I enjoyed this week's readings, and it was nice being able to branch away from the epics some. I am glad to have chosen to do some Un-Textbook work for my (hopeful) last week of the class. My favorite stories were ones where Buddha or some special knowledge was acquired by the characters.
In regards to background information, I would like some information on strange names that we may hear normally in our stories. For example Brahman or Bonga. I had an idea that the Bonga is a water spirit, since he was able to carry away the girl once she had drowned, but I a little confused when her sister-in-laws had first confronted him. I even tried to Google "Bonga" and couldn't really find anything. Since I've read the epics, I am aware of what a Brahman is, but if this was Myth-Folk I probably wouldn't have. Many stories began with a particular Brahman, and he was the main character, so this may have confused me a bit.
The Poor Sister.
(Source)
I learned some common lessons from this unit that have to do with everyday things that we may take for granted. These things can include being a chatterbox or even a gossiper. The Talkative Tortoise story really gave a good explanation on how your mouth can get you into trouble. The Matted Demon story taught me that knowledge is power, and it was inspiring how the Prince was not afraid of death because he knew that it was inevitable to all humans at some point. He had faith that he had lived a happy life of doing good, so when he would be reincarnated in the future he would not live a life of anguish.
Overall, I was very pleased with this unit and happy that I had chosen to read it. The stories were not too long, but gave me enough to think about it for a bit after finishing one.
Un-Textbook Reading: Indian Fairy Tales
Specific Stories Mentioned:
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