Tales from India

Abstract

A very nice collection of ten Panchatantra stories. Several are particularly well told, including Dhobi and His Donkey (and the lion's skin, 25) and The Brahman, the Goat, and the Hungry Thieves (40). In the latter, the thieves convinced the Brahman that the goat he was carrying had to be a wicked goblin, since it allegedly appeared to them as a dog, calf, and donkey, respectively. The mice here were alleged to eat a heavy iron scale, and they did it overnight! Now the two friends drink tea together and laugh over their old mutual tricks (17). This version names the three fish well (13): Plan-Ahead, Think-Fast, and Wait-And-See. In Little Mouse-Girl (45), the daughter herself rejected each of the candidates, and the father asked each Is there anyone more powerful than you? The girl had been a mouse long before and was happy to be changed back.