Reading Notes: More Jataka Tales

Part B

The man throwing his club at the wolf

Web Source: Gateway

• One day, people went into the woods for holiday and brought lots of food with them
• The people were hungry and ate all of their meat for lunch, forgetting to save any for supper
• One of them said that they would get fresh meat by going down to the water where the animals drink and pretending to play dead
• He took a club with him and pretended to be dead for quite awhile
• The animals watched from nearby, but none approached as the King of Wolves suspected that a trick was being played on them 
• The wolf crept up on the man, and was able to get close enough to tug at his club
• The man pulled back with his club and the wolf confronted him
• The wolf told the man that if he had been dead, he would not have tugged back
• The man immediately jumped up and threw his club at the wolf, but missed
• The man looked around for other animals, but there was none in sight as the animals had all run away
• The man returned to the people without any fresh meat and acknowledged that the wolf was too cunning for him

Bibliography:
The Cunning Wolf
Author: Ellen C. Babbitt

Web Source: Gateway