Reading Notes: Week 2 Anthology

Ovid's Metamorphoses: Pygmalion translated by Tony Kline

• The author was very detailed about the lengths that Pygmalion went to to make his ivory statue feel real. Pygmalion was even afraid that he would leave bruises on it when he held it.
• What if Pygmalion had powers and brought the ivory statue to life himself?

Indian Fairy Tales: The Tiger, The Brahman, and the Jackal by Joseph Jacobs

• The Brahman could have ran away after the tiger let him go, but he kept his promise and came back (even though the tiger broke his promise).  You could see this as very honorable on the Brahman's part.
• What if the tiger had a change of heart, seeing that the Brahman was not like most people (like the ones who trap animals in cages)?
• I can imagine Tom Hiddleston playing the jackal because he's great at playing characters who are very sarcastic and at the same time try to hide that they actually care deeply about other people (e.g. Loki).

The Tiger, the Brahman, and the Jackal (illustration by John D. Batten,

source: mythfolklore)