# II: Princess Labam explained — Indian Fairy Tales

> Chapter companion for Indian Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs.

## What happens

This chapter presents the tale of Princess Labam, exploring themes of direction taboos, grateful animals, bride-wagers, and tasks. It includes parallels to other Indian and European folktales, discussing the likelihood of cultural borrowing from India to Europe, possibly through Arab intermediation during the Crusades.

## Themes in this chapter

### Gratitude and Ingratitude

The grateful animals theme is central, with parallels to other Indian tales like 'The Soothsayer’s Son' and the common thorn-in-tiger's-foot motif.

### Cultural Transmission and Borrowing

The chapter explicitly analyzes the probability of India influencing European folktales through Arab intermediaries during the Crusades.

## Character check-ins

### Princess Labam

Central figure of the tale, around whom the direction taboo, grateful animals, bride-wager, and tasks revolve.

## Key lines

> The human mind may be the same everywhere, but it is not likely to hit upon the sequence of incidents, Direction taboo — Grateful Animals — Bride-wager — Tasks, by accident, or independently: Europe must have borrowed from India, or India from Europe.

It is improbable that the specific sequence of direction taboo, grateful animals, bride-wager, and tasks arose independently in both India and Europe; one must have borrowed from the other.

_Highlights the argument for cultural borrowing between India and Europe._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/indian_fairy_tales_se/chapters/ii-princess-labam
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/indian_fairy_tales_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/indian_fairy_tales_se/chapters