Reading Notes: Indian Fables and Folklore, Part B

Image information: Red-tailed hawk, Image credit: ebird

In the story “Shibi and The Hawk” from the book Indian Fables and Folklore written by Shovona Devi, the author begins with a king in the old days named Shibi, who was often known for his unselfishness, kindness, and love for animals of all sizes. One day as he was walking, an injured pigeon fell into his arms, exhausted by the effort to escape the hunt of a hawk. Shibi, then, restores the energy of the pigeon back to its original health. The hawk, seeing this, demands Shibi to give him back his prey. He explains that he is eating the pigeon not out of cruelty, but because birds are his prey. Therefore, the king proposes a compromise in which he would allow the hawk to eat the same weight of the pigeon from his own body decides to allow the hawk to eat the same weight in flesh of the pigeon from his own body. With that being said, the hawk would let go of the bird. Furthermore, the hawk agrees, letting Shibi sacrifice his own body for the suffering of both of the birds.

After reading this story, I thought it was familiar to a story that my mom told me when I was child about Buddha. With that being said, in my version of the story, I think that I would probably change it a little so it is influenced by both stories. The characters will be adjusted slightly. For example, the protagonist of the story would be a prince instead of a king. He would also have given up his place next to the throne so that he could enjoy the simple life and help those around him by doing good. The plot would still remain similar to the original story, where the protagonist sacrifices his body so that he could save both animals from suffering.

Bibliography:

“Shibi and The Hawk” by Shovona Devi. Website:  Freebookapalooza