Tiny Tales: Traditional Stories in 100 Words: India: Panchatantra

Showing posts with label India: Panchatantra. Show all posts

1. The Lion and the Rabbit

Laura Gibbs · 1. The Lion and the Rabbit

Every day, the lion demanded that the animals send him a victim to eat.
One day, it was the rabbit's turn. The rabbit took his time on the way, thinking of a plan to escape the lion.
"Why are you late?" the lion roared.
"My apologies," said the rabbit. "I saw an even bigger lion, and I was frightened."
"Show me!" the lion commanded.
The rabbit took the lion to a well. "The lion's in there," said the rabbit.
The lion looked in and saw the other lion. Infuriated, he jumped in the well and drowned, attacking his own reflection.

Inspired by: The Panchatantra, translated by Arthur Ryder. It is in Book 1, Story 10. Rumi includes the story also (Arberry, Masnavi Tales 5). This story is told about a tiger and a rabbit in Raju's Indian Fables.
Notes: There are many stories about animals being fooled by reflections in the water as the lion is here. Compare the famous Aesop's fable about the dog crossing the stream: The Dog and the Shadow.

Here is an illustration by E. Boyd Smith:

2. The Lion-King and the Camel

Laura Gibbs · 2. The Lion-King and the Camel

The lion-king was starving.
"You must eat the royal camel," the crow advised.
"But he's my devoted courtier!" the lion protested.
"Don't worry," said the jackal.
"He'll agree!" said the leopard.
So the lion-king summoned his courtiers. "I'm starving!" he roared.
"Eat me!" said the crow.
"You're just skin and feathers," the jackal scoffed. "Eat me!"
"You're too scrawny," observed the leopard. "Eat me!"
This show of loyalty inspired the camel, who assumed that another courtier would speak up to save his life also. "The leopard's meat is tough," the camel exclaimed. "Eat me!"
So the lion ate the camel.

Inspired by: The Panchatantra, translated by Arthur Ryder.
Notes: It is in Book 1, Story 16. The full version of the story develops the rivalry between the members of the lion's court, which is also the main theme of the Panchatantra's first frametale about a lion king and the scheming jackals in his court.

3. The Lion-King and the Jackal

Laura Gibbs · 3. The Lion-King and the Jackal

The lion-king had grown old. "Fetch me something easy to kill!" he said to the jackal, his minister.
The jackal found a she-donkey in a dusty stable.
"I'll take you to a pasture of fresh green grass!" he said.
The donkey followed the jackal eagerly straight to the lion, but he was too weak; when the lion lunged for her, she escaped.
"Come back!" said the jackal. "The lion loves you! He wants to make you his queen."
"Me? Queen?"
The foolish donkey followed the jackal again. This time, the lion killed her. "Delicious!" he exclaimed, and the jackal agreed.

Inspired by: The Panchatantra, translated by Arthur Ryder.
Notes: It is in Book 4, Story 3. There's a final section in the original story where the lion goes to bathe before eating and the jackal eats the donkey's heart. When the lion comes back, he is angry that the heart is missing but the jackal explains that the donkey clearly had not heart (i.e. "brains") to begin with since she was foolish enough to come back a second time. Also, in the original story, the jackal tries to persuade the donkey that the lion was a she-donkey, but I switched it to the lion wanting to make the donkey his queen.

5. The Lion and the Cat

Laura Gibbs · 5. The Lion and the Cat

A lion lived in a cave where there was a mouse who kept nibbling his mane, so the lion decided to hire a cat.
"I'll pay you to defend me from that mouse!" he promised.
The cat prowled the cave, and the terrified mouse stayed hidden in its hole.
The happy lion shared his food with the cat, and she had never eaten so well!
Finally, though, the mouse had to come out to look for food, whereupon the cat caught the mouse and killed it.
Then the lion stopped feeding the cat, and she died of hunger, poor thing.

Inspired by: Hitopadesha, or, The Book of Good Counsel translated by B. Hale-Wortham
Notes: It is in Book 2, Story 4.

(Pxfuel)

6. The Lion in the Jackal's Cave

Laura Gibbs · 6. The Lion in the Jackal's Cave

A hungry lion hid inside a cave. "I'll eat whoever comes in," he thought to himself.
The lion waited there all day.
The jackal who lived in that cave finally came home and said, "Hello, Cave!"
The lion said nothing.
"Cave, you know you're supposed to answer!" said the jackal.
The lion was uncertain what to do. "Hello to you!" the lion roared, and the cave made his roar sound even louder.
The jackal laughed as he ran away. "You foolish lion!" he shouted. "That's how I know whether the cave is safe or not. Next time, remember: keep quiet."

