The Mice That Set Elephants Free

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The Mice That Set Elephants Free

• from the Panchatantra

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The Panchatantra

• five books
• An anonymous collection of tales written in
  Sanskrit from 100-500 B.C.
• Combination of prosetelling tales, and
  poetrysumming up morals
• Consists of fables and epigrams
• Fables
• brief stories in prose or poetry that
• teaches a moral or a practice lesson
• The characters are often animals
• Epigrams
• Brief, clever verses that often contain
• a moral
• Effective device for summarizing
• the message of a fable
• Instead of being focused on religion,
• it is a practice guide to surviving
• and thriving in the everyday world
• This workhas traveled the world,

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• The Panchatantra has been translated into Arabic,
  Greek, Hebrew, Latin, German, and Italian
• 200 versions in 50 different languages
• Themes are losing friends, winning friends,
  losing profits and possessions, declaring war and
  establishing peace, and acting rashly

4
The Mice That Set Elephants Free

• The fables of the Panchatantra exist within a
  frame story
• Frame story a story within a story
• Vishnu Sharman, a Brahman priest, is given the
  task of teaching 3 simple-minded princes about
  niti
• Niti
• the wise conduct of life
• a person with niti can get the better
• of evil and unscrupulous rivals by turning the
• tables on them
• Requirements for niti
• physical and financial security, steadfastness,
• fulfilling friendships, and intelligence
• The Brahman instructs the princes to
• memorize the five books

5
The Mice That Set Elephants Free

• from Book II
• Theme Winning of friends or reciprocal
  friendship
• Narrator Spot, a deer, who speaks to Slow, a
  turtle