Review: Delightful stories that are similar to European tales
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 15, 2010
There are twenty-nine stories in this collection. These Indian tales resemble the stories that flourished in Europe, such as the tales by the Brothers Grimm and by Aesop, although they have an Indian flavor. The collector of these stories contends that they are very old, older than the legends and folk-tales that later flourished in Europe. He believes that India was the originator of this genre and the stories were possibly brought to Europe by the crusaders or other travelers that passed through India.For example, the tale The Lion and the Crane is well-known. A lion was eating an animal when a bone got stuck in its throat. A crane offered to help if the lion promises not to eat it. The lion agrees. The crane protects itself by placing a stick in the lion's mouth to keep it open while he is inside the lion's mouth removing the bone. As soon as the crane removes the bone, it pushes out the stick and flies off to a high tree. Later, the crane asks the lion what the lion will give it for saving the lion's life. The lion responds that it already gave the crane a gift by not eating it. The Indian version ends by speaking about the transmigration of souls, a belief of many Indians. The lion and the crane were people in another life.How the Raja's Son Won the Princess Labam is another example of a familiar tale, although known in the west under other names. A prince goes in search for a beautiful princess. While journeying, he takes out his food and finds an ant in it. He places it on the ground for other ants to come and finish it. The ant Raja arrives and tells him that since he fed the ants, if he needs help in the future all he need do is think of them and they will come to help him. He leaves and continues searching for the princess. He comes across a tiger with a thorn in its paw. He helps the tiger who tells the prince that if he needs help in the future, he should think of him, and he and his wife will come and help him. The prince continues his search and comes across four fakirs with four magic items: a bag that give food whenever it is requested to do so, a bowl that offers water, a bed that flies and can take the prince where he wants to go, and a stick that will beat any group that tries to harm him. He takes the four items from the fakirs. He uses the bed to go to the princess. He uses the bag and bowl for food and drink. He then uses the ants and tigers and the bed when the princess' father insists that he performs tasks before he will give up his daughter. The final fourth task that the father insists that he perform is one that none of his friends or magical items can help him with. But the princess tells him how to do the task. The story ends by stating that the two lived happily and never needed to use the magic stick.