Week 14: Extra Reading

Extra Reading - Part B

Bibliography: Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt 1912

The Elephant Girly-Face - It makes me so sad that the elephant is so easily taught to be mean and murderous. I guess the moral could be showing how easily susceptible to things our children are and how they can pick up on the wrong things so easily.

The Banyan Deer - I have read another version of this story before and it both makes me so happy and sad at the same time. In the other version the king agrees to not harm any living creature again, which I felt was going to far, but I love that the great king of the deer is so willing to put his life on the line for one of his own.

The King's White Elephant - This is such a sweet story! I was so worried that the people were going to kill the white elephant because it was different, but they took it in and treated it well! This is the kind of story I like to read.

The Ox Who Envied the Pig - This story was sweet and simple! I don't have much to say about it, but I like it and I think it is a good lesson.

The Banyan Deer

Week 13: Extra Reading

Extra reading - Part A

Bibliography: Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt 1912

The Monkey and the Crocodile - I like this story because I like the fact that the mom croc is challenging her child to think outside of his limitations to achieve something great. I also like that, though the crocodile doesn't succeed in catching the monkey, the two gain a mutual understanding and respect for each other.

How the Turtle Saved His Own Life - Haha! I thought this story was great. It reminded me of small children being tickled where they clearly want to be but they just keep yelling, "No, don't tickle me!" while basically laying there waiting to be tickled.

The Turtle Who Couldn't Stop Talking - I think this story has been in every Jataka tale combination I have read so far and every time I read it, it makes me think of my lack of faith in humanity. At the beginning of the story I don't trust the turtle to stay quiet even to save himself, just like I don't really trust humanity to shut up or do something against what they want to do just to save themselves.

Turtle who saved his own life

Week 12: Extra Reading Part A & B

Bibliography: Twenty Jataka Tales by Noor Inayat (Khan) - 1939

Part A

The Monkey-Bridge - This could be a good story to do if I wanted to make a long journey like series of stories. The monkeys and the monkey king with their fruits and then the humans and the human king going off to find the fruits. I could change the fruits because they seem so much more mystical until they name them as mangos.

The Guilty Dogs - This could also be another easy story to use. I'm not sure if I would necessarily have to use my usual characters, this could be a fun story to use to bring up new characters for a short time.

Banyan - I liked this story too, but I feel like if I used this story, I would change the ending just a little bit because I feel like the deer asks a lot to have the king spare all of the living creatures.

Part B

The Two Pigs - I like this story because I like that it has a happy ending. I like that the brother is so supportive and loving of his brother but also still loving of the woman who took care of them for so long.

The Forest Fire - This story is so cute! It made me sad that the last little quail only had weak little wings but I thought it was so cute that he stood down the flames and was able to live happily in his little nest.

Forest Fire

Week 11: Reading Notes Part B (extra reading) - The Divine Archer

Reading Notes (extra reading) - Part B

Bibliography: The Divine Archer by F. J. Gould (1911)

Hanuman's Leap to Lanka

Hanuman in Lanka - Could be cool to find one of the Strike's old allies in Rava's territory and have him/her/it help out the team!

The Battle Begins/The War Ends - I wish I had read this version along with our main version of the Ramayana. I have already done my stories from these particular sections but the shortened version make so much more sense and are easy to read!

Sita and the Twins - maybe way later down in the lives of our team, I could use this story somehow. It would be sad, but it would be cool!

Week 10: Reading Notes - Devi. Indian Fables and Folklore

Reading Notes Part B

Shibi and the Hawk - I wouldn't use this story, but I do like the idea behind it. I like the resolve that Shibi came to in order to save both birds. He had to give up a good part of himself in order to do so, but he was willing and so it was a valiant sacrifice. I feel like there is more behind this story.

The Fighting Blades of Grass - I think it is funny that a demi-god is born from a sneeze. Makes me think of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy!

The Logical Pupil - This could be a fun story to use to give some back story on Sarah and Gregor! Maybe give a little insight into some training they may have gone through when they were younger and just to have a fun story to explain their characters a little more.

Bibliography: Devi. Indian Fables and Folklore by Shovona Devi 1919

The Story of King Shibi

Source

Week 7: Extra Reading - Part B

Kincaid. Shri Krishna of Dwarka - Mahabharata

Part B - Author: C. A. Kincaid (1920)

8. The Syamantaka Jewel
I really like the whole story of Satrajit and the jewel that makes the sun god unable to be seen. I also think the qualities of the gem are cool. If owned by one who is brave and good it shall give them treasures but if they lead an evil life, they will meet their death. Since they don't go into great detail of the battle between the great bear king and Krishna, I think that could be another cool battle story.

