The King Of The Monkeys And The Reeds

The Monkey King warns the other monkeys to beware of pools of water, which may be inhabited by evil spirts. He uses his creative powers to hollow out reeds, so that they may drink from the pools.

Nowhere is the tradition of storytelling more deeply rooted than in India, where tales told three thousand years ago are still part of popular culture. In this volume, a rich sampling of the many strands that make up this tradition has been memorably rendered into English.

Presents myths, legends, tales, and folklore about plants and describes how to use plants to make ornaments, toys, disguises, dolls, and musical instruments.

That he is descended from Ramesses the Great fills Ramesses III with obscene pride. Elevated to the throne following a coup led by his father Setnakhte during the troubled days of Queen Tausret, Ramesses III sets about creating an Egypt that reflects the glory days of Ramesses the Great. He takes on his predecessor's throne name, names his sons after the sons of Ramesses and pushes them toward similar duties. Most of all, he thirsts after conquests like those of his hero grandfather. Ramesses III assumes the throne name of Usermaatre, translated as "Strong is the Ma'at of Re" and endeavours to live up to the sentiment. He fights foreign foes, as had Ramesses the Great; he builds temples throughout the Two Lands, as had Ramesses the Great, and he looks forward to a long, illustrious life on the throne of Egypt, as had Ramesses the Great. Alas, his reign is not meant to be. Ramesses III faces troubles at home--troubles that threaten the stability of Egypt and his own throne. The struggles for power between his wives, his sons, and even the priests of Amun, together with a treasury drained of its wealth, all force Ramesses III to question his success as the scion of a legend.

Inside Wat Si Chum are 86 inscribed stone reliefs depicting jatakas, former lives of Gotama Buddha. This book presents the latest evidence and porposes new interpretations. It offers the first-ever English translation of the inscriptions, photographs of the reliefs supplemented by 19th century jataka paintings from Wat Khrua Wan, Bangkok, essys on all aspects of the temple and a discussion of the significance of jataks in international Buddhist literature, art and ideology.--Back cover.