Week 11 Story Planning: The Stolen Jewels
The Theft
A priceless pearl necklace, belonging to the queen, is stolen by a girl monkey when the queen's attendent is not watching.
The Blame
A peasant flees the guards when a large search party combs the city, and his actions are interpreted as guilt. Apprehended, he chooses to accept the charge in hope that he will not be beaten or tortured, and he names the guildmaster as the plan initiator. The guildmaster in turn passes the blame along to the priest, then he to the chief musician, and finally the chief musician states that it was actually a courtesan who held the pearl necklace.
The Plan
Realizing that each of these prisoners are unlikely candidates, the Bodhisatta (who is the king's minister in this story) deduces that the culprit must reside within the palace and that they never left. He chooses to leave bead necklaces around the palace grounds, and each of the girl monkeys residing are carefully scrutinized. The monkeys begin to wear the beads, and the thief cannot resist putting on her necklace of pearls, which is immediately repossessed and returned to the Queen.
I liked that this story showed the danger of stealing something you can't be seen owning, and I was reminded of people "hiding" income from the IRS then struggling to find ways to justify owning expensive cars, condos, etc.
I also discovered that chimpanzees actually wear jewelry! The grass blade dangling from the ear is one of the first times we've documented chimpanzee fashion trends, and shown is Julie, who in 2010 became a trendsetter among her troop. Others saw her wearing a blade of grass in her ear, and they copied her.
Maybe, instead of a theft and clever Bodhisatta detective story, this could be a tale of fashion discovery and exploring new styles for a group of monkeys.
Bibleography
Jataka Tales, H.T. Francis and E.J. Thomas
A priceless pearl necklace, belonging to the queen, is stolen by a girl monkey when the queen's attendent is not watching.
The Blame
A peasant flees the guards when a large search party combs the city, and his actions are interpreted as guilt. Apprehended, he chooses to accept the charge in hope that he will not be beaten or tortured, and he names the guildmaster as the plan initiator. The guildmaster in turn passes the blame along to the priest, then he to the chief musician, and finally the chief musician states that it was actually a courtesan who held the pearl necklace.
The Plan
Realizing that each of these prisoners are unlikely candidates, the Bodhisatta (who is the king's minister in this story) deduces that the culprit must reside within the palace and that they never left. He chooses to leave bead necklaces around the palace grounds, and each of the girl monkeys residing are carefully scrutinized. The monkeys begin to wear the beads, and the thief cannot resist putting on her necklace of pearls, which is immediately repossessed and returned to the Queen.
I liked that this story showed the danger of stealing something you can't be seen owning, and I was reminded of people "hiding" income from the IRS then struggling to find ways to justify owning expensive cars, condos, etc.
I also discovered that chimpanzees actually wear jewelry! The grass blade dangling from the ear is one of the first times we've documented chimpanzee fashion trends, and shown is Julie, who in 2010 became a trendsetter among her troop. Others saw her wearing a blade of grass in her ear, and they copied her.
Julie, showing off her ear accoutrement
Image Source: Smithsonian Magazine
Maybe, instead of a theft and clever Bodhisatta detective story, this could be a tale of fashion discovery and exploring new styles for a group of monkeys.
Bibleography
Jataka Tales, H.T. Francis and E.J. Thomas
Comments
Post a Comment