Reading Notes B: Two Turtle Jatakas

Two Turtle Jatakas

I chose Two Turtle Jatakas for two reasons.  Firstly, I call my father “papa turtle” so turtles have a very special place in my heart.  I think it could be fun to take personality traits of my father and apply those to one of the turtle stories.  The second reason is that of the two different representations of the turtle in Indian myth.  In most cultures, you do not get to see a dual representation of certain animals, especially the turtle.  The Wise Turtle is such an encompassing stereotype so I was excited to read about a turtle behaving in a less dignified manner.  Both the stories came from versions in Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt.

The Turtle and the King

This is a kinda cute and simple tale about a turtle outsmarting humans with their own assumptions.  The way I see it, there are five important characters with “extra characters” being the king’s men.  The two princes (I have decided there are two since there isn’t a number given), the king, the old man who is afraid of water, and the turtle are the five characters I see as being more pivotal in the tale.

The Turtle is obviously quick-minded and very cunning.  It must’ve been a terrifying ride being carried about by the men and into the palace.  I know the story is probably trying to demonstrate the turtle’s genius but I really connected to the understated bravery of the turtle.  I felt he was a passing-through protagonist caught in some wild trap by another village and having to squirm his way out of the foreign place.

The Turtle and the Geese

I was excited for this story because I felt perhaps the turtle would behave more like the hare from the famous fairytale.  It had a heavy moral tone, trying to teach a lesson, that really spoke to me.  I am taking many classes about revolutions and times of political upheaval, so I felt more upset about the story attempting to teach silence.  I prefer stories teaching the right to speak out, to stand for what is right, although I can certainly understand this story’s message.  It is more about following a directive for the sake of your life as opposed to trying to create a revolution.  This point also follows some things I am learning, where people had to go along in order to escape exile or execution.  I don’t know how I would change this story but I think the possibilities are very intriguing.

Turtle Photo from Reddit

A Cute Turtle Video from Youtube