Reading Notes: Jataka Tales B

The Princes and the Water-Sprite by Ellen C. Babbitt

Source

• There were three princes, the Prince of the Stars, the Moon Prince, and the Sun Prince
• Their father promised their mother a boon when the third son was born
• When the Sun Prince was 21, their mother asked their father, the king, to make the Sun Prince his heir
• He refused, knowing that it was the Prince of the Stars birthright
• The king states that the only way the Sun Prince would be king is if his older brothers die
• The queen is disappointed, and the king fears for his oldest sons
• The king tells his older sons to leave the kingdom until his death
• The brothers leave, and their youngest brother wants to come with them
• Once in the woods, the Sun Prince goes down to a pond to get water
• Little did they know, the pond was controlled by a water-sprite
• This water sprite was ordered by the King of the Fairies to ask all that approached his pond one question: What are Good Fairies like?
• The Sun Prince and the Moon Prince both answer incorrectly, and are taken by the water-sprite
• The Prince of the Stars goes to find his brothers, and answers the sprite's question correctly
• The water-sprite offers to return one brother, so the Prince of Stars asked for his youngest brother back, explaining why they were in the situation they were in
• The water-sprite admired the eldest brother's wisdom and returned both brothers 
• After their exile, the brothers returned home, ruled together, and built a home for the water-sprite
• Story Idea: what it was like for Sun and Moon when they were waiting to be released (fairy prison)