Tag Archives: fable

How The Bulbul Became King Of The Birds

Nationality: American (of Indian heritage)
Age: 12 (parent consent given)
Occupation: Student
Residence: Cupertino, California
Performance Date: 3/21/2014
Primary Language: English
Language: Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Spanish, Polish

Item:

“Once, there was a hornbill. He was the king of the birds, but he was mean and horrible, so they all hated him. But because he was really strong, no one could say anything to him, much less do anything about his tyranny. One day, however, the wise old owl had had enough of the hornbill’s bad attitude and cruelty, so he devised a plan to dethrone him and make the kind, gentle bulbul the queen of the birds instead. He called a meeting of all the birds except the tyrant King Hornbill, and shared his scheme – They would host a contest of strength, in which the bulbul and the hornbill would each have to stand on a branch forcefully, or peck it in some other versions, until it came crashing down. But what the hornbill wouldn’t know was that the, um, the woodpecker would have pecked away at the bulbul’s branch beforehand, weakening it already. Whoever succeeded in breaking their branch was the winner and the ruler of the the birds. And so, they carried it out, and took the proposition to the hornbill, who, being proud of his strength, arrogantly accepted the challenge without a second thought. He was unaware of the scheming that had already happened, obviously. So then the, uh, right, the bulbul and the hornbill stood on their respective branches. Before the hornbill’s horrified eyes, the bulbul’s branch came apart from the tree in less than ten seconds with a loud crack. Because he had accepted the challenge already, there was nothing he could do to go back on his word. So, disgraced and defeated, he left. And that’s how the awesome bulbul became the queen of birds.”

Context:

The informant related the context of his story to me: “It was actually pretty cool – I’d read both the versions of the story, one, as you know, in Amar Chitra Katha comics, and the other in a book of Indian folktales and legends. But I liked the one with the standing more than the one with the pecking, because it seemed more embarrassing for the hornbill, and so that’s the one I decided to tell you.”

Analysis:

This tale has the makings of a classic fable. Not only are there talking animals, but there is also a theme that is explored and built up to at the end of the story, which is demonstrated throughout the events that occur during the story. When examined closely, it reveals a moral of the triumph over adversity – adversity in this case being the tyrannical hornbill – employing cleverness and strength in numbers. The bulbul, the owl, and the woodpecker, all relatively small birds when compared to the large and imposing hornbill, team up together to take down their cruel king and succeed in doing so through devising a smart plan, proving that might isn’t always right, and brain is stronger than brawn.
*Citation: Kadam, Dilip. Amar Chitra Katha Special Edition – Panchatantra Tales. Mumbai: ACK Media, n.d. Comic Book.

The Dog and the Shadow

Nationality: American
Age: 22
Occupation: Financial Analyst
Residence: La Crescenta
Performance Date: April 28, 2013
Primary Language: English

“A dog had a piece of meat that he was carrying to his home in his mouth to eat it. There was a river that he saw on his way home with a plank laying across it. He had to cross this plan in order to reach the other side. As the dog was crossing, he saw his own shadow reflected in the water beneath him. The dog thought his own shadow was another dog holding another piece of meat. He wanted this piece of meat too, and decided to have it to eat along with his. So he snapped at the shadow in the water, which caused him to open his mouth and drop the piece of meat in it into the water. It fell inside and traveled away and was never seen again.”

My informant told me that a neighbor had passed on this story to him. His neighbor had a book containing Aeseop’s fables, and read this one in particular to him. Although this particular fable could be interpreted in many different ways, for him it always reminded him to be humble and to count his blessings. It meant to enjoy what he already has rather than trying to reach unattainable things. Of course striving for success is still good, but to be grounded in what he has, such as his family and friends and religion. The fables were straightforward but gave him a lot to consider, and were a great morale compass in his childhood.

I had never heard of these fables before, and found it to be very interesting and informative. It also reminds me to be content with what I have and not foolishly grasp for what is not real. In this world where success and promotions are so highly sought after, reminders like these are necessary, to be content with what you have. Or else, even if you achieve that next level, you will still not experience satisfaction.

 

James, Thomas. Aesop’s Fables: A New Version, Chiefly from Original Sources. London: J. Murray, 1848. Print.