lotuses that float on the surface without ever touching the water 
    • this he succeeded
  • the Ogre, seeing this, was impressed with the young monkey as he had never seen someone so wise. thus he agreed to walk back with the monkey carrying the lotuses
  • the father seeing this tremendous success, cried out and his heart burst into seven pieces
  • the son reigned King following his father's immediate death
    Lotus Flower
    Click here for link


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