Reading Notes: Babbitt. Jataka Tales, Part B

I like the several stories in the Jakata tales, but the story of golden goose was the most interesting story among them because it raised a sudden philosophical thinking inside my head. I particularly like the very beginning of the story with the goose telling himself to help the poor woman: "If I give them one after another of my golden feathers, the mother can sell them, and with the money they bring she and her daughters can then live in comfort." I thought this goose was a generous and benevolent animal since he wanted to help the poor people in need.

When I read this somewhat ungrateful line of dialogue between the poor mother and two daughters, I honestly thought they didn't deserve the goose's 'philanthropy' and perhaps they deserved to be poor: "Let us not trust this Goose. Some day he may fly away and never come back. Then we should be poor again. Let us get all of his feathers the very next time he comes." I thought this kind of mentality was really ungrateful and I felt like the benevolent goose's help was taken for granted.

This was so evil, and I thought this kind of attitude perhaps was the reason why the poor mother got impoverished in the first place: "But the mother was greedy. The next time the Golden Goose came she took hold of him with both hands, and pulled out every one of his feathers." I thought nobody who was helped shouldn't act in such outrageous way.

The poor and unfortunate goose was left with a devastating consequence: "If his feathers are plucked out against his wish, they no longer remain golden but turn white and are of no more value than chicken-feathers. The new ones that come in are not golden, but plain white." I felt very sad and bad for this result of his benevolent philanthropy toward poor people. The goose cared and helped them to lift their lives up from poverty, yet he was betrayed and badly wounded for helping them out.

I thought this Jataka story tried to teach an important yet a bit controversial life lesson: people are evil in nature, so be careful even when you are helping them. This story of poor goose really struck my nerve deeply and made me rethink about the nature of people and the world I live in.

Talking to the goose. Source: Golden Goose

Bibliography:

Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt, illustrated by Ellsworth Young (1912).

Comments

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