1. The Tiger and the Frog- If all animals understood each other's languages, does that mean people could speak to animals too? If so, can I live when the world was young?! Alright, so a tiger is coming towards you, you're a helpless little frog, and you call out to the tiger even though you think it's going to eat you? Maybe you aren't all that clever, little Kermit. I'm reminded of the chameleon grabbing a hold of the hare's tale to win the race. . . Clever but cruel, Kermit, clever but cruel. I've always thought a vomiting contest would be the best way to establish my superiority over people (*shudder*). Poor fox, dragged along for the show. . . Though it would be amusing to see a tiger and a fox tied tail to tail trying to run in opposite directions, admit it, haha.2. The Cony Who Got into Bad Company- That moment when you realize Coney Island was named after a bunch of rabbits. . . Not sure how I feel about that, haha. I want to have lived when the world was young!!! Why can't we talk to animals now. Boooooo. :/ Happy lama, sad lama, mentally disturbed lama, super lama, drama lama, big fat mama lama, MOOSE! (Apologies for that one, lol.) Wow. That escalated quickly. I mean, I know the rabbit and rat were stealing from you, but couldn't you have given them a warning or something before you cut off their whiskers, ears, and tails? Harsh lama. . . And the moral of the story issssss--don't hang out with rats; they be cray-cray.
3. The Story of the Donkey and the Rock- Wow, just blame the donkey why don't cha? It couldn't be that accidents just happen, could it? Goodness. How can you imprison a donkey and charge a rock with breaking a jar of oil that got knocked over and broken? That's so ridiculous! Can you imagine if the Supreme Court called a donkey and a rock into court? It'd be almost as insane as the trial of the US v. 50,000 Cardboard Boxes More or Less, Each Containing One Pair of Clacker Balls. (True story.) Great ending though, charging all the people attending the ridiculous trial to pay up half a cent. Though I also would have gone, just because of the spectacle of it, lol.4. How the Fox Fell a Victim to His Own Deceit- Who has ever heard of a tiger bringing home a calf as a playmate for her cub and a fox kit? That would be so freaking adorable! Playing both sides. . . That's some dangerous business right there, little Tod. Wow. I mean, wow. They just killed the fox and ate him. Geez, I was not expecting that. . .
5. The Ingratitude of Man- Let's just all be honest and accept the inherent truth in this title, right off the bat. Snakes don't walk--get it right, people. Trusting in the kindness and gratitude of a random human--that's where you made your mistake, buddy. Once again I am reminded of a past story, this time another where a man was deceitful and ungrateful; how sad that that is a common theme between various cultures. . . Ooooh, magic snake. Annnnndddddd--the end.
6. Covetousness- I'm seeing a lot of dead animals, but no real link here. . . Woah. Okay. So we have a dead bear, fox, elephant, and 7 dead robbers. I'm guessing that the Tibetans reallllly wanted to emphasize this lesson. So don't be greedy and don't do what you aren't fitted for, or else YOU DIE!!!
7. The Wise Carpenter- Can I go to heaven to build a temple for a wealthy, dead king?! It sounds like quite the awesome experience, haha. Though I, too, would be doubtful of such a fortuitous turn of events--I probably wouldn't turn the opportunity down, but I would be suspicious. Especially once I was told that I needed to burn all of the tools of my trade in order to get there--and informed so by my archnemesis, no less. The implication here seems to be that washing every day is quite out of the norm. . . Ughhhhh. The poor king here, getting just passed over by both the painter and the carpenter for no reason; he's the real dupe here, the poor soul. The irony--even in not making it to Heaven, the painter ascends to Heaven. Oh, sweet, harsh justice.
8. The Story of Drashup and the Goddesses- Can I just start out by saying how much I like the word ineluctable? This again reminds me of a previous tale, one in which a prince was annoyed that he was to marry a spinner's (?) daughter and tried to kill her. So. Many. Parallels. Insta-love. How pervasive you are in both ancient tales and in popular culture. I always thought that I would die if I ate the shoulder of a sheep. Now I know for sure that it happens in folktales, so it must also happen in real life.
9. The Man and the Ghost- When I cause havoc, I also steal the soul of a kid and tie it up in a yak hair sack to give to a newly-made friend. It's the prank that's all the rage today. Yup. . . And is disguising yourself as a holy lama sacrilegious? 'Cause it seems sacrilegious to me. Is there such thing as customary etiquette between a man and a ghost? These are the questions that haunt me, lol.
10. The Story of the Two Devils- Firstly, I really enjoy the image at the top of this tale in the UnTextbook; I do, I do! One woman marrying seven princes--now, this story reminds me a bit of the Pandavas from Indian mythology (though there were only 5 of them and their wife was not a demon, so that bit is quite different, haha). Way to give away your secret identities to a totally ignorant and luckily clumsy liar. If you die, it's your own fault, demon spawn!
And there we go: half a unit down, half to go! Arrivederci!
Image Information. Tiger Striped Monkey Frog, by/from Gail Melville Shumway Photography.
Donkey, Beast of Burden; photo by LoggaWiggler, 2014. Pixabay.
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