Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Jataka Tales

http://www.culturalindia.net/indian-folktales/jataka-tales/index.html

Jataka Tales

In 300 B.C, the Jataka Tales were written for the mankind to gain knowledge and morality. Ever since, Jataka tales have become story books that are both enjoyable as well as knowledgeable. Originally written in Pali language, Jataka Buddhist tales have been translated in different languages around the world. The luminous fables of ‘Jataka’ are intended to impart values of self-sacrifice, morality, honesty and other informative values to people.

No less than 547 in number, Jataka Tales are an important part of Buddhist literature. Jatak stories represent former incarnations of Buddha, at times like an animal, a bird and sometimes like a human being, the future Siddhartha Gautama. The setting of the stories is made in or near Benares (Varanasi), which is a holy city in north central India. Some of the popular story/ tale from Jatak collection are provided here.

Golden Swan

The Golden Swan

This is another nice story from the album of Jataka Kathaye (Tales). Once upon a time, there was a swan / goose that had striking golden feathers. This swan lived in a pond. There was a house near this pond, where a poor woman lived with her two daughters. The people were really poor and were leading a tough life. The swan found that the poor mother was passing a hard time with her daughters.

The swan thought, “If I give them one after another my golden feathers, the mother can sell them. She and her daughters can live in comfort with the money raised from it”. After thinking this, the swan flew away to the poor woman’s house. On seeing the swan inside the house, the woman said,” Why have you come here? We have nothing to offer you”.

The Swan replied, “I have not come to take anything, but I have something to give you. I know your condition. I will give my golden feathers one by one and you can sell them. With the money raised through it, you people can easily live in comfort”. After saying this, the swan shed one of her feathers and then flew away. This became a regular feature and from time to time, the swan came back and every time left another feather.

Like this, the mother and her daughters were happily leading their life by selling the feathers of the golden swan. Each golden feather got them enough money to keep them in comfort. But the mother became greedy to get all the feathers as soon as possible. One day, she said to her daughters, “Now, we will not trust this swan, possibly she may fly away and never come back. If this would happen, we will be poor again. We will take all of her feathers, when she will come the next time”.

The innocent daughters replied, “Mother, this will hurt the swan. We will not cause any pain to her”. But the mother was determined to catch hold the swan the very next time she comes. Next time, when the swan came, the mother caught her and pulled out all of her feathers. Now, the golden feathers of the swan changed into some strange feathers. The mother was shocked to see such feathers.

The Golden Swan said, “Poor Mother, I wanted to help you, but you wanted to kill me instead. As per my wish, I used to give you the golden feather. Now, I think there is no need to help you. Now, my feathers are nothing more than chicken feathers for you. I am going from this place and will never come back”. The mother felt sorry and apologized for the mistake committed by her. The Golden Swan said, “Never be greedy” and flew away.

Moral: Excess greed brings nothing.
This is another nice story from the album of Jataka Kathaye (Tales). Once upon a time, there was a swan / goose that had striking golden feathers. This swan lived in a pond. There was a house near this pond, where a poor woman lived with her two daughters. The people were really poor and were leading a tough life. The swan found that the poor mother was passing a hard time with her daughters.

Power of a Rumour

The Power of a Rumour

This one is a nice story from the album of Jataka Kathaye/ Tales. Once upon a time, it happened in a forest that a hare was resting under a banyan tree. He had an intuition of doom and thought, “What would happen to me, if the earth will break? “. Suddenly, he heard a weird striking sound. He said, “It’s happened, the earth is breaking up”. He jumped up and ran madly without even observing the direction.

When he was running through the forest, a hare saw him and asked, “What happened? Where are you going in such a hurry? “. The Hare cried,” The earth is breaking up. You better run too”. The second hare ran so fast that he overtook the first hare. As they were passing the forest, both of them shouted to other hares, “The earth is breaking up. The earth is breaking up”. Very soon, thousands of hares were running through the forest.

On seeing hares running through the forest, the other animals too got frightened. The news spread from mouth to mouth and soon, everyone came to know that the earth was breaking up. It didn’t take much time before all the animals joined the race. All creatures whether reptiles or birds, insects or four-footed animals, everyone was trying to escape and their cries of fear created chaos all around.

A lion standing on a hill saw all the animals running and thought,” What is the matter? “. He ran down the hill rapidly and positioned himself in front of the crowd. He shouted at them, “Stop! Stop! ”. The powerful presence of the lion curtailed the rising wave of fright among the animals. A parrot yelled, “The earth is breaking up”, alighting on a rock near him. The Lion asked,” Who said it? “. The parrot replied, “I heard it from the monkeys".

When the monkeys were asked, they replied that they had heard it from the tigers. When the tigers were asked, it was found that they were informed by the elephants. The elephants told that the buffaloes formed their source. Finally, when the hares were caught up, they pointed one to another until the one, who started this menace was recognized.

The Lion asked the hare, “What made you think that the earth is breaking up?” The hare wavering in fear answered, “Your Majesty, I heard it cracking with my own ears”. The Lion investigated the matter and explored the sound that the hare had heard. Ultimately, he came to know that the sound had been caused by a large coconut falling from a tree. The coconut fell on a pile of rocks causing a minor landslide.

The Lion said to all the animals, “ Go back to your homes. The earth is absolutely safe. Next time onwards, check a rumour before acting on it”. The animals, which were now looking quite stupid, went back to their homes.

Moral: Check a rumour before acting on it.
This one is a nice story from the album of Jataka Kathaye/ Tales. Once upon a time, it happened in a forest that a hare was resting under a banyan tree. He had an intuition of doom and thought, “What would happen to me, if the earth will break? “. Suddenly, he heard a weird striking sound. He said, “It’s happened, the earth is breaking up”. He jumped up and ran madly without even observing the direction.

Jackal who saved lion

The Jackal who saved the Lion

Here is another interesting story from the collection of Jataka Tales. Once upon a time, there lived a lion in a forest. One day, when he went to drink water in a river, one of his feet got stuck into the damp mushy mud of the river. He tried a lot to get out of the mud, but to no avail. He had to lie without food for days because he didn’t find any help. On one fortunate day, a kind jackal came to drink water from the river. When he saw the lion, he went closer to the lion and said, “What is the matter? Why are you resting here?”

The lion narrated him the pathetic story. The Jackal instantly made a way out from the sand but the lion was unable to move his feet. As he was set in the same posture for last several days, his body became stiff. The jackal understood the condition of the lion and helped him to get out of the mud with an extra effort. The Lion was really thankful to jackal for his kind help. He was very happy to get free after so many days.

The Lion appreciated the effort made by the jackal. He offered the jackal to live close to him and also promised to give food to him whenever he caught food. The jackal accepted the offer and started living with the lion. Thus, they lived happily sharing the food. With the passing time, they expanded their families. The lion had cubs and the jackal had kid jackals. Both, the lion and the jackal were passing their days happily. They didn’t have any idea that their friendship was not liked by their families.