Inspired by: The Panchatantra, translated by Arthur Ryder.
Notes: It is in Book 3, Story 16. I added the English proverb "Silence is golden."

7. The Blue Jackal

Laura Gibbs · 7. The Blue Jackal

There was once a jackal who fell into a vat of blue indigo dye. The other animals were amazed when they saw the blue jackal!
"The gods have sent me to be your ruler," the blue jackal explained. He made the lion his prime minister, the tiger was the royal treasurer, and the elephant was his doorkeeper.
One day, though, the blue jackal heard other jackals howling in the distance. He could not resist; he began howling too.
"He's just an ordinary jackal!" shouted the other animals.
So the lion and the tiger attacked their former king and killed him.

Inspired by: The Panchatantra, translated by Arthur Ryder. It is in Book 1, Story 14.
Notes: You can read about the history of indigo dye at Wikipedia.

Video at YouTube:

8. The Jackal and his Brothers

Laura Gibbs · 8. The Jackal and his Brothers

A lioness had given birth to twins.
The lion went hunting and caught a baby jackal. "Eat this!" he told her.
The lioness, however, nursed the jackal, who grew up with the lions.
One day the cubs saw an elephant; the lions wanted to attack, but the jackal warned them away.
"It's too dangerous!" he said.
The lion twins snarled. "You're such a coward!"
The lioness feared for the jackal. "You aren't really a lion," she told him. "You should run away before your lion brothers kill you."
So the jackal went away and found his jackal brothers at last.

Inspired by: The Panchatantra, translated by Arthur Ryder.
Notes: It is in Book 4, Story 5.

10. The Lion and the Ram

Laura Gibbs · 10. The Lion and the Ram

A ram once strayed from its flock and wandered into the forest.
In the forest there lived a lion who had never seen a ram before.
So when the lion first saw this ram, he stared in amazement. "Look at those horns! That creature might be even more powerful than me!" he thought, and he carefully avoided the ram.
A few days later, though, he saw the ram again. It was eating grass.
"This creature is a grass-eater!" said the lion to himself. "It is surely no match for me."
The lion then sprang on the ram and killed it.

Inspired by: The Panchatantra, translated by Arthur Ryder. It is in Book 1, Story 23.
Notes: Compare the Aesop's fable about the camel: The First Appearance of the Camel.

(ram)

11. The Jackal and the Dead Elephant

Laura Gibbs · 11. The Jackal and the Dead Elephant

A jackal found a dead elephant but couldn't chew through the elephant's tough hide.
Then a lion arrived.
Terrified, the jackal said, "I saved the elephant for you!"
"I don't eat what others kill," said the lion. "You may have it."
The lion left, and a leopard arrived.
The jackal shouted, "Hurry! Let's eat the lion's elephant before he returns."
The leopard bit into the elephant, tearing the hide with her sharp teeth and claws.
Then the jackal shrieked, "The lion's coming!"
Fearing the lion, the leopard ran off, leaving the jackal to feast on the whole elephant by himself.

Inspired by: The Panchatantra, translated by Arthur Ryder.
Notes: It is in Book 4, Story 11. In the original story, the jackal also scares off a tiger and another jackal, but I had to shorten it.

12. Lion, Jackal, and Camel

Laura Gibbs · 12. Lion, Jackal, and Camel

The lion was starving, as were his attendants: a jackal and a camel.
The jackal proclaimed, "I dreamed that Yama, God of Death, will grant rebirth to the devoted courtier who offers his body as food."
Without hesitation, the camel declared, "I accept Yama's promise of rebirth!"
So the lion and the jackal killed the camel.
Then, in the distance, they heard the jingling bells of a camel caravan.
"It's Yama and his Death-Caravan coming to avenge the camel!" shouted the jackal. "Run away, O King, run away!"
The lion ran, and the jackal had the whole camel to himself.

Inspired by: The Panchatantra, translated by Arthur Ryder.
Notes: It is in Book 1, Story 24. The story also features a rival courtier, a wolf, so the jackal has to get rid of the wolf also: to do so, he sends the lion away to bathe while he and the wolf guard the camel; the jackal then urges the wolf to start eating, which enrages the lion so that the lion drives the wolf away.

