Reading Notes: Jataka Tales Part D

One of the Stupid Monkeys

The Stupid Monkeys

• King gave holiday to all of the people in his cities

• King's gardener had monkeys water the plants

• monkeys did not know how much to water the trees

• they pulled up the trees to see how long their roots were. 

• accidentally killed the trees doing this 

The Cunning Wolf

• Animals came to the man's campfire to try and get some food

• Man acted dead to try and lure the animals in

• Wolf tugged on the man's club and the man clenched the club

• The animals knew if he could clench the club then he was not dead and the animals fled from the man and campfire

The Penny-Wise Monkey

• King and his army went to take over a smaller country

• King and his men watched as a monkey dropped a pea and accidentally dropped the rest of his peas when he searched for the single pea

• The king realized that he was not willing to lose a lot to gain a little by fighting the smaller country. 

Reading Notes: Jataka Tales Part C

The Turtle who could not stop talking

• Turtle befriends geese who want the turtle to visit their home

• Geese offer to take the turtle if he can keep his mouth shut about going

• Kids saw the geese carrying the turtle as he kept his mouth closed on a stick so that he would be carried

• The turtle asked the children what business it was to judge him and the turtle fell to his death because he opened his mouth and let go of the stick

The Ox who won the forfeit

• Man makes bet of a thousand of pieces of silver on his ox

• Second man's ox would not even move and he lost his thousand pieces of silver

• Ox says that if they try again he will try for the second man as he has been a good master

• The ox pulled the cart winning the bet and the second man with his ox went home happy with their winnings

The quarrel of the quails

• wise quail was the leader of those living in the forest

• Man uses a quail call the lure the quails in and captures them

• wise quail comes up with a plan for the next time the man tries this scheme

• the quails enact the plan and fly the man's net off and drop it into the thorn bush

• quails started arguing and the man takes advantage of the situation and captures them and sells them for a nice price

The Measure of rice

• King had a dishonest man in his court who was the valuer

• King fires this valuer and hires a peasant to do the job

• peasant did not know values really, but everyone had to pay the price for items that he set

• man brings in 500 horses and valuer says they were worth a measure of rice.

• valuer tries to explain that the value of rice is the same as the value of the city

• the king ashamed kicks out the valuer

• the valuer fled the scene as he explains that he was only trying to get a good deal on the horses for the king

Week 13 Story, The Mischievous Mightyena and the Rattatas

Before you start reading please check out the version on my other blog which will be updated! 

I am so excited for you to read my third story here for my portfolio. I cannot believe that I am going to go three for three on all my stories being Pokemon themed. For this entry I decided to retell a story from "More Jataka Tales" by Ellen C. Babbitt in 1922. More specifically of those tales I chose "The Tricky Wolf and the Rats ". I love these Jataka Tales because they are fun and exciting short stories that can be ready very easily along with some lessons to learn from. This like many others contains a story of deception where the tricky wolf tries to pull one over on the rats. I decided to initially alter the story by making a change up with the characters. Rather than a wolf I chose Mightyena who is the closest to a wolf of the Pokemon I looked at. The rats in the original text were all the same species. I changed it to where the regular rats were Rattatas (a mouse Pokemon). The King rat I also changed into a Raticate (another mouse Pokemon) I wanted the reader to be able to distinguish between the regular rats and the king more easily. Raticate is the evolved form of Rattata so it would only make sense that the Rattata's would listen to a Raticate. I hope you enjoy this story and thanks for reading!

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Mightyena

There once was a Raticate who  lived in the Viridian forest, and around a hundred Rattatas who looked to the Raticate as their king.

A Mischievous Mightyena saw this village made up of Rattatas. Mightyena then started mapping out a plan on how he could trap the Rattatas. He wanted to eat them all, but how was he going to get them trapped? Finally Migheyena devised a plan that was too perfect to fail! He went to a corner of Viridian forest near the home of the Rattatas and King Raticate. Then Mightyena waited until he saw one of the Rattatas coming. Then he stood up on his back two legs.

The Chief Raticate saw the Mightyena and asked, "Mightyena, why are you standing like that only on your hind legs?"

"Because I am got into a Pokemon battle earlier and now my back legs are hobbled," replied the Mischievous Mightyena. "It hurts me too much to try and stand or put any pressure on my front two legs."

King Raticate (right) and one of the Rattatas (left)

"I am sorry to hear that, but why are you keeping your mouth open Mighyena?" asked King Raticate.

"My mouth stays open because I am trying to  breathe in as much oxygen as possible.," said the Mighyena. "The air is the only thing that gives me life. I do not eat or drink so this is the only way that I can gather energy to live off of. I can not run or walk, so I am going to just stay here for now. I am just trying to survive and wait until my legs recover where I may run through the forest like I used to." When the Rattatas and King Raticate left the Mightyena began laying down.

Chief Raticate felt so bad for the Mighyena. The King went each night and morning with all the other Rattatas to check in with the Mightyena to see how he was doing. He as if he was not in good shape, but he did not complain his current circumstance.

Every time  the Rattatas and their King left the Mightyena caught and ate the last one. Then he licked his lips clean, and continued on as if nothing ever happened.

Every night the number of Rattatas at bedtime continually shrunk. Then they asked the Chief Raticate what was going on with all the missing Rattatas. The King was not sure, but he was suspicious that Mightyena had something to do with it.

Chief Raticate the next morning said, "You all go first this time as we visit Mightyena, but this time I will leave last."

They did as their King wished. Just as King Raticate began leaving last Mightyena leaped towards him. Unfortunately for Mightyena he was not quick enough. Chief Raticate managed to escape the Mightyena's attempt at his life.

"So you lied about the air feeding you? Rattatas is what you are actually eating. Everything that you said about your lame legs was nothing, but a life. You aren't going to be tricking any one else Mightyena," explained chief Rattata. The King sprang forward towards the Mightyena and used Super Fang on his neck. A critical hit! There was not a PokeCenter in sight to the Mischievous Mightyena finally fainted.

The Rattatas and King Raticate lived happily ever after in their home near Viridian forest.