One day after a long time, the lioness, lady of the lion's house, asked her cubs that she didn’t like the amity between the jackal and her husband. The cubs conveyed the message to the kid jackals. The kids complained the matter to the lady jackal. The lady jackal conveyed the complaint to her husband.

The jackal went to the Lion and asked,” I helped you without any consideration in return. You had asked me to live with you, so I started living with you. Now, if you don’t want me to live with you, you should have told me yourself. What did you involve your wife and cubs to convey this? “. The Lion was shocked to hear such words. He said, “My dear friend, what are you saying? I don’t find any problem with you or your friendship”. He assured the jackal that he had no such ill-feelings for the friendship between them.

The Lion also assured that he would talk to the lioness and solve the whole matter. The jackal was intelligent and understood the situation. He said to the lion, “Dear friend, I know you are sincere, but our families could not exactly respond the same level of friendship. So, let us stay apart and meet often as friends. We could also hunt together. It would be better, if our families stay apart”. The Lion agreed to the proposal with a heavy heart.

The two families parted from each other as friends. The Jackal and the Lion continued to share the friendship. They often met each other and hunt together. Thus, the two friends shared a healthy friendship throughout their life.

Moral: Don’t expect your family to reciprocate the same level of friendship you have with someone.
Here is another interesting story from the collection of Jataka Tales. Once upon a time, there lived a lion in a forest. One day, when he went to drink water in a river, one of his feet got stuck into the damp mushy mud of the river. He tried a lot to get out of the mud, but to no avail. He had to lie without food for days because he didn’t find any help. On one fortunate day, a kind jackal came to drink water from the river. When he saw the lion, he went closer to the lion and said, “What is the matter? Why are you resting here?”

Cunning Wolf

The Cunning Wolf

It is an interesting story from the collection of Jataka Tales. Once upon a time, some people from a certain town went into a forest for an excursion. They want to enjoy the holiday to its fullest. They took baskets full of eatables with them. They ate all the meat they had brought with them till the noon time. They didn’t leave anything for the dinner and suddenly realized that what they would eat in the dinner. They wanted to enjoy the vacation and without proper food, it was quite impossible.

One of the men said, “There is no need to worry. I will bring some fresh meat. We will make a fire here and roast it. It will be a great fun too”. After saying this, he took a club and went to the lake. He knew that the animals would definitely come to the riverside for drinking water. He lay down on the ground with a club in his hand and pretended as if, he was dead.

After some time, a group of wolves came down to the lake. When they saw the man lying on the riverside, they kept an eye on him for some time. The King of the wolves said, “I think, this man is playing trick on us. All of you stay here, while I will go and check whether he is really dead or pretending to be dead”. So, the cunning king of the wolves slithered up to the man and pulled his club a little cautiously. The man pulled back his club at once.

The King of the wolves ran from the place and shouted, “If you had been dead, you would not have pulled back you club when I tried to pull it. I caught your trick. You pretended to be dead so that you may kill one of us for your dinner”. The man quickly jumped up and tried to kill the wolf. He chucked his club at the King of the Wolves. Unfortunately, the man missed his aim and the wolf safely ran away. He looked for the other animals, but none of them was visible. All of them ran away.

The man got frustrated at this, but could not do anything. Thus, he went back to his friends and said, “I tried to get fresh meat by playing a trick on the animals, but the cunning wolf played a better trick on me. I am sorry. I could not get fresh meat for you”.
It is an interesting story from the collection of Jataka Tales. Once upon a time, some people from a certain town went into a forest for an excursion. They want to enjoy the holiday to its fullest. They took baskets full of eatables with them. They ate all the meat they had brought with them till the noon time. They didn’t leave anything for the dinner and suddenly realized that what they would eat in the dinner. They wanted to enjoy the vacation and without proper food, it was quite impossible.

Elephant and Dog

The Elephant and the Dog

This is another interesting story / tale from the Jataka collection. Once upon a time, there was a royal elephant that used to reside in the premises of the king’s palace. The elephant was very dear to the king, so he was cared, well-fed and well-treated. There was a Dog who used to live in the neighborhood of the Elephant shed. He was very weak and skinny. He was always fascinated by the smell of the rich sweet rice being fed to the royal elephant.

One day, the Dog could not resist the aroma of the rice and somehow, he sneaked into the Elephant’s shed. He ate the sweet rice that fell from the Elephant’s mouth. He liked the rice so much, that he started coming daily to eat the rice. For days, the huge Elephant didn’t notice the small dog as he was busy in enjoying the delicious food. Gradually, the Dog became bigger and stronger by eating such rich food. He came under the notice of the Elephant.

The Elephant used to enjoy the company of the Dog and started sharing his food with him. Both of them also started sharing time with each other and soon, they made good friends. They ate together, slept together and played together. While playing, the Elephant would hold the Dog in his trunk and swing him back and forth. It didn’t take long, when neither of them was happy without the other. They became great friends and didn’t want to get separated from each other.

Then one day, a man saw the Dog and asked the Elephant-keeper, “I want to buy this Dog. What price do you seek for the Dog?” The Elephant-keeper didn’t own the Dog still he sold the Dog and extracted a sum of money out of this deal. The man took the Dog to his home village, which was quite far away. The King’s Elephant became very sad after this incident. He missed his friend a lot and started neglecting everything. He didn’t want to do anything without his dear friend, so stopped eating, drinking and even bathing.

Ultimately, the Elephant-keeper reported this to the King; however he didn’t tell anything about the Dog. The King had a wise minister, who was known for his understanding of animals. At once, the King asked the minister, “Go to the Elephant shed and find out the reason for the Elephant’s condition”. The intelligent minister went to the Elephant shed and found the Elephant very sad. He looked the Elephant all over and asked the Elephant-keeper, “There is nothing wrong with this Elephant’s body, then why does he look so sad? I think this Elephant is grief stricken, possibly due to the loss of a dear friend. Do you know if this Elephant shared a close friendship with anyone?”

The Elephant-keeper said, “There was a Dog who used to eat, sleep and play with the Elephant. He has been taken by a stranger three days ago”. The Minister asked, “Where is the Dog?” and he replied,”I don’t know”. The minister went back to the King and said, “Your majesty, as per my opinion, the royal Elephant is not sick, but he is lonesome without his dear friend, the Dog”. The King said, “You’re right, friendship is one of the most wonderful things of life. Do you know where that Dog is?”

The Minister replied, “Elephant-keeper has informed that a stranger took him away and he didn’t know about his whereabouts”. The King asked, “How can we bring back my Elephant’s friend and make him happy again?” The Minister suggested, “Your Majesty, make a declaration, that whoever has the dog that used to live at the royal Elephant’s shed will be penalized”. The King did the same and the man who took the dog, instantly turned him loose when he heard the proclamation.

