Jataka Tales are a part of Indian literature that contain stories from the life of the Buddha in the human and animal forms. The stories in this collection are written in simple language that children would be able to grasp easily. Each tale teaches an important lesson. These books form a perfect window to the Indian tradition of story-telling for kids.
The Jataka tales is a an essential part of Indian folk literature. The tales refer to a voluminous body of literature concerning the previous births of the Buddha. These are the stories that tell about the previous lives of the Buddha, in both human and animal form. We are presenting select 51 short stories from these tales for children and teenagers( 6 to 15 years) . All the stories have a moral. The collection of stories in this volume include:-THE GOLDEN GOOSE THE FOUR SEASONS THE MOUSE AND THE STONE-CUTTER THE ELEPHANT AND THE DOG THE DISCIPLE'S FAITH THE CLEVER TURTLE THE PIGEON AND THE CROW THE BAD COMPANY THE SILLY ARGUMENT THE STRONG OX THE LEAN CAT A SANDY ROAD THE CLEVER WOLF THE MEASURE OF RICE THE SELFISH ASCETIC THE QUARREL OF THE QUAILS THE KIND TURTLE THE EARTH IS BREAKING THE GOAT WHO LAUGHED AND THEN CRIED THE ELEPHANT, GIRLY-FACE THE PIGEONS AND THE FAKE HERMIT THE PRINCES AND THE WATER-SPRITE THE DISOBEDIENT STUDENT THE CARPENTERS AND THE ELEPHANT THE MAN WITH A GOLDEN HEART THE BANYAN DEER THE BRAHMIN AND THE WISE ASCETIC GRANNY'S BLACKIE THE KING AND THE DISCIPLE THE TWO MERCHANT'S OF RAMGARH THE PRINCE AND THE GIANT THE OX WHO ENVIED THE PIG THE DEER, THE WOODPECKER AND THE TURTLE A HUGE LUMP OF GOLD A FRIEND IN NEEDTHE GANG OF DRUNKARDS THE FOOLHARDY WOLF THE TORTOISE AND HIS HOME THE PRINCE OF MONKEYS THE SNAKE AND THE FOOLISH DISCIPLE THE WOLF AND THE WISE GOAT A BOY HELPS THE ANTS THE DANCING PEACOCK THE FOX AND THE CROW THE KIND APE THE WHAT NOT TREE THE SPELL THE BEAUTY AND THE GREY A MOTHER'S PAIN THE TREE THAT ACTED LIKE A HUNTER THE PRICE OF GREED
It is found among the old, old histories of the Tibetans that a female demon living among the mountains in Northern India mated with a monkey from the forests of Tibet, and from this union sprang the Tibetan race of people. The greater part of their literature is of a sacred nature, telling of their creation, of the formation of the world, of Buddha and his miraculous birth and death, of his reincarnations and the revisions of his teachings. A kind of almanac, a little astronomy, plans for casting a horoscope, and many books filled with religious teachings and superstitions, including the worship of devils and demons, are about all that can be found. The 49 little stories in this book are told as the people sit around their boiling tea made over a three stone camp-fire. They are handed down from father to son, from mother to daughter, and though often filled with their superstitious beliefs, through them all run a vein of humor and the teachings of a moral truth which is quite unexpected. These tales were gathered by Dr. A. L. Shelton on his trips among the Tibetans, around their camp-fires at night, and in their black tents high up in the mountains. Every country has its folk-lore tales that have always been a joy and pleasure to the children, not only of their own land, but of other lands as well. May these stories add a little to this pleasure and enjoyment everywhere, in whatsoever tongue they may be translated or in whatever land they may be read. Flora Beal Shelton 1925
"Ellen C. Babbitt has collected, and retold, the best thirty-nine of the 547 Jataka Tales. These charming fables originated in India sometime around the fifth century, and have been teaching children valuable lessons ever since."
It is well known that amongst theBuddhist Scriptures there is one book in which a large number of old stories, fables, and fairy tales, lie enshrined in an edifying commentary; and have thus been preserved for the study and amusement of later times. How this came about is not at present quite certain. The belief of orthodox Buddhists on the subject is this. The Buddha, as occasion arose, was accustomed throughout his long career to explain and comment on the events happening around him, by telling of similar events that had occurred in his own previous births. The experience, not of one lifetime only, but of many lives, was always present to his mind; and it was this experience he so often used to point a moral, or adorn a tale.
