Reading Notes: Eastern Stories and Legends, Part B

The Faithful Friend

  • There was an elephant and a dog who became great friends. Everyday they would eat together and just hang out.
  • One day a peasant wanted to pay the elephant keeper for the dog. The elephant keeper didn't care for the dog, so he took the money.
  • The elephant became depressed after losing his friend and wouldn't eat for several days.
  • They told the king about the situation. He made an announcement to his people that whoever took the dog would be fined. 
  • The man who took the dog turned the dog loose. After, the dog and elephant were reunited and lived happily. 
  • King honored the Bodisat for knowing how the animals felt. 
The elephant and dog hanging out.
(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

The Monkey That Saved The Herd
  • A buddha was reborn as the King of the monkeys. They lived in a forest near a lake. 
  • An ogre lived at the lake and would eat any animal that would go down to the lake.
  • The King of the monkeys told his people not to drink or eat anything that they did not know without telling him first.
  • One day they found this lake and told the King about it before drinking the water.
  • The king noticed that there were footprints going down to the lake, but none coming back again.
  • The ogre confronted the King and tried to convince him to go drink the water.
  • The King told the ogre that they will not fall for the trap and will find another way to drink the water without being eaten by the ogre.
  • The King told the other monkeys to take a hallow cane, and they will use that to drink the water. By doing this, they wouldn't need to step into the water, thus not get eaten by the ogre.
  • The ogre was angry and went back to his habitat. 
  • I liked how the king was smart and found a way around the situation. I could rewrite this story in a more modern setting and change the ogre to some other creature or animal.
Bibliography: "The Faithful Friend" by Marie L. Shedlock.
                         "The Monkey That Saved The Herd" by Marie L. Shedlock.

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