When got free, the Dog ran back as fast as he could to reach the Elephant’s shed. The Elephant was so delighted to see the Dog that he picked his friend with his trunk and made him sit on his head. The Dog waved his tail, while the Elephant’s eyes sparkled with happiness. The King was contented to see the happy Elephant once again. He also rewarded the minister for his wise judgment. Both, the Elephant and the Dog lived happily thereafter.
This is another interesting story / tale from the Jataka collection. Once upon a time, there was a royal elephant that used to reside in the premises of the king’s palace. The elephant was very dear to the king, so he was cared, well-fed and well-treated. There was a Dog who used to live in the neighborhood of the Elephant shed. He was very weak and skinny. He was always fascinated by the smell of the rich sweet rice being fed to the royal elephant.

Hawks and Their Friends

The Hawks and Their Friends

It is another interesting story from the album of Jataka Tales. Once upon a time, there lived a family of Hawks in a lake near a forest. The family included Female-Hawk, Male-Hawk and their Kid-Hawks. All of them were passing their days happily. There also lived a Lion, a Kingfisher and a Turtle on the northern, the eastern and the southern shore of this lake respectively. One day, the Female-Hawk asked her husband, “Sweetheart, how many friends do you have near here?”

The Male-Hawk replied, “I do have friends, but not one in this part of the forest”. The Female-Hawk asked, “Dear, you must find some friends. At least, we should have some one who can help us, if ever we are in trouble or in danger”. The Male-Hawk asked, “With whom shall I make friends?” The Female-Hawk suggested, “You can make friends with the Kingfisher, the Lion and the Turtle, who lives on the eastern, the northern and the southern shore of this lake”.

The Male-Hawk liked the idea and went to the lion, the kingfisher and the turtle one by one and made friends with them. Everyone was happy to make a new friend. Everything was going smooth in their life. Suddenly one day, some men came to the forest for hunting. They hunted in the forest from morning till night, but found nothing. They didn’t want to go home empty-handed, so they went to the lake in order to see what they could find there.

After the whole day, they were tired. When they couldn’t locate anything even on the lake, one of them said, “let us stay here tonight and see what we can find in the morning". All of them agreed to the proposal. They made beds of leaves for themselves and lay down to sleep. They made their beds under the tree in which the Hawk family had its nest. However, the hunters could not sleep because they were disturbed by the flies and the mosquitoes.

Ultimately, they got up and built a fire on the shore of the lake, so that the fumes would drive away the flies and mosquitoes. The fumes awoke the hawks and the kid-hawks cried out. Hearing the cries of the Kid-Hawks, one of the hunters said to the other, “Did you hear that? That was the cry of the birds. They will make well for our breakfast. There are young ones in that nest” pointing towards the nest. The Hunters put more wood on the fire and made it blaze up.

The Hawks listened to the conversation of the hunters. The Female-Hawk got frightened and said to her husband, “These men are planning to eat our young ones. We have to ask our friends to save us. Ask the Kingfisher to help us, as we are in danger”. The Male-Hawk flew speedily to the Kingfisher’s nest and made him awake with his cry. The Kingfisher asked the Hawk, “Why have you come at this late hour of night?” The Male-hawk narrated the whole story to the Kingfisher.

The Kingfisher consoled the Hawk and said, “Don’t worry my friend. I will help you. Go back and comfort your mate. I am just coming”. The Male-Hawk flew back to his nest quickly and the Kingfisher also came at the location. On arriving, the Kingfisher saw the burning fire and instantly, beating the water with his wings sprinkled water on the fire and put it out. The Hunters made another fire and one of them, tried to climb up the tree. The Kingfisher put out the fire once again.

As often as a fire was made, the Kingfisher put it out. By the Midnight, the Kingfisher got very tired. The Female-Hawk noticed the condition of the Kingfisher and said to her husband, “The Kingfisher is tired. Go and ask the Turtle to come and help us. In the meantime, the Kingfisher may take some rest”. The Male-Hawk quickly flew down and asked the Kingfisher, “Rest a while friend. I am going to get the Turtle”.

Subsequently, the Male-Hawk flew towards the southern shore of the lake and wakened the Turtle. The Turtle asked the Hawk, “What happened friend? Why you have come?” The Male-Hawk replied, “A danger has come to us” and told the whole story about the hunters. He also said, “The Kingfisher has been working for hours and he is tired by now, that is why I have come to you”. At once, the turtle said, “I will help you”.

After this, the Turtle went to the place where the Hawks lived. He dived into the water, collected some mud and put the fire out with it. On seeing the Turtle, the hunters cried, “Why to bother for the young hawks? Let us kill this Turtle. It will make a nice breakfast for us. We have to be careful otherwise it will bite us. Let us throw a net over it and turn it over”. But they didn’t have nets with them, so they took some vines and tore their clothes to make a net.

When they tried to put the net over the Turtle, they could not roll him over. Instead, the Turtle suddenly dived down into the deep water making their efforts vain. The hunters got so impatient to get the turtle that they went down into the deep water. When they came out of the water, they said, “Half of the night, a Kingfisher kept putting out our fires. Now, we have torn our clothes and got wet while trying to get this turtle. We will make another fire and eat those young hawks at sunrise”. With this, they started making another fire.

The Female-Hawk was hearing the conversation of the hunters. She said to her partner, “I am afraid, sooner or later these men will get our young ones. Go and ask our friend, the Lion to help us”. The Male-Hawk flew to the Lion at once. The Lion asked the Hawk, “Why have you come at this late hour of night?” The Hawk narrated him the whole story. The Lion said, “Don’t worry friend. I just come. You go back and comfort your mate and the young ones”.

Soon, the Lion came roaring at the place. On hearing the Lion’s roar, the hunters cried, “Now, all of us would be killed”. They ran away from the scene as fast as they could run. When the Lion approached the tree, not even a single hunter was visible. At that time, the Kingfisher and the Turtle also came on the scene. The Hawks were happy to find the hunters were gone. They appreciated the efforts made by all of the friends and lived happily thereafter.

Moral: Friends in need are friends indeed.
It is another interesting story from the album of Jataka Tales. Once upon a time, there lived a family of Hawks in a lake near a forest. The family included Female-Hawk, Male-Hawk and their Kid-Hawks. All of them were passing their days happily. There also lived a Lion, a Kingfisher and a Turtle on the northern, the eastern and the southern shore of this lake respectively. One day, the Female-Hawk asked her husband, “Sweetheart, how many friends do you have near here?”

Wind and Moon

The Wind and the Moon

Here is another nice story from the collection of Jataka kathaye / tales. Once upon a time, there lived two friends in the shade of a rock. It would sound strange, but one of them was a lion and the other was a tiger. They were friends since their childhood. They knew each other from the time, when they were too small to understand the difference between the lions and the tigers. Thus, their friendship was not at all strange to them.

