I'm always been fond of reading Jataka tales. In fact, these collections of Jataka tales have been my favorite kind of reading for this semester because their plots are very interesting with lots of suspense and rich visual details. I've read a lot of Jataka tales about monkeys and other animals. A story written about an ungrateful prince and beasts, I thought, would be amazing to read. So I read the amazing story of ungrateful prince and grateful beasts. It was unlike any other Jataka tales, in that it was longer and more complicated than the ones I've read before. But with richer plots and characters, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this amazing story.
The story began with the King's son, who was cruel, disagreeable, and hurtful: "this son was so cruel and disagreeable, that he took a delight in hurting people, and never spoke to anybody without an oath or a blow." It sounded like a truly intense character with lots of bad personality elements.
I also like how the story narrated the prince so eloquently: "He was a thorn in the flesh to everybody he came across; he was like grit in the porridge, like a fly in the eye, like a stone in the shoon. And they called him the Wicked Prince." I could tell what kind of crook the prince was reading from this description.
The prince went to take a bath despite the storm: "However, this Prince was obstinate, and would not give up his bathe; and as he was too lazy even to bathe himself, he swore at his servants, and said: “You lazy beasts! Bathe me, and look sharp about it, or I’ll tickle you with a cat-o’-nine-tails!”
When I read this line, I was like, 'this guy is really nasty.' No wonder why his name is "ungrateful prince."
The servants had enough this the bully and decided to pitch him into the river. Wow.. This prince was really bad: "if the King finds us out, and puts us to death—anyhow, death is better than his eternal bullying.” It's an intense statement made by the servants. Death is better than being bullied?
The servants told King that the prince was carried away by the current. Yet he survived by grabbing a tree while flooded away. There he met the villains like him: " Snake was, and the Rat, and the Wicked Prince; and so there were four of them on the tree, floating down the river."
The hermit was benevolent: "Then he got the four creatures off it, and took them into his hut, and dried them and warmed them by the fire"
The Wicked Prince, being wicked, was jealous that the hermit tended him at last after the other creatures. Snake and rat offered the hermit his riches.
And parrot thanked the hermit greatly although she had no money.
The wicked prince, on the other hand, hated the hermit because he was tended at last.
Hermit had all the life experiences, so he knew that people don't do what they say they are going to do.
He went on a journey to Wicked Prince's castle. What a bad dude is this: “Aha! here’s that rascal that left me to the last. Wants me to pay him for it, I suppose! Well, I’ll pay him! I’ll pay him out!”
The servants were angry and took the wicked prince down and made the hermit become the king instead.
The new king went to snake, rat, and parrot's places and gave their gifts to the servants.
I think this amazing story teaches an important lesson: remember the person who saved your life and be grateful.
Bibliography:
Tales from Old India by W. H. D. Rouse with illustrations by W. Robinson
The story began with the King's son, who was cruel, disagreeable, and hurtful: "this son was so cruel and disagreeable, that he took a delight in hurting people, and never spoke to anybody without an oath or a blow." It sounded like a truly intense character with lots of bad personality elements.
I also like how the story narrated the prince so eloquently: "He was a thorn in the flesh to everybody he came across; he was like grit in the porridge, like a fly in the eye, like a stone in the shoon. And they called him the Wicked Prince." I could tell what kind of crook the prince was reading from this description.
The prince went to take a bath despite the storm: "However, this Prince was obstinate, and would not give up his bathe; and as he was too lazy even to bathe himself, he swore at his servants, and said: “You lazy beasts! Bathe me, and look sharp about it, or I’ll tickle you with a cat-o’-nine-tails!”
When I read this line, I was like, 'this guy is really nasty.' No wonder why his name is "ungrateful prince."
The servants had enough this the bully and decided to pitch him into the river. Wow.. This prince was really bad: "if the King finds us out, and puts us to death—anyhow, death is better than his eternal bullying.” It's an intense statement made by the servants. Death is better than being bullied?
The servants told King that the prince was carried away by the current. Yet he survived by grabbing a tree while flooded away. There he met the villains like him: " Snake was, and the Rat, and the Wicked Prince; and so there were four of them on the tree, floating down the river."
The hermit was benevolent: "Then he got the four creatures off it, and took them into his hut, and dried them and warmed them by the fire"
The Wicked Prince, being wicked, was jealous that the hermit tended him at last after the other creatures. Snake and rat offered the hermit his riches.
And parrot thanked the hermit greatly although she had no money.
The wicked prince, on the other hand, hated the hermit because he was tended at last.
Hermit had all the life experiences, so he knew that people don't do what they say they are going to do.
He went on a journey to Wicked Prince's castle. What a bad dude is this: “Aha! here’s that rascal that left me to the last. Wants me to pay him for it, I suppose! Well, I’ll pay him! I’ll pay him out!”
The servants were angry and took the wicked prince down and made the hermit become the king instead.
The new king went to snake, rat, and parrot's places and gave their gifts to the servants.
I think this amazing story teaches an important lesson: remember the person who saved your life and be grateful.
Ungrateful Prince. Source: ungrateful prince faces death
Bibliography:
Tales from Old India by W. H. D. Rouse with illustrations by W. Robinson
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