Week 2 Reading Anthology

The two stories that I enjoyed the most seemed to have opposin lessons to be learned. In "Foolish, Timid Rabbit" the lesson seems to be don't believe everything you hear, especially without investigating first, but believing what they hear is precisely what saves the sailors in "Goblin City"
I really liked the mythical creatures (i.e. the rakshasis, the fairy, the flying horse) in "Goblin City" but I liked the simplicity of the narration in the rabbit story.

The flying Horse from Goblin City W. Robinson.

Foolish, Timid Rabbit Plot Summary

• The Rabbit falls asleep under a palm tree.
• The Rabbits first though upon waking up is "What if the world is breaking up?"
• The Rabbit hears a coconut fall and thinks it is the ground cracking.
• The Rabbit runs and attracts the attention of another rabbit.
• The Rabbit tells the second rabbit not to ask him what's the matter.
• After the second rabbit begs the Rabbit tells him the earth is breaking up.
• The second rabbit runs with the first.
• More rabbits join the run.
• A deer, fox and elephant join the run.
• The lion roars to stop the running animals and asks whats the matter.
• All the animals told him the earth was breaking up and the claim was traced back to the Rabbit.
• The lion takes the Rabbit to go investigate where he first noticed the earth breaking up.
• The lion sees the fallen coconut and explains what happened to the Rabbit and other animals.

Story source: Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt.

Goblin City Plot Summary:

• The She-goblins introduced as creatures who live in a city of their own in Ceylon and trick travelers into marrying them and eat them.
• 500 sailors shipwreck onto the islands and the She-goblins help them.
• The goblins created magic shadows to make it seem like their were other humans in the city.
• The she-goblins convinced the sailors to marry them.
• The she-goblins eat their last batch of husbands who they had placed in prison.
• The captain of the wrecked ship hears his wife singing about eating men and being a goblin as he pretends to sleep.
• The captain warns the other sailors but only some believe him.
• A fairy sends a flying horse to help save the sailors.
• All the sailors who want to go him magically fit on the normal-sized flying horse. 
• The same night as the horse leaves the rest of the sailors who chose not to come are eaten.

Story source: The Giant Crab, and Other Tales from Old India by W. H. D. Rouse.