Reading Notes: Week 2 Anthology

The Foolish, Timid Rabbit - I really loved this story and the meaning behind it (which was that you shouldn't believe everything you hear, and just because everyone else is doing something doesn't mean you should too). It reminds me of the Telephone game I played as a kid. I loved the succession of it, and how the reader has a perspective that the characters don't. From the very beginning, the reader knows the earth is not actually breaking up and yet they just have to wait out the characters to figure it out.

The Monkey who Gathered Lotuses - I enjoyed this story because there was not a single moment in it where I knew what would happen. I couldn't tell if the ending would take the son or the father's side. I do think the beginning part of it drags on a bit, but the rest of it was really captivating. I like the twist where the ogre actually ends up helping the son. That aids in making the reader really understand how clever the boy is.

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Bibliography:

• Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt.
• Tayodhamma Jataka in The Jataka: Volume 1 translated by Robert Chalmers.

Image Information:
Illustration by Ellsworth Young