Comparing The Stories From The Panchatantra To The Stories In The Nights Essay

The stories contained in the Panchatantra presents information concerning different themes ranging from magical tales to animal fables. The stories have been compiled into five books from their current form spanning from the third to the fifth centuries AD. After reading the stories both thoroughly and keen, one is able to discern that the sole purpose of the story is to educate. Even some stories touch on issues and themes that seem impracticable, their messages targets kings. Although some stories contain totally different messages, similar themes have been recorded in the stories written about nights.
Some of the stories that bear similarities in terms of themes and plot include the story of “the frame of nights” from the nights and “Miracle upon miracle” from Punchatantra . By comparing the two stories, readers are able to see that the two contain certain aspect of trickery, lies and journeys. Tricks are mostly being played against the main characters in the stories. For example the story of “miracle upon miracle” from Panchatantra presents two main characters, Nanduka and Lakschmana. The two characters were true friends to each other but their personal traits results to practice of tricks between them. After losing his property, Lakschmana decided to keep his remaining Iron scales at his friend’s house, so that he could travel abroad.
Upon his arrival to the homeland, Lakschmana is unable to get back his scales as Nanduka claims that they were eaten by mice. He does not seem to agree with the reasons for disappearance of his scales. He therefore comes up with a plan to with Nanduka’s son to bathe. After arriving at the river, he decided to hide Nanduka’s son and claim that he had been taken by a Falcon. Forgetting his funny excuse for disappearance of the scales, Nanduka decides to take his friend to the king for assistance. After listening to the two friends, the king realizes that they are both liars and they should return each other’s property.
Like wise, the story of “The frame of the nights” from the Nights presents similar themes of unfaithfulness and reconciliation . The story also has two main characters, who are brother kings. The brothers are Shahrayar and Shahzaman. The two encounter and endure various instances of unfaithfulness from their wives. For instance, shahnayar invites his younger brother Shahzaman. While on his way to India, Shahzaman decides to go back home and check on his wife. He is surprised and disappointed after finding his wife in the bed with their cook. He then kills the two and proceeds with the journey to his brother’s home, in India.
While at the palace, he witnesses group with his brother’s wife having sex with another man. The act makes him feel better. Just as in the case of miracle upon miracle, the two brothers decide to travel and seek for an unfortunate lover, due to great disappointments in their life. Along the way, they meet a demon with a lady and makes love to her before returning home. Later on Shahrayar decides to kill his wife and all the slave girls. He then decides to be marrying a virgin every night kill the following morning, so that she does not cheat on him.
Shahrayar goes on to implement his plan of marrying and killing virgin slaves on daily basis. Just like the king and the judge from “Miracle upon Miracle”, shahrazad’s sister-in-law tells them stories that heal the king from his habit of killing virgins on daily basis. Although the stories were unconvincing at the start, the king got healed after listening to the story of the fisherman. The story saved her sister from being killed and they lived happily after that. Similarly, the two merchant friends lived happily after going through reconciliation process presided over by the king and the judge.

Works Cited

Ashliman, D. L. The Panchatantra .25 March 2014. www.pitt.edu. 21 March 2015 <http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/panchatantra.html>.
Thompson, iane. WORLD LITERATURE I (ENG 251); Arabian Nights Study Guide. 13 March 2014. www.novaonline.nvcc.edu. 21 March 2015 <https://novaonline.nvcc.edu/Eli/eng251/Bb_version/eng251arabstudy.html>.