Aesop’s fables come from Greek antiquity, and we shall soon explore their legacy in Western literature. This week, we will look at another ancient tradition of fables, that of India, whose connections to Aesop and its own legacy in Western literature form a complex web of transmission and influence. The earliest collection of Indian fables is the Panchatantra, also known as the Fables of Bidpai.
Day 1 – Read the Aesopian and the Indian versions of the two fables below. First, list the shared elements. Then, list the divergences. Write one well-composed sentence to answer the following two questions – How do Indian fables elaborate upon the stories? And what purpose does this elaboration serve?
The Ass in the Lion’s Skin (Aesop’s Fable)
The Ass in the Tiger’s Skin (Bidpai’s Fable)
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The Tortoise and the Birds (Aesop’s Fable)
The Tortoise and the Geese / Shellneck, Slim, and Grim (Bidpai’s Fable)
Day 2 – Retell this Bidpai Fable in the style of Aesop.
Day 3 – Select one of the fables of Aesop’s that you read last week, and rewrite it in the style of an Indian Fable.
Day 4 – Over the next several weeks, you will write a fable in a style of your choosing with the same moral lesson as “The Hare with Many Friends.” This week, decide whether you will write a story about animals, humans, or human(s) and animal(s). Brainstorm the types of humans and/or animals you will include in your story. For each character, list the characteristics ascribed to the type of animal or human. Decide upon a setting – sketch a picture of it. Think in terms of landscape, features of that landscape, as well as time of day.
Nihil sub sole novum 