This week, I chose to read Twenty-Two Goblins, excerpts taken from Arthur Ryder's translation of the Sanskrit manuscript Vetālapañcaviṃśati. I made this decision because I had never read anything from this culture before. Based on the description, it sounded like something that I would enjoy reading (and I certainly did): I love riddles and trying to solve them, and some of the ones featured in this unit definitely challenged me. Overall, it was thoroughly entertaining.
First of all, the premise of the frametale caught my attention immediately. The goblin inhabits a human corpse and the hero of the story, a wise king, must solve its riddles lest his head explodes from the goblin's magic. I had never heard this version of the legend before, and it was an interesting (and morbid) way to introduce the series of riddles that followed.
The Three Lovers: This first tale was one of which I had heard many variations in the past. Somehow, I had never known the proper solution to this riddle despite the countless times I'd heard it before. The king was very wise to consider different relationships to the princess and determine which suitor was the right one to marry his daughter.
With each of these riddles, it was tricky to determine the correct answer because the way the goblin told the tales was sometimes so paradoxical. However, in each case, there is one answer that stands out and, after the king verbalizes it, it seems almost obvious. This seems somewhat unnecessary to say--this is the point of riddles, after all--but each time I read a new chapter in the unit, I would be stumped as to the answer, but when the king answered, it would make sense and I wondered why I didn't come up with the solution myself.
The Four Scientific Suitors: I guessed the answer to this riddle correctly, but I wasn't sure if it was just because I was biased towards the art of battle. Part of the king's answer reminded me of another tale where a peasant makes a deal with a king that if he can stack one hundred gold pieces, then the king should give the gold to him. The king agrees and keeps his word, but when the peasant shows off his talent, the king also gives him lashings for wasting his time with such a useless talent. The king in this tale points out a similar situation with one of the four scientific suitors.
The Three Delicate Wives: I also managed to determine the solution to this riddle, as it seemed appropriate that the wife who was not affected by any of her senses yet still was injured would be the most delicate. However, I did not really understand the point of this--why would she want to be the most delicate? I thought that it would be a major inconvenience to be as frail as these wives.
Reading Diary B
The Snake's Poison: This story stood out from the previous ones because out of the choices that the goblin gives the king for the solution, he thinks outside the box and chooses one that the goblin does not offer. Throughout this unit, I have been very impressed by the king's wit and wisdom, and this story solidifies that feeling.
The General's Wife: I thought the introduction was very interesting when it mentioned the story of King David and Bathsheba in the Bible. As I read, I realized the validity of the great contrast between the two stories. King David's downfall in the eyes of his people was due to his temptation and his not staying in community with his troops. The king in this story is endlessly virtuous and would rather die than betray one of his servants, even though it might have been expected of him.
The Four Brothers: This reminded me of the story of the three brothers who brought a woman back to life, found earlier in this unit. This riddle has a twist, however--it is about four brothers who give life to a lion, and the goblin asks the king who is to blame when the lion kills them all after its revival. Again, the king impresses me with his critical thinking skills.
Father and Son, Daughter and Mother: I was very excited to read this story simply from reading the introduction--apparently, it is known as the goblin's "Great Puzzle." It certainly was a challenging riddle, and even the king thought so as well. However, the goblin was previously so impressed with the king that he allows the king to take him back to the palace where the monk is.
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