16. The Jackal and the Rams

Laura Gibbs · 16. The Jackal and the Rams

There was once a greedy jackal who was prowling around, looking for food.
He saw two angry rams fighting, running at each other and butting heads. The jackal noticed that each time the rams butted heads, blood dripped down on the ground.
"I bet that blood would be tasty!" thought the jackal.
So the jackal ran up and licked the blood off the ground.
"That is delicious," he thought. "I want to get every drop."
Foolish jackal! While he was licking the blood, the rams butted their heads together again, and the jackal was crushed to death between their horns.

Inspired by: The Panchatantra, translated by Arthur Ryder. It is in Book 1, Story 6.
Notes: In the Panchatantra this is an actual event that one of the characters in another story witnesses.

Here is an illustration from a 15th-century Panchatantra:

18. The Jackals and the Elephant

Laura Gibbs · 18. The Jackals and the Elephant

The jackals were stalking an especially large elephant, thinking that they could feast on him for days.
Finally the most cunning of the jackals went to the elephant and said, "O Great One, the animals met and elected you to be their king. I am to escort you to the coronation."
"I'm honored!" said the elephant happily.
The jackal then led the elephant into a swamp.
"Help!" shouted the elephant as he sank into the mud.
"Your courtiers are all coming to help you, Your Highness!" promised the jackal.
But the jackals did not help; instead, they devoured the elephant.

Inspired by: Hitopadesha, or, The Book of Good Counsel translated by B. Hale-Wortham
Notes: It is in Book 1, Story 9.

19. The Elephant and the Sparrow

Laura Gibbs · 19. The Elephant and the Sparrow

A raging elephant knocked down a sparrow's nest, killing her chicks.
The mother vowed revenge.
"Help me, Woodpecker!" she said.
"Agreed," said Woodpecker. "Help us, Gnat!"
"Agreed," said Gnat. "Help us, Frog!"
"Agreed," said Frog.
Then Frog told them all what to do.
Gnat buzzed in the elephant's ear; the music made him shut his eyes.
Then Woodpecker stabbed the elephant's eyes so he wanted to jump in the water for relief.
Meanwhile, Frog croaked at the edge of a pit; the elephant ran towards the sound, thinking it was a pond, and he fell in the pit and died.

Inspired by: The Panchatantra, translated by Arthur Ryder.
Notes: It is in Book 1, Story 2. This type of story is classified as ATU 210 Rooster, Hen, Duck, Pin, and Needle.

20. The Elephant-King and the Mice

Laura Gibbs · 20. The Elephant-King and the Mice

The elephant-king was a wise ruler who had a kind heart.
When he led his elephants through the fields, they crushed many mice under their big feet.
"Have mercy!" cried the mice, so the elephant-king ordered all the elephants to spare the mice by taking a different path.
Later, elephant-hunters came and caught some of the elephants in snares.
"Help us!" the elephants shouted, and the mice all came to their rescue, using their tiny teeth to chew through the ropes and free the elephants from the snares.
Thus the elephants learned that even small friends can be great friends.

Inspired by: The Panchatantra, translated by Arthur Ryder. It is in Book 2, Story 9.
Notes: Compare Aesop's fable where the mouse frees the lion from a snare: The Lion and the Mouse.

(elephant and mouse)

21. The Elephants and the Rabbits

Laura Gibbs · 21. The Elephants and the Rabbits

There was a drought.
The elephant-herd searched for water and found a beautiful lake. When the elephants rushed to drink, they crushed many rabbits underfoot.
A brave rabbit spoke to the elephant-king as he drank. "I am the Moon's envoy!" proclaimed the rabbit. "The Moon says: you trampled my beloved rabbits."
"I'll ask forgiveness!" said the elephant-king, and he kneeled in the water.
The moon's reflection in the water shook violently.
"The Moon is even more angry!" said the rabbit. "Go away and never come back!"
The elephant-king, fearing the Moon's heavenly powers, departed, and the elephant-herd departed with him.

Inspired by: The Panchatantra, translated by Arthur Ryder.
Notes: It is in Book 3, Story 3.