Moreover, the part of the mountain under which they lived was peaceful; it could be due to the presence of a monk who lived under the same rock. He was a hermit, one who lives far away from worldly affairs. One day, the two friends got into a stupid argument for some unknown reason. The Tiger said,” Everyone knows that cold comes when the moon decreases from full to new”. The Lion said, “You are a stupid fellow. From where did you hear such nonsense? Everyone knows that cold comes when the moon increases from new to full”.

The argument between them became stronger and stronger. Both of them were firm at their own opinion. They could not arrive at any conclusion to resolve the growing disagreement. They even started calling ill names to each other. Suddenly, they thought that like this they would lose their friendship. At last, they decided to go and ask the learned monk, who would definitely know about the actual answer.

Both of them went together to the peaceful monk and bowed respectfully before him. The hermit asked them the reason for their sudden arrival. They put their question to him and said, “Sir, only you can answer to this problematic question”. The hermit thought for a while and said, “It can be cold in any phase of the moon, from new to full and back to new again. It is the wind that brings the cold, whether from west or north or east. Therefore, both of you are right and neither of you is defeated by the other”.

The hermit also said, “Both of you share healthy friendship since your childhood. It is not good to get into arguments and think about separation. The most important thing is to live without conflict, to remain united. Unity is best by all means”. The Lion and the Tiger understood the message of the wise monk. They thanked him for the kind suggestion given by him. Both of them lived happily thereafter as good friends.

Moral: Weather comes and weather goes, but friendship remains.
Here is another nice story from the collection of Jataka kathaye / tales. Once upon a time, there lived two friends in the shade of a rock. It would sound strange, but one of them was a lion and the other was a tiger. They were friends since their childhood. They knew each other from the time, when they were too small to understand the difference between the lions and the tigers. Thus, their friendship was not at all strange to them.

Penny Wise Monkey

The Penny Wise Monkey

Here is another nice tale/ story from the Jataka collection. Once upon a time, there lived the King of a big and affluent country. The King was quite fond of traveling. Usually, he didn’t like to visit his own country; instead he went to other countries. One day, he assembled his army to move out for a holiday to some distant country. The King and his soldiers walked for the whole morning in the forest. After this, they went into the camp to take some rest.

The horses were also tired, so they were fed with peas. One of the Monkeys, who lived in the forest, was keeping a track of the things done by the king’s men from a distance. When he saw peas offered to the horses, he jumped down from the tree at once to get some of them. He quickly gobbled some peas, also filled his mouth and hands with them. Then, he went up the tree and sat down to eat the peas.

As and when, he sat there to eat peas; one pea fell from his hand to the ground. The greedy monkey dropped all the peas he had in his hands and ran down to look for the lost pea at once. Unluckily, he could not find that one pea. He climbed up the tree again and sat at rest. He was looking very sad. He said to himself, “To get one pea, I threw away what I had”.

The King was watching the monkey from the camp and said to himself, “I would not be like this stupid monkey, who lost much to gain a little. I will go back to my own country and enjoy what I have”. Thus, the King and his army marched back to their own country.

Moral: Value the things you have.
Here is another nice tale/ story from the Jataka collection. Once upon a time, there lived the King of a big and affluent country. The King was quite fond of traveling. Usually, he didn’t like to visit his own country; instead he went to other countries. One day, he assembled his army to move out for a holiday to some distant country. The King and his soldiers walked for the whole morning in the forest. After this, they went into the camp to take some rest.

Sandy Road

The Sandy Road

This is a nice story from the collection of Jataka Tales. Once upon a time, there lived a merchant in a small village. The merchant dealt in different kinds of goods. He wanted to sell his goods in the town, in order to gain good sum of profits. One day, he decided to go to the town to try his fortune. He arranged for some men who could go along with him. During the journey, he had to pass through a desert, so he also arranged for water, rice and firewood.

According to the plan, he packed his goods in several carts and set out for the journey along with his mates. When they reached the desert, the sun was shining on the fine sand, making it severely hot. In the day time, no one could dare to walk on it. One could only think of travel through the desert during the night time, when the moon made the sands cool. So, the merchant and his people waited for the night to start their further journey.

With the arrival of night, they started their journey. One of them, had knowledge about the stars, so he was guiding the way to other people by reading the position of stars. They traveled for the whole night without taking any break. At daybreak, they stopped and camped. They released the oxen from the carts and fed them. They made fire, cooked the rice and ate the food to their fill. They spread a huge covering over all the carts and the oxen. Subsequently, all the men laid down under it, to rest till the sunset.

When the sun set in the early evening, they again built fire and cooked rice. After the meal, they folded the covering and tied the oxen to the carts. As soon as, the sand became cool, they again started their journey across the desert. Night after night, they traveled in such manner and rested during the day time. On the last morning, the one who was guiding the group said, “In one more night, we will cross the desert”. Every one was happy to hear this, as all of them were tired.

After taking meal in the evening, the merchant said, “Now, you people can throw the water and the firewood because tomorrow we will reach the town. Tie the oxen and start”. The Guide took his position at first in the line of the carts, but instead of sitting and guiding the drivers, he laid down in the cart on the cushions. Soon, he was in a deep slumber because he had not slept for many nights and in the daytime, the sun had been so strong that he had not slept properly.

The oxen went on, for the whole night. Near daybreak, the guide awoke and looked at the last stars fading in the light. He said to the drivers, “Stop! We are in the same place where we were yesterday. The oxen must have turned about while I slept”. They released the oxen, but there was no water for them to drink, as they had thrown away the water the previous night. They spread out the covering over the carts and the oxen rested tired and thirsty. The men lay down too, saying, “Without wood and water, we are lost”.

Every one was tired and sat down. The merchant thought, “This is no time for me to sleep. I have to find water. The oxen cannot start unless they get water to drink. The people need water other wise they cannot cook rice. If I give up, we will lose. There must be water somewhere below”. He walked down and down, keeping a close watch of the ground. Finally, he saw some grass and thought, “There must be water somewhere below otherwise that grass would not be there”.

He ran back, shrieking to the people, “Get the spade and the hammer”. All of them jumped up and ran with the merchant to the spot where he saw the grass. They started digging and after much toil, they struck a rock. After this, they could dig no further. The merchant jumped down into the hole they had dug and kept his ear to the rock. He called to them, “I can hear water running under this rock. We must not give up”. Then, the merchant came out of the hole and said to the serving boy, “My boy, if you give up, we are lost. Please go down and try”.

The boy stood up raising the hammer high above his head and hit the rock with his full strength. He didn’t give up, thinking the words of the merchant. Every time the hammer came down, he thought that everyone must be saved. Ultimately, the rock broke, the boy hardly got any time to come out of the hole and it was full of water. All the men drank water, as if they could never get enough. They watered the oxen and took bath.

After drinking and bathing, they split the extra wooden yokes and axles from their carts. They made a fire out of it and cooked their rice. They had their meal and rested through the day. They also placed a flag on the well, so that the passing travelers could see and have water. After the sunset, they started their journey and reached the town in the morning. They sold the goods making huge profits and happily returned back to their village.

