Week 10: Reading Notes B- Jataka

The Golden Feathers

                                                               Image Details: Golden Feather, Source: pixabay 

There was once young couple who lived with their three daughters. Although they lived happily, they were very poor. One day, the father decides to leave his daughters and wife in order to gain wealth for his family. He promises his wife that he would come back after he is successful. He sets out on a long journey and meets a fairy in his travels. The fairy asks him where he is going and he replies that he is seeking fortune. The fairy is impressed by his blunt answer and decides to help him. She raises her wand and turns him into a goose. The man is shocked by her actions and flies off. He debates about what he should do as he can no longer provide for his family if he is a goose. As he gazes into a pool of water, he realizes that his feathers were made of gold. He flies back to his house to meet with his wife and children. Although he doesn’t disclose who he is, he tells them that he will help them as they are poor. He gives them a feather and tells them to sell it, promising them that he will return again. The wife sells the feather and receives a lot of money from it.

When the money was used up, the goose returned and gave them another feather. However, one day the mother decides to capture the goose and pluck all of its feathers, as she believes that the goose will not return. Although the daughters are deeply saddened to capture the goose, they go along with their mother. When the goose comes for his visit, the mother captures him and plucks all his feathers. Then she imprisons him and makes him live miserably. However, the feathers on the goose grow back as white and he escapes from his tyrannical wife. He flies off into the forest and lives happily for the rest of his life.

This story was very complex. At the beginning of the story, you see the wife and children as innocent; however, you are disgusted by their actions toward the goose at the end of the story. The goose is a really good main character as he is willing to sacrifice himself for his wife and children. I liked the fact that the goose left his wife and sought a new life as she did not deserve him. The message behind the story was similar to the story of the goose that laid a golden egg, although this story had a much happier ending.

Bibliography: Inayat, Noor. Twenty Jataka Tales - The Golden Feather.