Epics of India

Wise Merchant vs. The Fool You're a fool, you will die. Being First Means You're Last "I'm going to travel the countryside first and sell my goods to all the people, so I can reap all the benefits and become rich," said the merchant who is later eaten by a demon. "Knock yourself out," said the wise merchant. Bibliography These two microfictions are based on one of the Jataka tales, called The Wise and The Foolish Merchant by Ellen C. Babbitt. Basically, two merchants are buying goods in a city with plans to travel across a desert and sell those goods to others that they pass by. They want to make a profit from doing this. The foolish merchant says he wants to go first, so he can sell all of his goods first, set his own prices, have fresh grass for his oxen, and drink from clean water. The wise merchant allows him to do so, because the wise merchant knows that his oxen will eat the fresh grown grass, prevent himself from digging wells, and be able...

The Wise and the Foolish Merchant by Ellen C. Babbitt two merchants stopping in a big city to stock up on goods and supplies so they can sell it to people throughout the countryside (desert) both are leading at the same time. Wise merchant asks if the other merchant will go before or after him other merchant, who is a fool, says he will go before him, in hopes of getting the best prices / food / path first wise merchant lets him, because he knows the fool merchant will have to dig his own wells for water, let his oxen eat the old grass, and set his prices based on the first merchant fool merchant sets out to the countryside, carrying lots of barrels of water with him and his men demon in the desert spots the convoy and decides to trick him so they can eat him demon and demon friends dress up as merchants and decorate themselves, wagons, and oxen in water-lilies and wet grass to act like there is a forest and ponds in the desert they tell the foolish merchant that they should...

The Sandy Road by Ellen C. Babbitt men traveling in a desert with oxen. They have to travel on the sand at night because it is too hot to cross during the day travel by night and sleep / eat / feed oxen by night one was a pilot and knew the stars better than others, so he lead the way and the others followed one night the pilot falls asleep, because it is hard to sleep during the day he wakes up and they traveled backwards they were so sure that they would reach the city that they threw away their water, they now were going to die if they didn't find water merchant searches endlessly until he finds a shrub they dig it up till they find a rock merchant convinces a boy not to give up; if he gives up, they all die they break the rock and all are saved when they find a lot of water The Quarrel of the Quails by Ellen C. Babbitt man who lived near forest is a fowler, he catches quails and sells them to the market he catches them by imitating the lead quail's ton...