Here's why:
* Oral Tradition: The Jataka Tales were originally passed down orally for centuries before being written down.
* Multiple Contributors: Over time, many different storytellers and writers contributed to the collection, adding and refining the tales.
* Compilation: The Jataka Tales were finally compiled into a written form in Pali, the language of early Buddhism, around the 5th century BCE. This compilation included stories from various sources.
Therefore, attributing authorship to a single individual is inaccurate. It's more accurate to say that the Jataka Tales represent a collective effort of numerous storytellers and writers across generations.