9. Adventures of Balarama and Pradyumna
I could make a tale of the adventures the divine baby has inside the fish. Or make a story of how the demon wife finds the baby in the fish she is going to make for dinner.

10. Naraka and Bana
Just reading the first paragraph I feel like I could compare Naraka to a spoiled child who is too big for his own good. It could be fun to take this story and make it from the view that Naraka is in fact just a small child playing in his world where he gets everything he wants.

11. Nriga and Paundrika
I feel that it could be fun to use the chameleon character in another story.

12. Deaths of Jarasandha and Shishupala
I think it is really cool to have a crossover between this chapter and the Mahabharata. There are also a couple of instances that I feel I could turn into stories.

13. The Passing of Krishna
How the club is produced is interesting. The event where Balamara passes could also be used as a good story.

Bibliography: Shri Krishna of Dwarka by C. A. Kincaid. Link.

Death of Krishna

Week 6: Reading Notes - Part D

THIS IS NOT COMPLETE. Obviously. I just accidentally hit publish instead of saving it as a draft.

1. Bhisma Falls
So wait... Arjuna was actually born a girl?? I am so confused...
Donald A. Mackenzie
2. Drona in Command
Romesh C. Dutt
3. Abhimanyu and Jayadratha
I can only imagine the pain of losing a child. I am not surprised that Arjuna wants revenge.
Donald A. Mackenzie
4. Ghatotkacha
This story and the last are both about two of the Pandavas losing their children. I feel like this, and possibly the last story, would be good to use for my storytellings.
Donald A. Mackenzie
5. Death of Drona
The trickery used here and the image of the kuru's soul is pretty cool. I feel like this could also be a good story to use for my storytelling.
Sister Nivedita
6. Bhima and Duhshasana
As gross as it is that he drank the guy's blood, I am impressed that he kept his vow and it makes me happy that he avenged the wrong done to Draupadi.
Donald A Mackenzie
7. Arjuna and Karna
I would really like to use this story as another one of my storytelling stories.
Donald A. Mackenzie
8. Duryodhana in the Lake
Donald A. Mackenzie
9. The Raid
This would be an excellent story to use since it is not what one would expect to happen at all! The gods seemed to always help the Pandavas but then shiva just let the guy in!
Donald A. Mackenzie & Romesh Dutt
10. Ashwatthaman's Jewel
So I could also use Ashwatthaman as one of my celestial beings. I want to use the story of his amulet somehow.
Donald A. Mackenzie
11. Mourning
As sad and painful as this story would be, I can completely see a retelling of this story to be super useful in my portfolio.
Donald A. Mackenzie
12. The Pandavas and Bhishma
The idea of being able to chose the moment of ones death is a SUPER cool idea! I feel like it could be easy to misuse, but it could also create an excellent was to forward a plot.
John Mandeville Macfie
13.  Parikshit
John Mandeville Macfie and Sunity Devee
14. King Yudhishthira's Horse
This ritual is still fascinating to me.
Donald A. Mackenzie
15. Horse Sacrifice
Its about damn time.
Donald A. Mackenzie
16. The Mongoose
I like the idea of switching narrators and having the actual narrator be an animal!
Annie Besant
17. The Forest and its Ghosts
This would be a really cool story as well.
Donald A. Mackenzie
18. Death of Krishna
This reads like a Shakespearian tragedy where EVERYONE dies at the end...
Donald A. Mackenzie
19. The Pandavas Depart
Donald A. Mackenzie
20. The Afterlife
I LOVE the idea of him going through a test and, after succeeding, becoming a celestial. I also really like how it is explained how each brother is basically paired with another god.
Donald A. Mackenzie

Yudhishthira's Journey to Hell

Bibliography: Since each chapter is written by a different author each author, link and title are provided above.

