Reading Notes: Indian Fairy Tales, Part B

 Notes for Indian Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs

Skeleton of tortoise from the Wellcome Collection Gallery (source: Wikimedia).

"The Talkative Tortoise"

• The future Buddha was an adviser to the king 
• The king talks far too much 
• The future Buddha wanted to cure the kind of this ailment 
• Two wild ducks that lived at the Golden Cave on Mount Beautiful in the Himalaya made friends with a tortoise 
• The ducks asked the tortoise to go to their cave with them 
• They held a stick between their beaks, and the tortoise held on for travel
• Villagers commented on the scene, and the tortoise responded, letting go of the branch and falling to the ground in the courtyard of the king's palace 
• Tortoise breaks in two, killing him 
• The future Buddha used this as an opportunity to tell the king off
• "Truly, O king! those who are called chatter-boxes--people whose words have no end--come to grief like this..."
• The king took the hint and restrained himself henceforth

"How Sun, Moon, and Wind Went Out to Dinner"

• The three went out to dine with their uncle + aunt (Thunder + Lightning)
• Their mother is a distant Star 
• Sun and Wind are greedy and selfish 
• Did not save any food for their mother 
• Claim that they shouldn't have to bring their mother food because they went out for themselves 
• Moon is gentle and kind 
• She placed a small portion of every plate under her fingernail to take to her mother 
• Mother cursed Sun and Wind
• Men hate Sun because his rays are harsh and hurtful 
• Men hate Wind because it dries everything up
• Men view Moon as blessed, and her light is soft, cool, and beautiful