Moral: Will and Determination can achieve anything.
This is a nice story from the collection of Jataka Tales. Once upon a time, there lived a merchant in a small village. The merchant dealt in different kinds of goods. He wanted to sell his goods in the town, in order to gain good sum of profits. One day, he decided to go to the town to try his fortune. He arranged for some men who could go along with him. During the journey, he had to pass through a desert, so he also arranged for water, rice and firewood.

Merchant of Seri

The Merchant of Seri

This is another nice story from the collection of Jataka Tales. Once upon a time, there lived a merchant of Seri, who sold brass and tin ware. He used to go from place to place, in order to sell his products. He was usually accompanied by another merchant, who also sold brass and tin ware. The second merchant was greedy. He wanted every thing for free and if he bought something, he paid as little as possible.

One day, when they went to a town, they divided the streets between them so that none of them interferes in each other’s marketing. Both of them moved through the streets they had chosen and called, “Tin ware for sale. Brass for sale”. People came out of their homes and traded with them.

There lived a poor old woman and her granddaughter in a house. Once the family had been affluent, but now a golden plate was the only expensive item left with them. The grandmother didn’t know that it was a golden plate. However, she had kept this plate because in the old days, her husband used to eat from it. It was placed on a shelf among the other pots and pans not in the regular use.

The greedy merchant passed this house, calling, “Buy tin ware. Buy brass utensils”. The grand-daughter heard the cries and said to her grandmother, “Grandmother, please buy something for me”. The old woman replied, “Child, we are too poor to buy anything. Even, I don’t have anything to trade”. The girl said, “We have one old plate. Let’s see what the merchant will offer for the old plate. We don’t use it often and perhaps, he will take it and give us something that we want”.

The old woman called the merchant at the door-step of her house. She showed him the plate and said, “Sir, will you take this plate and give something in return to this little girl”. The greedy man took the plate and scratched its backside with a needle. He found that it was a golden plate. He hoped that he would fetch it without paying anything. He said, “Does it worth? Not even a half penny”. He went away throwing the plate on the ground. 

This is another nice story from the collection of Jataka Tales. Once upon a time, there lived a merchant of Seri, who sold brass and tin ware. He used to go from place to place, in order to sell his products. He was usually accompanied by another merchant, who also sold brass and tin ware. The second merchant was greedy. He wanted every thing for free and if he bought something, he paid as little as possible.
The other merchant was passing through the houses. It was decided that either of them could go through any street, which the other had left. The merchant passed through the same house and called, “Buy tin ware. Buy brass utensils”. The little girl heard the cries and asked her grandmother to see what the merchant would give for the plate.

The old woman said, “My child, the merchant who came earlier, went away throwing the plate on the ground. I have nothing else to offer in trade”. The girl replied, “Grandma, that merchant was bad-tempered. This merchant looks nice. Ask him, might be he’ll give some small tin ware”. The old woman accepted the idea and asked the girl to call the merchant. The girl showed the plate to the merchant.

As soon as the merchant took the plate in his hands, he came to know that it was of gold. He said, “This plate can’t be afforded with what all I have here. This is a golden plate. I am not rich enough to buy it”. The grandmother replied, “But, a merchant who came here a few moments ago threw it on the ground saying that it was not worth even a half penny and went away”.

The merchant said, “It was worth nothing to him. If you value it, take the dishes you want to take”. The little girl took some dishes of her choice but the merchant was not satisfied with the offer. So, he gave all the money and his wares to the old woman. He required eight pennies for the transport, so he asked the old woman for it.

The old woman readily gave him the amount. The merchant took the pennies and left the place. He quickly went towards the river and paid eight pennies to the boatman, to take him across the river. Soon, the greedy merchant went back to the house of the old woman. When he reached the desired house, he called up the girl and said, “Bring that plate and I will give you something for it".
The grandmother replied from inside, “No. You considered the plate worthless, but another merchant has paid a huge price for it and taken it away. It is a golden plate”. Thus, the greedy merchant got angry and left the place. He cried, “Due to this other merchant, I have lost a small fortune. That was a golden plate”. He ran down to the riverside and saw the other merchant in the boat. He called loudly, “Hello, Boatman. Stop your boat”.

The merchant in the boat asked the boatman not to stop. Accordingly, the boatman didn’t stop. The merchant reached the city which was on the other side of the river. He sold the golden plate and got enough money for his living. So, he lived happily thereafter.

Moral: Honesty is the best policy.

God, Faith & Identity from the Ashes


http://www.jewishlights.com/page/product/978-1-58023-805-2




I read of this author in an article in MYSTERIOUS WAYS Magazine in an article called BLOCK 11 


God, Faith & Identity from the Ashes

Reflections of Children and Grandchildren of Holocaust Survivors

Edited by Menachem Z. Rosensaft
Prologue by Elie Wiesel
6 x 9, 352 pp, Hardcover
978-1-58023-805-2 
                     



A Powerful, Life-Affirming New Perspective on the Holocaust
Almost ninety children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors—theologians, scholars, spiritual leaders, authors, artists, political and community leaders and media personalities—from sixteen countries on six continents reflect on how the memories transmitted to them have affected their lives. Profoundly personal stories explore faith, identity and legacy in the aftermath of the Holocaust as well as our role in ensuring that future genocides and similar atrocities never happen again.
There have been many books and studies about children of Holocaust survivors—the so-called second and third generations—with a psycho-social focus. This book is different. It is intended to reflect what they believe, who they are and how that informs what they have done and are doing with their lives.
From major religious or intellectual explorations to shorter commentaries on experiences, quandaries and cultural, political and personal affirmations, contributors respond to this question: how have your parents’ and grandparents’ experiences and examples helped shape your identity and your attitudes toward God, faith, Judaism, the Jewish people and the world as a whole?
For people of all faiths and backgrounds, these powerful and deeply moving statements will have a profound effect on the way our and future generations understand and shape their understanding of the Holocaust.

Praise from Pope Francis for Menachem Rosensaft’s essay
reconciling God’s presence with the horrors of the Holocaust:
“When you, with humility, are telling us where God was in that moment, I felt within me that you had transcended all possible explanations and that, after a long pilgrimage—sometimes sad, tedious or dull—you came to discover a certain logic and it is from there that you were speaking to us; the logic of First Kings 19:12, the logic of that ‘gentle breeze’ (I know that it is a very poor translation of the rich Hebrew expression) that constitutes the only possible hermeneutic interpretation.
“Thank you from my heart. And, please, do not forget to pray for me. May the Lord bless you.”
His Holiness Pope Francis

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

The Peach Blossom Spring



The Peach Blossom Spring

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  (Redirected from Peach Blossom Spring)
Depiction of the tale on a painting from the Long Corridor, Summer Palace, Beijing
The Peach Blossom Spring (Chinese桃花源記;pinyinTáohuā Yuán; literally: "Source of the PeachBlossoms[N.B. 1]), or Peach Blossom Spring Story orThe Peach Blossom Land,was a fable by Tao Yuanming in 421 about a chance discovery of an ethereal utopia where the people lead an ideal existence in harmony with nature, unaware of the outside world for centuries.

