Both of these stories were short but poignant. Each taught an important lesson- sometimes it is best to keep your mouth shut and a group's disdain for someone or something can be used against them. Despite that, I feel that I would want to ensure that animals I would use in a story would be representative of a character trait that they are often related to- a fox being sly, an owl being wise, or a turtle being patient. I suppose it is possible that the turtle is embodying character traits that it is known for in Indian culture but not in American culture.
For example, from what I understand, the crow is not tied to the negative aspects of death as it is in American culture. Rather, they are tied to one's ancestors. Thus feeding a crow is looked upon favorably in Indian culture? This is interesting.
Perhaps I could use the crow's difference in cultural significance to teach a lesson?
"Noisy Out of Season" translated by Robert Chalmers: Source
The lesson of this story is that if someone is not taught to follow rules and customs, they will be scorned. Yet, it also highlights the importance of a teacher, of someone who can provide guidance to prevent others from making foolish mistakes. This story almost serves a dual purpose in telling readers not to be a jerk but to also listen to those wiser than them. I appreciate the multi-layered lesson.
"Goblin City" by W. H. D. Rouse: Source
As a whole, I found the majority of these stories to be light-hearted and/or silly while also teaching a lesson. Despite that, I felt tat the final story about the "goblins" lacked a lesson. It fell short of the standard set by the other stories. For this reason, it was my least favorite story. I want to avoid making that mistake in my the stories that I write moving forwards.
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