Reading Notes: Babbitt's "Jataka Tales" (Part B)

Here are the notes for my favorite stories in the second half of Babbitt's "Jataka Tales"!

The King's White Elephant

• A big elephant with a splinter in her foot limped over to some carpenters that were cutting down wood.
• Upon seeing the splinter, the men took it out and washed the sore carefully so it would heal.
• The elephant was very grateful, and in returned, helped them cut down trees, roll logs, and brought them tools.
• The men took very good care of the elephant and feed him well.
• One day, the elephant gave birth to a beautiful white elephant, and she decided to bring him to the carpenters to teach him how to help them.
• The men also took very good care of the white baby elephant, and after they were done for the day, the baby went to the river and played in the water with the carpenter's children.
• The king passed by and noticed the magnificent white creature, and paid the carpenters a lot of money for him.
• The white baby elephant looked at everyone one last time, and finally went off to live with the king who took very good care of him as well.

This story kind of took me by surprise because I was expecting a sad ending, especially when the baby elephant was taken away from his mother and his new playmates. I was surprised that the mother elephant didn't really throw a tantrum either. BUT! I'm glad that things turned out well, and the king does not mistreat the baby elephant.

The Elephant & The Carpenter

Granny's Blackie

• In a village, there was this elderly woman who was given a baby elephant by a rich man, and she took very good care of him throughout his life.
• The village people called the elephant "Granny's Blackie," and they played with him every day.
• One day, Blackie wanted Granny to go with him to the forest, but she kindly told him no since she had to go to work and make money.
• Blackie was upset and starting noticing that Granny was becoming a little more older and frailer by the day, and he didn't want her to work anymore so he went out to search for work for himself.
• As he went to the river, Blackie noticed a man and his oxen struggling to bring wagons over through shallow water.
• The man offered Blackie two silver pieces for every wagon he helped bring over. So, that is what Blackie did all day.
• After all the wagons had been pulled, the man counted out one piece for each wagon, and Blackie retaliated by not touching or accepting the money whatsoever and blocking the man from his wagons.
• The man finally gave up and went home to grab more silver pieces for the elephant.
• That night, after worrying Granny and the children of his whereabouts, Blackie came home and showed Granny all the money he's gained.
• From then on, Blackie began working for money, and Granny rested. Both lived happily ever after.

I was intrigued by the title of this story compared to the other titles because of its vagueness, and I was even more intrigued by its storyline. I love the message behind it, and the overall story kind of reminds me of an adoption story. Even though Granny was not Blackie's original mother, they loved and cared for each other like mother and son, and when the time came, Blackie became the breadwinner of the house to take care of his mother.

Granny & Blackie

Bibliography: Ellen C. Babbitt's "Jataka Tales"