Reading Notes: Pygmalion and Lion Fables

I'd heard the story of Pygmalion before, but it never creeped me out quite like it did this time I read it. This man seems to find all women repulsive, so he makes one who can't speak things he doesn't want to hear or do things he doesn't wish. He falls in love with the appearance of a woman he carves from a  rock. I pity this poor woman who awakens to Pygmalion kissing her and touching her breast. I think it would be interesting to rewrite this story with the statue woman reacting differently to Pygmalion's affection. It could also very easily be rewritten as a tragedy by reversing events. Pygmalion finds an incredible woman different from any other he's met. They fall in love, but he displeases the gods and his lover is turned to stone.

(Image Information: Pygmalion

Source: Wikimedia Commons)

I was unfamiliar with all of the lion fables, but they were enjoyable nonetheless. I was unhappy with the endings for the first and last stories. I understand that the unhappy endings were there to leave a message, but I think other messages could be good too. For The Lion's Share, I'm not sure why these three predators could not take on the lion. I would have ended the story with the fox, jackal, and wolf taking on the rude lion and stealing the food. The moral would have been that greed leaves you empty handed. For The Lion in Love, I hate that the lion was tricked. He would (and did) do anything for this maiden, but she and her family showed him hate. I thought this was pretty dumb on their part. Surely this would anger him more than simply rejecting his proposal. Do they think he has no fully clawed and toothed lion friends? I think it would have been a better story and served the same message to have the maiden fall for the lion after he showed what he would go through for her love.

(Image Information: Lion       Source: Wikimedia Commons)