Indian Fairy Tales · Chapter
VII: The Cruel Crane Outwitted explained
This chapter presents the Baka-Jātaka (No.
What happens
This chapter presents the Baka-Jātaka (No. 38), where the Buddha is the Genius of the Tree. The tale involves a crane that deceives and eats fish, only to be outwitted and killed by a crab. The story spread into the Bidpai literature and appears in many versions, including an early English translation by North. The chapter also discusses the transmission of illustrations alongside the tales across cultures, from Buddhist stupas to Latin, Hebrew, and Arabic manuscripts.
Themes in this chapter
Cunning and Wisdom
The crane uses cunning to deceive the fish, but the crab uses wisdom to outwit and kill the crane.
Cultural Transmission and Borrowing
The chapter highlights how the tale and its illustrations traveled from Buddhist India through Persian, Arabic, and European literary traditions.
Characters to notice
- The Crane Bodhisatta
The crane in the Jataka tale who deceives and eats the fish.
- Buddha
Identified as the Genius of the Tree in this Jataka.
- Bidpai
The Bidpai literature is referenced as the vehicle through which the tale spread.
Key passages
“The crab, on hearing the ill news 'called to Parliament all the Fishes of the Lake,' and before all are devoured destroys the Paragon, as in the Jataka, and returned to the remaining fishes, who 'all with one consent gave hir many a thanke.'”
Upon learning of the crane's plot, the crab assembles all the fish, kills the crane before it can eat them all, and is thanked by the surviving fish.
Summarizes the climax of the Jataka tale as rendered in North's translation.
“An interesting point, to which I have drawn attention in my Introduction to North’s Bidpai, is the probability that the illustrations of the tales as well as the tales themselves, were translated, so to speak, from one country to another.”
The author notes that both the stories and their accompanying illustrations were transmitted across cultures, not just the text.
Highlights the cross-cultural transmission of visual art along with narrative.