Plot[edit]

"Peach Blossom Spring" was written during a time of political instability and national disunity. The story describes how a fisherman haphazardly sailed into a river in a forest made up entirely of blossoming peach trees, where even the ground was covered by peach petals. When he reached the end of the river (or spring in some translations), the source turned out to be a grotto. Though narrow at first, he was able to squeeze through and the passage eventually reached a village with animals and people of all ages.
The villagers were surprised to see him, but were kind and friendly. They explained that their ancestors escaped to this place during the civil unrest of the Qin and they themselves had not left since or had contact with anyone from the outside. As a result they had heard nothing of subsequent changes in political regimes.
The fisherman was warmly received by the hospitable villagers and stayed for over a week. Upon leaving, he was informed that it was worthless to reveal this experience to the world. However, he marked his route on his way out with signs and later divulged the existence of this idyllic haven to others. They tried to find it repeatedly but in vain.

The Talkative Tortoise



http://www.culturalindia.net/indian-folktales/panchatantra-tales/talkative-tortoise.html
Panchatantra Tales

Indian Folktales

The folklores and folktales have been an eternal part of every culture since ages. When it comes to Indian folk tales, the country of diverse religions, languages and cultures has a complete range of tales and short stories. Indian folklore has a wide range of stories and mythological legends, which emerge from all walks of life. The interesting stories range from the remarkable ‘Panchatantra’ to ‘Hitopadesha’, from ‘Jataka’ to ‘Akbar-Birbal’.

Not only this, the great Indian epics like ‘Ramayana’, ‘Mahabharata’ and ‘Bhagvad Gita’ are full of didactic stories inspired from the lives of great souls. Being full of moralistic values, Indian folklore makes perfect stories for children, who are required to be, instilled with right values. All these ancient stories have been passed from generation to generation, creating bondage of traditional values with present-day generation.

http://www.culturalindia.net/indian-folktales/hitopadesha-tales/index.html

Hitopadesha Tales

The Hitopadesha is a remarkable compilation of short stories. Composed by Narayana Pandit, Hitopadesha had its origin around a thousand years ago. In Indian Literature, the Hitopadesha is regarded more or less similar to the Panchatantra. In the vein of Panchatantra, the Hitopadesa was also written in Sanskrit and following the pattern of prose and verse. Hitopadesh tales are written in reader-friendly way, which also contributed to the success of this best seller after ‘Bhagwad Gita’ in India. Since its origin, Hitopadesa has been translated into numerous languages to benefit the readers all over the world.

The term ‘Hitopadesha’ is a joint effort of two terms, ‘Hita’ (welfare/ benefit) and ‘Upadesha’ (advice/ counsel). As the term suggests, the Hitopadesha is a collection of tales that counsel and advice for the welfare and benefit of everyone. Imparting morals and knowledge, Hitopadesha is one amongst the most widely read Sanskrit book in India. The Hitopadesh is still very much popular children story book that actually help them to develop into responsible and mature adults. Here are provided some popular stories from Hitopadesha. 

The Birds and the Shivering Monkeys

This is another interesting tale/ story from the collection of Hitopadesha Tales. Once upon a time, there was a huge tree on the banks of a river. The tree made a comfortable home for the family of birds who had built their nests on its branch. The birds were living there happily as the tree with its widespread branches sheltered them from scorching sun and heavy rains.

One day, when the sky was overcast with dark clouds, it rained very heavily. Some monkeys who were playing nearby the tree got drenched and ran for shelter under the tree. All of them were shivering with cold. When the birds saw the monkeys in the pitiable condition, one of the birds said,” O Monkeys, you would not have to shiver like this, if you had built a home like us. You would not have to suffer like this. If we can build our nest with small beaks, then why cant you. By God’s grace, you have two hands and two legs. Why don’t you make a nice shelter for yourselves?”

On hearing this, the monkeys got annoyed and swore to teach a lesson to the birds. They said to themselves, “These birds are not afraid of the rain or of cold wind. They are living comfortably that is why they are criticizing us like this. Let the rain stops, we’ll show them how to build home”. As soon as the rain stopped, the monkeys climbed up the tree and destroyed the nests of the birds. They also broke the birds’ eggs and threw the young ones down.

The poor birds flew here and there in misery. They were full of regret for their words and realized that they should not have given advice that was not asked. Advice should only be given to learned, wise and to those who ask for it.

Moral: Never give advice to fools.

The Elephant and the Jackal

This is a nice tale / story from the collection of Hitopadesha Tales. Once upon a time, there lived an Elephant by the name of Karpuratilaka in a forest. He was brutal and haughty by nature. He used to roam in the forest without restraint. All the animals of the forest were afraid of this wild Elephant. Without any purpose, he used to pull down the trees and ripped the branches. In this way, he destroyed innumerable nests with eggs and crushed the nestlings under his massive feet.

In short, he had created all round chaos in the forest. Fierce animals like Lions and Tigers also kept themselves at a safe distance from this Elephant. Once it happened that he destroyed the burrows of the jackals in his merciless stroll. This action of Elephant was not tolerable to the animals and all of them wanted to kill the Elephant. They had a conversation regarding this but thought it was nearly impossible to kill the Elephant due to his gigantic size.

The Jackals were full of rage and planned to call a separate meeting. They were ready to do anything to get rid of the mighty Elephant. But killing the huge Elephant was not a tiny task to do. All of them had a discussion that how could they kill the Elephant. Suddenly, an old Jackal said,”Leave everything on me. I will cleverly bring about his death”. Everyone gave his consent to the idea of the old Jackal.

The next day, old Jackal went to the Elephant, bowed respectfully before him and said, “My Lord! Favor me with your royal glance”. The Elephant looked at him and said in a loud voice, “Who are you? Why you have come here?” The intelligent Jackal replied, “I am only a poor Jackal. Your Majesty, no one can deny your greatness. You are kind-hearted, gentle and possess all qualities of a ruler. Taking these things in the mind, all the animals have chosen you to be their King. Please accept this offer and make us obliged”.

The Elephant appeared to be happy with all the praise thrown by the Jackal. Jackal found the time to be appropriate and further acclaimed, “Your Highness, all the animals are eager to see your kingship ceremony. It will be held in the middle of the forest, where thousands of animals have already gathered to get your glimpse. Our astrologers have told this is the auspicious moment for your crowning. Time is slipping fast. So, please come with me without any delay”.

The Elephant was really pleased by the Jackal’s talk. He always dreamt to become a King. He contemplated that the kingship ceremony will be matter of honor to him. Instantly, he got ready to accompany the Jackal to the place where ceremony was to be held. The Jackal took the Elephant deep into the forest. On the way, they had to walk through a swampy area by the side of a lake. The Jackal walked across the swampy region easily.