(the rabbit and the elephant)

26. The Monkey and the Firefly

Laura Gibbs · 26. The Monkey and the Firefly

A monkey found a firefly.
The evening was cool, so the monkey said, "I'll warm myself by the light of this fire!"
At just that moment, a bird flew by, and she decided to enlighten the monkey. "That's not fire," the bird explained. "That's just a firefly."
The monkey ignored the bird, so she chirped more loudly. "That won't work: a firefly isn't the same as a fire!"
On and on she chattered, making the monkey more and more angry.
Finally, the monkey grabbed the bird and squashed her.
Moral of the story: Be careful when correcting someone else's errors.

Inspired by: The Panchatantra, translated by Arthur Ryder. It is in Book 1, Story 28.
Notes: The story appears in Bidpai also. This story entered the Latin tradition via translations of Panchatantra texts, and so made its way into the works of Ramon Lull, for example (more information here). The story is sometimes told about a whole troop of monkeys instead of just one monkey, as in this video: Fools.

You can find lots of Panchatantra videos at YouTube. Here's another one: Bird and Monkeys.

30. The Crow's Revenge

Laura Gibbs · 30. The Crow's Revenge

A snake raided a crow's nest and ate her chicks.
The crow vowed revenge.
She knew where the royal ladies bathed, leaving their jewelry beside the pool. The crow squawked loudly to make sure the queen saw her, and then she flew off with a golden necklace in her beak.
"Guards!" screamed the queen. "Go get my necklace!"
The crow then dropped the necklace in front of the snake's hole.
When the guards arrived, they saw the necklace and they saw the snake. They clubbed the snake to death and retrieved the necklace.
That's how the crow got her revenge!

Inspired by: The Panchatantra, translated by Arthur Ryder. It is in Book 1, Story 8. Compare to a similar story in Raju's Indian Fables.
Notes: Compare the story of the snake and the heron's chicks: The Crab's Advice.

Here is an illustration from a 15th-century Panchatantra:

31. The Crab's Advice

Laura Gibbs · 31. The Crab's Advice

There were two herons who lived in a tree, and at the foot of the tree was a snake.
One day, the snake ate the herons' chicks.
"We need help!" said the father heron.
"Let's ask the crab for advice," said the mother heron.
So they went to see the crab.
"You should scatter some fish from the mongoose hole to the snake hole," said the crab. "The mongoose will follow the fish and eat the snake!"
The herons did what the crab advised.
The mongoose ate the snake as they had hoped, but then it ate the herons too.

Inspired by: The Panchatantra, translated by Arthur Ryder. It is in Book 1, Story 30.
Notes: The version in Bidpai is about frogs instead of herons. Compare the story of the crow and the snake: The Crow's Revenge.

The birds here do not look much like herons, but you can see the crab giving advice in this 15th-century Panchatantra:

32. The Partridge and the Rabbit

Laura Gibbs · 32. The Partridge and the Rabbit

A partridge had a lovely home, but he left that home, temporarily, in search of food.
When he came back, he found a rabbit was living there.
"Get out of my home!" shouted the partridge.
"This is my home now!" the rabbit shouted back.
They went to a pious cat who lived by the Ganges to ask him to judge their case.
"My dear creatures," the cat said, "I am old and deaf. You must come closer... I still cannot hear you... Closer... That's better, just a little closer."
And then the cat ate the partridge and the rabbit too.

Inspired by: The Panchatantra, translated by Arthur Ryder. It is in Book 3, Story 4.
Notes: This story appears in La Fontaine's fables, with a weasel taking the place of the partridge: The Cat, The Weasel, and the Young Rabbit.

Here is an illustration from a 15th-century Panchatantra:

33. The Vulture and the Cat

Laura Gibbs · 33. The Vulture and the Cat

A vulture, old and nearly blind, lived in a tree hollow.
The other birds pitied the vulture and fed him, and he looked after their chicks.
A cat approached the tree, but the vulture squawked, "No food for you here, cat!"
"I follow the spiritual path," replied the cat. "I no longer eat meat. I seek only to learn from elders like yourself."
Flattered, the vulture began preaching.
Meanwhile, the cat ate the chicks, carefully depositing their bones in the vulture's hollow.
The cat then left, and when the birds found the bones, they attacked the vulture and killed him.

Inspired by: Hitopadesha, or, The Book of Good Counsel translated by B. Hale-Wortham
Notes: It is in Book 1, Story 4.