Spring 2021

 The second Part of the Jatakas was just as fun to read as the first. I really enjoyed the almost childlike stories that were told all while having a deeper rooted meaning. Many of these stories carry different little twists or turns that I am not expecting. I always seem to catch myself trying to figure out how a story is going to end and concocting in my mind what I think should happen. In most of these stories I found myself on the right track but not piecing together the whole puzzle. My favorite story in this Part of the Jatakas was The Crab and the Crane. In this story, the crane is shifty and figures a way to trick the fish into allowing him to carry them to a new pond full of water when in reality he is just taking them away to eat them one by one. I saw that twist from the very beginning. However, after the crane has eaten all of the fish and the reader suspects the story is over, the author introduces a new character, the crab. I like how the crab is smart and outwits the...

 I loved reading the Jatakas this week because they reminded me of tales that I read as a child. I also am very fond of stories that contain animals due to the way they are whimsical and fun to read. My favorite story in this Part A was How the Turtle Saved His Own Life. This story contains all the elements of a classic children's story. It starts out with excited children who turn out to be quite naive and think that the turtle is a demon. Then, the adults must be naive as well because they do not know what a turtle is either and begin to plot ways to destroy the "demon". And, lastly, after the men plot many horrid deaths, one idea is given to throw the turtle into the lake. When the turtle hears this he acts as if it is the worst idea of all while he knows that this is his perfect plan of escape and they will take him right back to his home in the river.  Turtle from Wikimedia Commons My second favorite story was The Turtle Who Couldn't Stop Talking. I don't kno...