READING A:
1. Introduction
Sum of all knowledge
· The greater part of the sciences comprise but one single word: "Perhaps." And the whole history of mankind contains no more than three: they are "born, suffer, die."
· Love nothing but what is good, and do all that thou lovest to do; think nothing but what is true, and speak not all that thou thinkest.
· O kings! Tame your passions, govern yourselves, and it will be only child's play to govern the world.
· O kings! O people! It can never be often enough repeated to you, what the half-witted venture to doubt, that there is no happiness without virtue, and no virtue without God.
King Dabschélim and the sage Bidpai
first imprisoned for his council
then elevated and revered
incorporated all his worldly wisdom in a book of fables so that his wisdom could live on
took 12 months and Bidpai was rewarded with heart’s desire
2. The Rustic and the Nightingale
A rustic is a ???
Rose tree (fresh water everyday, straw in winter)
Nightingale tearing apart rose. Rustic chased bird away. Day 2: nightingale is back and many roses are torn. Man sets snare.
Day 3: Nightingale is caught
Nightingale entreats man to release her. He agrees and she reveals the location of a pot of gold for his mercy.
3. The King, the Falcon, and the Drinking-Cup
Oooh I really like this one. A falconer king is out on a hunt with his prized bird. After becoming separated from his entourage he comes to a spring. Overcome with thirst he fills his cup to drink only to have his valued falcon knock it from his hand. The King tries again with the same outcome. Overcome with anger, he strikes he bird killing it. Just then a servant finds the king. The king commands the servant to climb to the source of the stream and fill his cup. The servant returns with an empty cup telling the king that the stream is poisoned by the carcass of a dragon. The king begins to weep, realizing that the loyal bird tried to save his life twice.
"This Falcon, the dearest of all my treasures," he said sadly, "saved my life twice, and I, by my own act of anger, killed it with one cruel blow!"
4. The Two Travelers
Two friends, Ganem and Salem
Inscription on rock
1. swim
2. carry lion statue
3. avoid brambles and beasts
4. run up mountain
Ganem wants to try it but Salem thinks it is foolish to try. They part ways.
Ganem’s gamble pays off bc after he completes the arduous task, he finds himself in front of a beautiful city. The occupants spew forth and make the fearless man their new king. It was all an elaborate succession ritual.
5. Poor Man, Rich Man, Young Man
The poor man: don’t count your chickens before they hatch. Oil>sheep>flock>wife>son>disobey=strikes with staff. Knocks over oil. lol
The rich man: treat others as you would like to be treated. Stingy rich man experienced a reversal of fortune.
Young man: It’s better to be fit than dependent on someone else.
6. The Merchant and His Iron
“Friend” should be in quotation marks throughout this story. Rats ate iron (friend sold) and sparrow hawk carried of son (merchant kidnapped)
7. Gardener, Farmer, Tyrant
Gardner: “It is better to have a wise enemy than a foolish friend.” Ever seen the 3 stooges? That’s what I picture when this bear smacks the gardener in the face.
Farmer: Stupid farmer. Bandits tricked him into thinking his new sheep was a dog and that he had been tricked at the market.
Tyrant: 'For surely,' I said to myself, 'he who doeth evil will sooner or later be overtaken by evil.' King changes his ways after sees karma in action. Fox>dog>man>horse
8. The King, the Hermit, and the Two Princes
Trust fund scenario. Older brother kicks younger brother to curb. Younger brother changes his ways and stumbles across father’s hidden treasure. Older brother squanders his portion then faces war without proper arms. Both kings die and city chooses reformed brother as king.
9. Three Stories about Apes
Carpenter and Ape: One many difference between monkeys and apes is the tail. Here is an origin story for that difference.
Apes, glow worm, and popinjay: Don’t mock the stupid and violent? Use kind criticism?
Ape and the Boar: Greedy boar breaks his own neck trying to get to Ape. Gluttony is bad.
10. The Ass, the Lion, and the Fox
This is a pretty complex story compared to the rest of the section. A lion falls ill and must eat the ears and heart of an ass to recover. A sly fox, which had been benefiting from the lion’s kills for decades, was determined to restore his meal ticket to health. Using his cunning, the fox lured an ass near the lion’s cave and told the ass numerous lies about the dangers of the lion. The lion then slays the ass and goes to the stream to wash before eating the choice parts. Before the lion can return the fox has eaten the ears and heart. The fox claims that the ass had neither ears to hear falsehoods nor a heart to feel fear at the sight of the lion.
11. Three Stories about Foxes
The fox, the hen and the drum: greedy fox passes up sure meal for possibly bigger one. Goes hungry.
The fox and the piece of meat: same scenario but now the fox leaves a piece of meat to try for some fat hens.
The hunter, the fox and the leopard: Here the fox is wise and avoid a snare laid by the hunter. Instead a leopard falls into the trap and the hunter plunges in after. He was expecting a fox but got more than he bargained for.
Overall the fox stories talk about risk. In the first two stories, foxes symbolizing the folly of gambling. In the last story, a wary fox symbolizes the virtue of caution.
(A Wise Fox by Margaret Holland, Source: Flickr)
Story source: The Tortoise and the Geese and Other Fables of Bidpai by Maude Barrows Dutton, with illustrations by E. Boyd Smith, 1908.
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