Extra Reading Diary: Folklore of Laos

I chose to read Folklore of Laos for my extra reading diary this week. I was leaning towards it since I read that it was full of animal tales, which happen to be my favorite kind. I am encapsulated by the animal stories since they have to capture the personality of an animal and personify it to make it relatable. It was definitely an enjoyable read!

Why the Lip of the Elephant Droops: This was quite an interesting story to read. I personally have never noticed that an elephant's mouth droops before reading this. I admired that the 12 abandoned girls were able to realize that their parents did not want them and they did not fret about it. They were never concerned with trying to reunite with their parents. The girls were read to take on the world. The cannibal was also an intriguing element for the story. I am still kind of confused as to why she did not immediately try to make a meal out of them. She also was not the wisest of character either. She was easily tricked and left them unattended so they could escape. 

The Parrot and the Minor Bird: I really enjoyed this story. The sao bird seemed so wise and calculated in it. The thought of a bird that actually does speak its own mind is something that I have never even thought of. I am just accustom to the birds that can mimic what they here. This was a very elegant way of explaining why a bird like the parrot only says snippets of what it has heard a human say instead of saying what is on its mind. I also liked how the sao bird never once lied in the story. It always spoke the truth about what it saw, even though that was its downfall when it went to court and was tricked by its master.
(Japanese painting of the minor bird)