Reading Notes: Shedlock Eastern Stories and Legends, Part C

For this weeks readings I chose to read more Jataka Tales. I read a selection from Shedlock Eastern Stories and Legends for extra credit last week and decided I would read some more for week 14. From these stories I particularly liked one titled "How the Antelope Was Caught." This is the story of a gardener who works for a king. Every day an antelope wanders into the garden and eventually is gains confidence and is no longer scared of the gardener. The king asks the gardener about the garden and he tells the king about the antelope and says he could get the antelope into the palace. The king tells him to do it. The gardener starts by putting honey on the grass that the antelope eats. The antelope loves the taste and eventually has no fear of the gardener at all. The gardener then makes a trail of honey soaked grass that leads into the palace. The antelope follows it because he lusts for the taste and wanders right into the palace. The king speaks about how the antelope would never have come near the palace, but his lust for taste took over and he did. This story has a moral against lust and I enjoyed it very much.

Bibliography: Shedlock Eastern Stories and Legends (Link)

Antelope (Source)