Cunning and Wisdom

Where it surfaces

• Indian Fairy Tales

  The crane's deception of the fish and the crab's outwitting of the crane demonstrate the use of cunning for survival.

• How the Raja’s Son Won the Princess Labam

  The prince uses cleverness to acquire the fakirs' magical items and to secretly visit the princess, outwitting potential dangers.

• The Lambikin

  Lambikin uses clever promises and a disguise to evade predators, but the jackal's sharper cunning ultimately prevails.

• The Cruel Crane Outwitted

  The crane uses cunning to deceive the fish, but the crab's wisdom and cleverness ultimately triumph, illustrating that true wisdom can overcome deceit.

• The Tiger, the Brahman, and the Jackal

  The jackal uses clever deception and feigned confusion to outwit the tiger and restore justice.

• Harisarman

  Harisarman uses clever tricks and luck to appear wise, demonstrating how cunning can substitute for true knowledge.

• The Charmed Ring

  The cat uses cleverness to recover the ring by tricking the rats, and the ogress deceives the princess with a false identity.

• The Talkative Tortoise

  The Bodhisatta cleverly uses the tortoise's accident to teach the king a lesson about the dangers of excessive speech.

• A Lac of Rupees for a Bit of Advice

  The three pieces of advice embody practical wisdom that saves the prince's life and leads to his success.

• The Son of Seven Queens

  The clever princess repeatedly outwits the white witch by substituting potsherd messages, and the son uses trickery to obtain the magical cow.

• A Lesson for Kings

  The charioteer uses wisdom to compare the kings' ages, kingdoms, and virtues, ultimately deciding based on righteousness rather than force.

• Pride Goeth Before a Fall

  The clever merchant uses his wit and secret trade language to outsmart the robbers, turning a humiliating situation into a victory.

• Raja Rasalu

  Rasalu uses the headless corpse's advice to make dice from bones, and employs a kitten to frighten Sarkap's rat, demonstrating cleverness over brute force.

• The Ass in the Lion’s Skin

  The ass's disguise is a cunning trick that fails when its true nature is revealed, while the future Buddha's wisdom sees through the pretense.

• The Farmer and the Moneylender

  The farmer uses cleverness to outwit the moneylender by wishing for a personal loss that doubles onto the moneylender.

• The Prince and the Fakir

  The prince uses cleverness to avoid being thrown into the cauldron and instead kills the fakir, demonstrating wit over brute force.

• Why the Fish Laughed

  The vizier's son and the farmer's daughter use clever riddles and interpretation to solve the mystery and save the vizier.

• The Demon with the Matted Hair

  The Bodhisatta uses his inner wisdom (the 'thunderbolt' of knowledge) to outwit and subdue the demon.

• The Pigeon and the Crow

  The pigeon demonstrates wisdom by seeing through the crow's deception and offering sound advice, while the crow's cunning backfires.

• III: Lambikin

  Lambikin uses cleverness and a rolling container (Drumikin) to outwit the predator, echoing the cunning motif found in many folktales.

• VII: The Cruel Crane Outwitted

  The crane uses cunning to deceive the fish, but the crab uses wisdom to outwit and kill the crane.

• The Tiger, the Brahman, and the Jackal

  The jackal uses clever reasoning to trick the tiger back into the cage, demonstrating the power of wisdom over brute strength.

• XI: Harisarman

  Harisarman uses his wit and fortunate coincidences to appear as a wise soothsayer, solving the theft through cleverness rather than actual divination.

• XIII: The Talkative Tortoise

  The tortoise's lack of wisdom in speaking leads to his downfall, contrasting with the cunning of the ducks who carry him.

• Lac of Rupees

  The youth's wise advice, originally a charm, enables him to outwit thieves and secure the king's treasures.

• Pride Goeth Before a Fall

  The crane uses cunning to deceive the fish, but the crab's wisdom leads to the crane's downfall.

• The Ass in the Lion's Skin

  The ass's disguise as a lion is an act of cunning, though ultimately unsuccessful.

• XXIII: The Prince and the Fakir

  The prince likely uses cunning or wisdom to navigate his encounter with the fakir.

• Why the Fish Laughed

  The Clever Lass formula centers on a woman's intelligence in solving riddles, highlighting wisdom as a key theme.

• XXV: The Demon with the Matted Hair

  Prince Five Weapons uses wisdom (the thunderbolt of Knowledge) to defeat the demon, while Brer Rabbit uses cunning to escape the Tar Baby trap.