Reading Notes: Jataka Tales

The Empty Lake by Noon Inayat

• lake covered with waterlilies lived fish, one of them told them all a story:
• once a great golden king fish of theirs that they admired and followed
• queen rain forgot to send showers to earth before the time of heat
• Mother Earth and thirsty sun rays drank the water of their lake and king wind destroyed all the water with his fires
• queen rain heard them calling and got the cloud fairies who make the water and thunder king
• thunder king made his army to fire, which made thunder, and lightning and water
• rain fell it was soft and sweet
• King feared the water would be taken away
• King fish spoke again and said King of Thunder and Queen of Rain please let it rain
• sky fell like a mountain of water
• sunrays covered and crows chased away
• King thunder and queen rain came down from sky
• they tell them they love him and just call when he needs water

Lake