Essay: Twenty Two Goblins

This week I read the Twenty Two Goblins story unit from the India section of our UnTextbook.  In my first reading diary of the week I identify a major area of discontent in the story.  The King, despite giving honest and correct answers after every paradoxical riddle, is constantly being forced to go back to the sissoo tree to collect the goblin.  His actions, which would typically merit reward, are being met with him having to restart his journey over and over again.  I found this aspect to be very frustrating and confusing, as I couldn’t see why the king had to restart his journey over and over.

In the second half of the reading unit it is revealed that the goblin was testing the kings patience and determination.  Thank goodness I was not the king otherwise I would have clearly been in trouble.  As the story would have it the king had actually been conned by the monk who requested the goblin be collected in the first place.  The king was rewarded by the goblin with the knowledge of the monk’s impending deception and betrayal.  With the knowledge of the monks plan the king was able to save himself and defeat the monk.

I think this story was really interesting and very striking.  My original conflict with the first half of the unit actually plays into the lesson that the story is teaching.  Sometimes though we can’t see why we are being tested there is always a purpose.  The king was patient as well as determined.  Even though he was successfully answering the riddles he never lost sight of his ultimate goal, which was to bring the goblin back to the monk.  I enjoyed this story unit and seeing how the storyteller chose to deliver the message concerning patience and determination.         

Patience is a Virtue
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