Reading Notes: Jataka Anthology

Reading through the Jataka Anthology, one story stuck in my head as a story I would like to retell: The Crocodile and the Monkey's Heart. I like stories about tricksters getting caught in a situation and then managing to get out of it with their wit. In my notes, I wrote brief summaries of parts of the story and then below gave a general explanation of these parts.

Notes:

• crocodile's mate desires monkey's heart
• an unreasonable desire someone is set to fulfill
•  crocodile comes to monkey promising of a place across the river with amazing fruits
• the one set out to fulfill desire comes to potential victim with a promise that is too good to be true
• crocodile offers a ride across river, monkey agrees, crocodile begins sinking to prepare to take monkey's heart
• one to fulfill desire offers chance for promise, victim agrees with or without suspicion, betrayal is revealed
•   monkey tells heart is in fig tree, tells crocodile to take him there if he desire heart, crocodile agrees
• victim comes up with a way to fool one to fulfill desire and manages to fool them
• monkey jumps to trees and calls crocodile a fool
• victim escapes successfully leaving the one to fulfill desire empty-handed

 Monkey examining crocodile's mouth

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