TopicsandGenres

1TheParableoftheAnxiousCowbyJalaladDinMuhammadRumi(poem)
2ThePerfectManJalaladDinMuhammadRumi(poem)
3MysticalPerceptionJalaladDinMuhammadRumi(poem)
4KingsleyHallSpeechsaidbyGhandi(speech)
5AnOldTigerandaGreedyTravelerby:AnonymousbutapartofHiltopadsheaTales
(shortstory)
6TheGirlwhoMarriedaSnakeAnonymousinPanchatantraTales(shortstory)
7GoldGivingSerpantAnonymousinPanchatantraTales(shortstory)

BriefSummaries
TheParableoftheAnxiousCow:
Acowlivesaloneonaverygreenislandandeatstobecomehugeandfat.However,at
nightshesveryanxiousaboutwhatsheshouldeatthenextday.Sheeatsagainthe
nextday,butthenworriesallherweightoffatnight.Hersoulisalteredbyfearofher
dailybread.ThisrelatestotheIndianculture,becauseamajorreligionoftheIndiansis
Hinduism.Theyrespect,honor,andadorecowssomanyoftheirstoriesareassociated
withcows.Cowsarerankedveryhighly,sowhenthecowwasanxioustheIndian
culturecouldrelatetothis.

KinsleyHallSpeech:
GandhivisitedLondonandaddressedthecrowdwithaspiritualmessage.He
addressedhowhebelievesthatpowerpervadeseverything.Hespokeabouthowhe
visitedpoorvillagersandtheyrespondedtohimverygraciously.ThisrelatestoIndian
culturebecauseGandhiisknownasthefatherofIndia.Heisaprimarybelieverof
HinduismwhichiswhatmanyIndianspractice.Heinfluencedthemanypeoplewho
listenedtohim.

TheGoldGivingSerpent:
Therewasapoorboywhoworkedonthefields.Hegavemilktotheserpentdailyand
gotagoldcoininexchangeforit.Theboybecamegreedyandsoondiedbecauseof
this,themoraleoftheshortstorybeinggreedisn'trewarding.ThisrelatestoIndian
culture,becauseitissaidthisissomethingthepeoplestrugglewithwhichiswhyitis
themoraleofsomanystories.Howeveritistaughttochildrenyoungmuchlikeinthe
UnitedStatesnottobegreedy.


TheParableoftheAnxiousCowEssay
TheauthorofTheParableoftheAnxiousCow,Rumi,usedthispoemtoexpress
theIndianculture.Thepoemisveryold,andwaswritteninthe1200s.Culturehas
changedgreatlysincethen,buttheauthorwasabletograsptheHinduismandIndian
beliefsandincludeininthepoem.Inthepoem,acowlivesaloneonaverygreenisland
andeatseverysingledayforthepurposeofbecominglarge.However,everysingle
nightthecowbecomesveryanxiousandlosesalloftheweight.
ReligionisamajoraspectwhenlookingatIndiancultureanditwasrevealedinthe
piece.Hinduismisoneoftheoldestknownorganizedreligionsandthemainreligion
practicedinIndia.Cowsresemblesfoodtothem,andisasymboloflife.Thereforein
thepoemwhentheyreferencethecowgoingthroughahardshipitreflectsthemselves.
Thepoemwouldn'tbenearlyasmeaningfulifitwasahorseinreplacementofthecow,
becausethereisnotthesameadmirationtowardstheseotheranimals.Traditionally
Indianshadcowsineveryhousehold.Thecowswereapartoftheirfamily'sandwere
givennamesandhaddifferentpersonalities.
Thecowinthepoemisveryanxious,andthetreatmentandcopingofthisdiseaseis
studiedinHinduismaswell.Thecowinthepoemwassaidtobealteredbyfearofher
dailybread,andthereforespirituallyunstable.IntheHinduismreligion,theytalkabout
theWilltoGodandwantyoutoturntohim.TheVedasstatethatGodisawareofthe

needsofall,andneverbecomesanxious.Thecowinthestoryendsupstoppingits
anxietyanditisbelievedtobebecauseofGod.
Inconclusion,thispoemwasagoodoutletfortheIndianculture.Itexpressesthe
moralsandreligionpracticedbymanyIndians.Althoughitwaswrittenawhileback,
Rumididaterrificjobofcapturingthesebeliefs.

AuthorBio:
JalaladDinMuhammadRumiwasa13thcenturypoet.Heisregardedasoneofthe
greatestspiritual
mastersandpoeticalintellects.Hisconnectiontohiswritingsaboutthe
Indiancultureallhappenedwhenhereachedamajorturningpointinhislife.Hemeta
friendwhowasnamedShamsuddin,andexpressedhisloveforhimandgriefofhis
deaththroughpoems.HepracticedthepopularreligionofHinduismwhichwasshown
inhiswork,specificallyinthepieceTheParableoftheAnxiousCow.Rumiis
consideredtobeverysuccessful,andnumerouspoemswrittenbythisartisthavebeen
translatedinmanydifferentlanguages.