But as soon as the Elephant stepped on the swamp, he got stuck in it. He tried his best to come out of the swamp, but to no avail. The more he tried to move out, the more he went deep into it. He got frightened and called out the Jackal, “Friend, Please help me to come out of this mud. I am sinking deep into the mud. Call other animals quickly to help me otherwise I will die”.

The Jackal replied, “I am not going to save you. You deserve this conduct. You are a cruel, arrogant and a merciless creature. You killed our siblings and kids. You have destroyed our burrows and nests of poor birds. You knew everything, but remained indifferent. I am sorry to say that your end has come”. The Jackal left the place immediately and the Elephant kept shouting for help. In a little while, the Elephant disappeared from the scene, sinking into the deep mud.

Moral: Every despot has to meet his doom.

An Old Tiger and a Greedy Traveler

This is another interesting story / tale from the Hitopadesha collection. Once upon a time, there lived a Tiger in a forest. With the passing years, he became too old to hunt. One day, the Tiger was walking by the side of a lake and suddenly, a gold bangle came across his sight. Quickly he picked up the bangle and thought that he could use it as an allure to catch someone. As he was under the thought process, a traveler happened to pass through the opposite side of the lake.

The Tiger instantly thought to himself, “What a delicious meal he would make?” He planned a scheme to attract the traveler. He held the bangle in his paw making it visible to the traveler and said, “Would you like to take this gold bangle. I don’t require it”. At once, the traveler wanted to take the bangle, but he hesitated to go near the Tiger. He knew that it was risky, yet he sought the Gold Bangle. He planned to be cautious, so he asked the Tiger, “How can I believe you? I know you are a beast and would kill me”.

The Clever Tiger innocently said, “Listen Traveler, in my youth, I was wicked unquestionably, but now I have changed myself. With the advice of a Sanyasi, I have left all evil. Now I am all alone in this world and have engaged myself in kind deeds. Moreover, I have grown old. I have no teeth and my claws are blunt. So, there is no need to fear from me”. The traveler’s was taken in by this smart talk and his love for gold soon overcame his fear of the Tiger. He jumped into the lake to wade across the Tiger.

But as per the plan of the Tiger, he got trapped in the marsh. On seeing this, the Tiger consoled him and said, “Oh! You need not worry. I’ll help you”. Gradually he came towards the traveler and seized him. As the traveler was being dragged out, onto the bank, he thought to himself, “Oh! This beast's talk of saintliness took me in totally. A beast is always a beast. If only I had not let my greed overcome my reason, I could be alive”. However, it was too late; the Tiger killed the traveler and ate him up. Like this, the traveler became victim of greed and Tiger was successful in his evil plan.

Moral: Greed never goes unpunished.

The Blind Vulture

The Blind Vulture is one of the most interesting stories/ tales from the collection of Hitopadesha Tales. Once upon a time, there was a hill that sloped down to the banks of a river. At the bottom of the hill, there was a tree which made the shelter for many birds. One day, a blind old Vulture came to live in the hollow of the tree. The birds welcomed the blind vulture and decided to give him a share of their food since he was old.

When the Blind Vulture saw birds’ concern for him, he was overwhelmed with gratitude. He thought to himself, “As these birds are being so kind to me, it has become my duty to protect their young ones when they are away gathering food”. After this, the Vulture used to get his food from the birds and in return, he took care of their young ones while they were away. So like this, all of them were passing their days happily.

One day, a cat passed by that tree when the birds were away. Hearing the noise of the young ones, she came near the tree with the hope of catching and eating the baby birds. But when the young ones saw her coming, they made a chirrup. The blind Vulture heard them and shouted, “Who is there?” On seeing the Vulture, the Cat got frightened and said to herself, “O God! I am as good as dead. But I need to be brave. I should try to gain his confidence”.

At once, the Cat replied, “O wise one! I just came to pay my homage to you”. The Vulture asked, “Who are you?” The Cat answered, “I am a Cat”. The Vulture shouted, “Go away otherwise I’ll eat you up”. The Cat was clever and she made quick responses to the Vulture. She innocently said to the Vulture, “Sir, Listen to me first then you can decide further. It is not good that you are discarding me as I belong to a particular race”.

The Vulture decided to listen to her. The Cat said, “I live on the other side of the river. I don’t eat meat and take bath everyday in the river. I am doing great penance for my sins. I have heard much about your intelligence from the birds on the banks of the river. They told me that I should learn more about religion from you as you possess all knowledge. So, I came here to become your disciple and seek your blessings”.

She further said, “But, I don’t feel what the birds told me is true, when you got ready to kill a poor cat. You should have treated me well, after all guests are form of God. Even if you don’t have any food to offer me, at least you could say something kind to me”. The Old Vulture replied, “How can I trust you since you are carnivorous and young birds reside here”. The Clever Cat was well-versed in tantrums.

She touched the ground and her ears as a sign of her honesty and replied, “I've read all scriptures and came to know that killing is immoral. The entire forest is full of herbs and vegetables. So why should I commit sin by killing birds?" The Vulture believed her and allowed her to stay with him in the hollow of the tree. With the passing days, the Cat started eating the young birds one by one without the knowledge of the Vulture.

When the birds found that their young ones were missing, they started looking for their kids. As soon as the Cat realized that situation is not in her favor, she quietly slipped away. Unknown about the happening, the blind Vulture lay down near the hollow of the tree where the Cat had thrown the bones of some of the birds eaten by her. When the Birds saw the bones of their young ones, at once they shouted, “The blind Vulture has eaten our innocent kids”.

All of them got enraged by the ingratitude of the Vulture and they pecked him to death. The poor Vulture didn’t even get the chance to defend himself.

Moral: Never treat someone whom you hardly know as a friend.

Victoria Memorial Hall

Victoria Memorial Hall, CalcuttaThe Victoria Memorial was built to commemorate the peak of the British Empire in India. The Victoria Memorial, conceived by Lord Curzon, represents the architectural climax of Kolkata city. Lord Curzon, the then Viceroy specified its classical style but the actual plan of Victoria Memorial was laid down by the well-known architect, Sir William Emerson. The Victoria Memorial blends the best of the British and Mughal architecture. The Victoria Memorial hall was built with white Makrana marbles. The Prince of Wales laid the foundation stone of Victoria Memorial in 1906 and it was inaugurated in 1921 in memory of Queen Victoria. The Victoria Memorial is 338 by 228 feet and a height of 184 feet.

Today the Victoria Memorial Hall is a museum having an assortment of Victoria memorabilia, British Raj paintings and other displays. As night descends on Calcutta, the Victoria Memorial Hall is illuminated, giving it a fairy tale look. It is interesting to note that the Victoria Memorial was built without British government funds. The money required for the construction of the stately building, surrounded by beautiful gardens over 64 acres and costing more than 10 million was contributed by British Indian states and individuals who wanted favors with the British government. At the top of the Victoria Memorial is a sixteen foot tall bronze statue of victory, mounted on ball bearings. It rotates with wind.

