Week 2 Reading Anthology

 The first couple of stories that I really enjoyed reading from was Origins Stories: The Moon. I thought it was pretty cool that people from completely different backgrounds could still point to the same source for their original stories.  Thinking about it now, I'm sure that the moon played a big role in many different civilizations up until this point.  It's cool to see everyone's differing perspectives on the same object which they all look at with reverence :)  The Man in the Moon story is one that displays a common saying--the grass is always greener on the other side.  I like how in these old folk-tales there are often animals or people that have to learn a lesson the hard way--they learn it the hard way in order to educate readers such as us.  I have always been fascinated with origin stories as well.  It's awesome to think that many of these were potentially passed along orally until there were written down.  I like thinking about the first-telling of an origin story--at some point someone had to invent it, and people had to concur.  After awhile, it turns into a tale that everyone is familiar with.  It's a pretty cool process that has probably happened in countless different populations and cultures!  

The next story from this section was called The Hare that was Not Afraid to Die.  I loved reading the jakata tales last semester! I must've forgotten, or I never knew, that in the jakata tales the character is a rebirth of the Buddha.  Does that only apply to this story or to all of them?  Either way, I like this concept for writing my own stories.  It would be quite fun writing stories and creating characters who are in fact the Buddha reborn.  I like how the hare is the moral compass in this story! Passing along his moral advice and wisdom to other animals who are trying to be the best versions of themselves aha! It would make sense that the Buddha knows what he is talking about, though.  I love how thoughtful all of these animals are as they seek their food! They're doing better than me! I feel like I have no self-control as soon as I see my food--well done to these animals!  Sakka, the king of the gods, is a character I don't remember reading about.  He's a bit ornery to test the hare after he declares he would be willing to give his own skin to a hungry beggar! Shouldn't that be enough?? But I'm glad that hare's virtue paid off.  It's cool to think that markings from this very hare could be on the moon as I'm typing this :) I really enjoy origin stories, I think it would be fun to create one of my own--you have so much freedom with it and could have a theme as well.  I liked that the hare didn't have to turn into the moon in this one :) definitely a happier ending! 

A cool picture I found called Moon Rabbit.

source: commons

Biblography: The Man in the Moon by Katherine Neville Fleeson (1899)

The Hare that was Not Afraid to Die  by Marie L. Shedlock (1920).