Hindu Tales from the Sanskrit · Chapter
The Woodcutter's Choice explained
The woodcutter Subha Datta insists on choosing the magic pitcher as his reward despite the fairies' attempts to persuade him to take jewels and robes instead.
What happens
The woodcutter Subha Datta insists on choosing the magic pitcher as his reward despite the fairies' attempts to persuade him to take jewels and robes instead. The fairies, bound by their word, reluctantly give him the pitcher after showing him their secret treasure.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
Putraka’s acquisition of flight and his subsequent decision to descend into the city mark the story’s dramatic…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Temptation and Selfishness
Subha Datta is tempted by the fairies' treasures but remains fixated on the pitcher, showing a selfish desire for the magical object.
- Magic and the Supernatural
The magic pitcher and the fairies' secret treasure house highlight the supernatural elements in the story.
Characters to notice
- Subha Datta
The woodcutter who stubbornly chooses the magic pitcher over all other treasures.
- Fairies
The fairies who try to persuade Subha Datta to choose something else but ultimately honor their promise.
Key passages
“Directly the woodcutter heard he could have anything he asked for, he cried, “I will have the magic pitcher.””
As soon as the woodcutter learned he could request anything, he immediately demanded the magic pitcher.
Subha Datta's instant decision to choose the pitcher.
“They blindfolded him before they started, so that he could never reveal the way, and one of them led him by the hand, telling him where the steps going down from the tree began.”
The fairies blindfolded Subha Datta to keep the location secret, guiding him by hand and describing the steps into the tree.
The fairies' precaution to hide the treasure house entrance.
