From Panchatantra to Grimm: Correspondences Between "The Four Treasure Seekers" and "The Knapsack, the Hat, and the Horn" Anonymous College

Greed can lead to the corruption of ones morals and inner self; in fact, greed has caused constant struggles throughout human history and usually results in one’s own downfall. The Brothers Grimm redesigned the central concepts of the tale of The Four Treasure Seekers found in the Panchatantra into The Knapsack, the Hat, and the Horn. The comparison between these two tales can display how a stories structure can affect its meaning and concepts. These two stories have similar ideas and strong relation to societal problems that they can depict the struggle and development of the middle class. Each story relates poverty, greed and appreciation into a tale of caution - and ultimately describes the different views on success that one has and how selfishness can corrupt that view.

The stories attempt to teach a lesson about greed. Within The Four Treasure Seekers, four Brahmins living in poverty go out in search of wealth. Brahmins are people of high spiritual status, and are meant to have no such need for material possessions or wealth. This search for treasure already foreshadows their impending greed. Each time a treasure is found they celebrate. However the idea of finding superior treasure entices the others to continue and...