The most interesting story in the second half of the
Indian Fairy Tales is Why the Fish Laughed. The focus of the story seemed to change dramatically and often. The point of the story was not made obvious until the last few sentences. Until then, the reader must have kept track of all of the strange phrases spoken and the circumstances surrounding them. The main theme of this story is the generational gap between idioms. The old farmer did not understand what the young man meant and thought he was a fool. In reality though, the young man was very wise and did not deserve the ridicule that he received. This misunderstanding is common in today's society. My grandfather and I sometimes have difficulty communicating just because we use different phrases.
It was hard for me to believe that the characters used so many riddles and tricks. They were especially popular in circumstances aimed towards catching thieves or liars. These criminals covered their physical tracks, but they weren't ready for a deception of the mind. It was also surprising how many people understood the riddles. I still don't understand where a couple of them came from.
This unit deals out death as a natural punishment. It reminded me of a Dexter episode. There is no mercy even when you are being punished for something that you did not do. One man in this story would have been killed if he did not find out why something happened. This is a ridiculous conclusion but one that is common in the Indian Fairy Tales.
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