At present the Victoria Memorial has notable collection of weapons, sculptors, paintings, maps, coins, stamps, artifacts, textiles etc. The Royal gallery in Victoria Memorial has portraits of the Queen and Prince Albert. There are numerous paintings, illustrating events from Victoria's life. Another remarkable peace in Victoria Memorial is a painting by the Russian artist Vasseli Verestchagin, portraying the state entry of the Prince of Wales in Jaipur in the year 1876. In the post independence period a new addition was made to the Victoria Memorial. It was the addition of the National leaders' gallery with the portraits and relics of the freedom fighters.

Temples in India

India is the land of spiritual bliss, splashed by the waters of holy rivers. The rich cultural heritage of India owes to the glory of its historical past. It is the land inhabited by the Lords themselves, leaving behind their imprints and the sense of their divine presence, hanging in the environment for eternity. These places are marked by a number of holy temples, which were constructed by the great kings, who ruled India. Some of these Indian temples are known for their architectural magnificence and sculptural splendor, the world wide over.

Strong mythological believes have rendered these places as the religious hubs of the country. People from all over the world visit these temples, in order to take a dip in the ocean of spirituality. Meenakshi Temple, Dilwara Temples, ISKCON Temple, Akshardham Temples, Lotus Temple, Tirupati Temple etc. are the names of some of the famous temples of India. Apart from this, there are a number of fairs and festivals organized in the vicinity of these temples which are attended by the devotees in huge numbers.

The Talkative Tortoise

This is one more interesting story from Panchatantra. Once upon a time, there was a tortoise by the name of Kambugriva and two geese by the name of Sankata and Vikata. The tortoise lived in a pond and he made friends with two geese who used to come and visit him at the pond. All of them were happy for the past many years.

Once they faced a drought that lasted for several months. Due to this, all the rivers, lakes and ponds went dry. There was not a drop of water to drink for the birds and the animals. They began to die of thirst and scorching heat. Many of them decided to migrate to some fertile lands.

The three friends also decided to leave the pond and to go to some distant lake, full of water, to settle down there for ever. But it was quite difficult to shift at a distant place. Although, was quite easy for the geese as they could fly but the problem was for tortoise. The poor tortoise could not fly and to cover that distance on foot was really difficult.

All of them had a conversation, as to what could be a possible solution for this problem. The geese suggested a plan, according to which, tortoise would have to hold a piece of stick by his mouth and which would be carried slowly while holding its two ends by them. The only condition was that the tortoise should not speak; otherwise he would fall and die spontaneously. The geese were worried because they knew that tortoise was very talkative and it was difficult for him to keep his mouth shut. The tortoise got the logic and promised not to open his mouth during the entire journey.

Before starting their journey, the geese again cautioned their friend not to open his mouth in any case. With this instruction, the geese held the stick ends in their beaks and the tortoise held the stick in the middle with his teeth. Thus, they started their journey. They flew higher and higher, over hills, valleys, fields and plains. Ultimately, they flew over a town.

The people of the town were surprised to see such a strange scene. They started laughing and clapping, to see the geese carrying tortoise like that. The people’s shouting and laughing annoyed the tortoise. He thought why these people were making such a noise. Unable to control his anxiety, he opened his mouth to speak. But as soon as he opened his mouth, he lost his grip on the stick and fell to his death. So, the poor tortoise got killed because of his stupidity and impatience.

The Ass in the Lion's Skin

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ass_in_the_Lion%27s_Skin

The Ass in the Lion's Skin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Ass in the Lion's Skin is one of Aesop's Fables, of which there are two distinct versions. There are also several Eastern variants, and the story's interpretation varies accordingly.

Contents

  [hide

The Fable[edit]

Arthur Rackham illustration, 1912
Of the two Greek versions of this story, the one catalogued as 188 in the Perry Index concerns an Ass that puts on a lion's skin and amuses himself by terrifying all the foolish animals. At last coming upon a Fox, he tried to frighten him also, but the Fox no sooner heard the sound of his voice than he exclaimed, "I might possibly have been frightened myself, if I had not heard your bray." The moral of the story is often quoted as Clothes may disguise a fool, but his words will give him away.[1] It is this version which appears as Fable 56 in the collection by Babrius.[2]
The second version is listed as 358 in the Perry Index. In this the ass puts on the skin in order to be able to graze undisturbed in the fields but is given away by its ears and is chastised.[3] As well as Greek versions, there is a later 5th century Latin version byAvianus which was taken up by William Caxton. The moral here cautions against presumption. Literary allusions were frequent from Classical times[4] and into the Renaissance, when there were references to it in William Shakespeare's King John.[5] La Fontaine's Fable 5.21 (1668) also follows this version. The moral La Fontaine draws is not to trust to appearances and that clothes do not make the man.[6]

Folk motifs and proverbial use[edit]

In India the same situation appears in Buddhist scriptures as the Sihacamma Jataka. Here the ass's master puts the lion's skin over his beast and turns it loose to feed in the grain fields during his travels. The village watchman is usually too terrified to do anything but finally one of them raises the villagers; when they chase the ass, it begins to bray and betrays its true identity. The ass is then beaten to death. A neighbouring tale, the Sihakottukha Jataka, plays on the motif of being given away by one's voice. In this a lion has sired a son on a she-jackal that looks like his father but has a jackal's howl. He is therefore advised to stay silent in future.[7] A common European variant on this sentiment appears in the Sephardicproverb in LadinoAsno callado, por sabio contado, a silent ass is considered wise.[8] Another English equivalent is 'A fool is not known until he opens his mouth'.
The story and its variants is alluded to idiomatically in various other languages. In Latin it was Leonis exuvium super asinum.[9] In Mandarin Chinese it is yang(2) zhi(4) hu(3) pi(2), ‘a goat in a tiger’s skin’. In the Chinese story a goat assumes this disguise but continues to eat grass as usual. When it spies a wolf, instinct takes over and the goat takes to its heels.[10]

Later allusions[edit]

In American political culture, the ass in the lion's skin was one of several fables by Aesop that was put to use by cartoonistThomas Nast when it was rumoured in 1874 that the Republican President Ulysses S. Grant would attempt to run for an unprecedented third term in two years' time. About then there was also a false report that the animals had escaped fromCentral Park Zoo and were roaming the city. Nast combined the two items in a cartoon for the 7 November Harpers Weekly; titled "Third Term Panic", it depicts a donkey in a lion's skin (labelled Caesarism) scattering animals that stand for various interests.[11]
The fable was also put to literary use in the 20th century by C.S. Lewis.[12] In The Last Battle, the final volume of The Chronicles of Narnia, a donkey named Puzzle is tricked into wearing a lion's skin, and then manipulated so as to deceive the simple-minded into believing that Aslan the lion has returned to Narnia. Lindskoog identifies the Avianus version as the source of this episode.