Reading Notes: Babbitt Jataka Tales, Part B

These were taken from the Jataka Tales, by Ellen C. Babbitt in 1912.

The Wise and Foolish Merchant
Ah, the classic juxtaposition of a wise and foolish man that ends with a moral - don't throw away your future because of a temporary enjoyment. This is pretty pertinent for college students (cough, cough me).

The Elephant Girly-Face
What a strange name...kind of demeaning, if you ask me. Like the previous story, we see another moral: evil companionships corrupt good morals, as it says in 1 Corinthians 15:33 in the Bible. The story may seem a little exaggerated, but it's definitely true. We're all Girly-face - susceptible to peer pressure.

(Two cows noticing the pig's choice food, from Jataka Tales)

The Ox Who Envied the Pig
A story about not being jealous of other people's fortune, I think. Two cows are wondering why the pig is getting all the good food while they're getting just straw and grass. Unfortunately (or fortunately for the cows, I guess?) the pig is just being fattened up to be killed for a wedding feast. Be content with what you have!

Grannie's Blackie
A granny raises an elephant, who becomes known as her "Blackie." The elephant, seeing how much work the granny does, wants to help so he helps a man draw his wagons through a river. The man promises to pay him two silver pieces for each wagon drawn across. After the elephant does so, the man tries to rip him off by paying him only one silver, but the prudent elephant doesn't allow them to pass until he gets the money. Mafia boss Blackie!

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