Week 4: Reading Notes (Extra Reading) C

Somehow I missed this section...
1. Sugriva and Hanuman
I like Hanuman's character. I like that he can change shape and that his original form is a monkey. I don't know what it is, but the way he is portrayed in his particular chapter is very friendly but also protective. I just like him.
Written by: Geraldine Hodgson
2. Sugriva's Story
I can understand where Vali is coming from, it would have looked very much like his brother had betrayed him for the kingdom but it would also be frustrating to have waited for your brother for so long and to believe him dead and then have him show up again to only exile you.
Written by: Geraldine Hodgson
3. Sugriva and Vali
A fight scene between brothers is always a good attention getter.
Written by: Romesh Dutt
4. Vali's Death
With Rama allied Sugriva, I wasn't expecting Vali to end up alive from this battle.
Written by: Romesh Dutt
5. King Sugriva
The main thing I get from this chapter that I really like is the idea of the Vanars. The word is translated to "monkey" in english, but it means more than just monkey, according to the preview of the chapter. I like that the people of Sugriva are considered monkeys, but not really. They can be more than just monkeys.
Written by: Romesh Dutt
6. The Rainy Season
I can imagine it being hard to just sit and wait for a whole season to pass while your wife is in the hands of the demon king! That would be awful! But I think it is nice that Sugriva is willing to help out Rama. I mean, I don't see why he wouldn't, but its still nice.
Written by: Romesh Dutt and Arthur William Ryder
7. The Armies
I wonder what significance it has that there are bears fighting with the monkeys. Why bears and not some sort of cat or wolf or something?
Written by: Donald A. Mackenzie
8. Sampati
I wonder why the monkeys of the south search party didn't want to return to Sugriva but all of the other ones did, even thoough they had all failed. I think it is neat that Jatayu's brother also helped Rama in his search for Sita.
Written by: Sister Nivedita
9. Sampati and Jatayu
The image of the two brother birds nesting so close together that they could hear each other's heart beats is so sweet to me! And the fact that Sampati burnt his wings in order to try to save his brother is a valiant story, and though it has a sad ending, it gives me more respect for Sampati. It makes sense that Rama is the one that Sampati is waiting on so he can get his wings again. Rama seems to be the turing point in a profecy for many creatures.
Written by: Frederika Richardson Macdonald
10. Hanuman's Leap
Hanuman keeps becoming one of my favorite characters the more I read about him!
Written by: Sister Nivedita
11. Hanuman in Lanka
The comparison of the city being like a woman was very interesting... I kind of understood it, but I felt it may have also been a little much. It was a very effective imagery.
Written by: Sister Nivedita
12. The Askhoka
They make the demons sound so completely horrible. I like that they stick to that kind of image for demons. Sometimes people try to make them in a prettier image, which isn't a problem, sometimes that can be even scarier, but I like the traditional idea of the ugly and gruesome creature.
Written by: Donald A. Mackenzie
13. Sita and Ravana
It seems like the entire time Sita is around Ravana, she truly is never tempted by Ravana. I mean, he seems to be pretty terrifying, but he does try so hard and she seems to be there for so long that it seems like something would happen for him to succeed in tempting her.
Written by: Sister Nivedita
14. Hanuman and Sita
She is even so devoted to Rama that she refuses to touch any other male! Having read the last section before this one and knowing that Rama shuns Sita because he does not believe her to have been faithful to him, it makes me even more mad at him! I know he has no way of knowing how faithful she was to him, but still...
Written by: Donald A. Mackenzie
15. Hanuman Captured
Crap... He was so close to getting away and letting Rama know that Sita was alright... Dang it! This does make the story more exciting though.
Written by: Sister Nivedita
16. Hanuman and Ravana
This story is so short, I want to know why it is such a bad idea to set Hanuman's tail on fire, other than the reason that it would royaly piss off Rama and Sugriva.
Written by: Sister Nivedita
17. The Burning of Lanka
This is a pretty cool chapter. Since Hanuman is the son of the wind (which is interesting that a monkey is son to the wind), his "father" kept his tail from actually burning and it allowed Hanuman to flee his captors and set Lanka ablaze. At least he checked on Sita first.
Written by: Sister Nivedita
18. The March on Lanka
I can get Rama being afraid of the Rakshasa's but I already know, with some help, he will kick ass and lay waste to them! But I guess it is their magic that lays him low a couple of times.
Written by: Sister Nivedita
19. Ravana's Court
It would have been much smarter to have just given back Sita... But she is supposed to be very beautiful and he is trying to piss off Rama, so whether it would have actually been a smart thing to do or not, I'm sure he wouldn't care. I feel like when he took Sita he was ready to battle the the death (that he thought would be Rama's).
Written by: Romesh Dutt
20. Vibhishana 
There has to be one voice of reason among the family of craizes. He made the smart decision to leave and go with the obvious winning side.
Written by: Donald A. Mackenzie

Image Source - Rama and Hanuman

Bibliography: Since each of these has a different author the title, author, and links to each chapter are included in each section.