Tales of Juha

Below, I’ve assembled some of my favorite passages from Tales of Juha. Based on our in-class discussion on Monday, the selected short stories are interesting, stupid, or provocative, or some combination of the three.

“Which is more useful,” someone asked Juha, “the sun or the moon?”

            He didn’t hesitate for a moment.

            “The moon,” he answered firmly. “No question about it.”

            “Why’s that?” they asked.

            “Because,” he answered, “the sun rises during the day, when you don’t need it. But the moon comes out in the dark. And that’s when you need it.

A literal analysis of this passage, found at the top of page 80, produces a negative reaction. The sun is the day. If the sun did not come up there would be no day. Conversely, nighttime is the absence of the sun. All this is to say that our days and nights are not determined by time, rather by the presence or absence of the sun in the sky. This principle can be observed in daylight-savings time. Juha should not be read critically, however. Juha (the character) is brimming with illogical logic. Juha is prophetic in this passage, which reminds me of the parable of the prodigal son. I’m sure many of you are familiar with this famous parable so I’ll spare you the summary. This passage and the parable present the same “lesson.” That is, it is less relevant to do something noticeable when the conditions are easy. On the other hand, it is much more noble to go against the grain. Rosa Parks, for example, lead when she was most needed, whether she knew it or not. As Dr. Williams mentioned in class, Juha transcends all time periods and cultures. He is ubiquitous and his tales are diversely applicable.

That’s a lot to get out of a six-line story, but that’s part of what makes Tales of Juha such an enjoyable read. It will come out and punch you in the face with wisdom, then give you ice to nurse your wounds. This passage is provocative.

Juha was searching for his lost donkey, muttering the whole time, “Praise be to God!”

            “Why do you keep saying that?” people asked him.

            “I’m praising God I wasn’t riding my donkey,” he said. “If I had been, I would have been lost too.”

This brief passage is located in the middle of page 78. It executes a cognitive shift in just a few short lines. I’m not exactly sure how I expected Juha to reply, but it sure wasn’t in the manner that he did. His answer interested me because it was simple, but true. Much like the funny children’s quiz answers that we looked over in class, this narrative is packed with wisdom.

One day Juha appeared dressed in black.

            “Why are you wearing black like that?” an acquaintance asked him. “Has something terrible happened?”

            “Yes,” Juha answered. “My son’s father died.”

Despite being minimal, the majority of Juha’s tales pack a philosophical punch, or an often-neglected truth, something that makes me stop for a second to reflect.  This passage, towards the top of page 67, did none of these things. It didn’t even make me laugh. I’ve heard this joke too many times, where someone describes himself or herself in a roundabout manner. Perhaps Juha was its inventor. Regardless, I found this to be one of the few dumb stories.

Tales of Juha is quickly making a case for best book of the semester for it’s simple wisdom and illogical logic. Somehow it’s intricate, but so simple.