The Fables of Bidpai

Posts in The Copybook tagged ‘The Fables of Bidpai’

1
The Heron and the Crab Clay Lane

An ageing Heron finds himself a little too stiff to fish for himself, so he thinks of a way to get the fish to do it for him.

The Fables of Bidpai are morality tales similar to the animal fables of Aesop, with a touch of the Arabian Nights. They were first published in England in 1570, but originated in India, and spread to the West from an Arabic translation made by Ibn al-Muqaffaʻ (724-?759) of Basra. In this tale, retold for the sake of brevity, a Heron finds that dastardly plans have a way of backfiring.

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2
The Raven and the Snake Clay Lane

A harassed mother Raven vows bloody revenge on a venomous Snake, but the wily old Jackal has a better idea.

The Fables of Bidpai are morality tales similar to the animal fables of Aesop, with a touch of the Arabian Nights. They were first published in England in 1570, but originated in India, and spread to the West from an Arabic translation made by Ibn al-Muqaffaʻ (724-?759) of Basra. In the tale below, retold for the sake of brevity, a distraught mother learns that justice doesn’t have to involve confrontation.

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