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EASTERN STORIES 
 AND LEGENDS 
 
Eastern Stories 
 and Legends 
 
 BYl 
 
 MARIE L. SHEDLOCK 
 
 FOREWORD BY 
 PROF. T. W. RHYS DAVIDS 
 
 INTRODUCTION BY 
 ANNIE CARROLL MOORE 
 
 OF THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRABY 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
 E. P. DUTTON & COMPANY 
 
 681 FIFTH AVENUE 
 
Copyright, 1920, 
 BI E. P. DUTTON & COMPANY 
 
 All Rights Reserved 
 
 Printed In the United States of America 
 
J 
 
 est 
 
 FOREWORD 
 
 I RECOLLECT riding late one night along 
 the high-road from Galle to Colombo. The 
 road skirts the shore. On the left hand the 
 long breakers of the Indian Ocean broke in 
 ripples on the rocks in the many little bays. 
 On the right an endless vista of tall cocoanut 
 palms waved their top-knots over a park-like 
 expanse of grass, and the huts of the peasantry 
 were visible here and there beneath the trees. 
 In the distance a crowd had gathered on the 
 sward, either seated on the grass or leaning 
 against the palms. I turned aside — no road 
 was wanted — to see what brought them there 
 that moonlight night. 
 
 The villagers had put an oval platform 
 under the trees. On it were seated yellow 
 robed monks with palm-leaf books on their 
 laps. One was standing and addressing the 
 folk, who were listening to Bana, that is 
 
 vii 
 
 r- 
 P 
 
 ""3 
 
viii FOREWORD 
 
 "The Word" — discourses, dialogues, legends, 
 or stories from the Pali Canon. The stores 
 were the well-known Birth-stories, that is the 
 f ancient fables and fairy-tales common to the 
 Aryan race which had been consecrated, as 
 it were, by the hero in each, whether man or 
 animal, being identified with the Buddha in 
 a former birth. To these wonderful stories 
 the simple peasantry, men, women and chil- 
 dren, clad in their best and brightest, listen 
 the livelong night with unaffected delight/ 
 chatting pleasantly now and again with their 
 neighbors; rising quietly and leaving for a 
 time, and returning at their will, and indulging 
 all the while in the mild narcotic of the betel- 
 leaf, their stores of which afford a constant 
 occasion for acts of polite good-fellowship. 
 Neither preachers nor hearers may have that 
 deep sense of evil in the world and in them- 
 selves, nor that high resolve to battle with and 
 overcome it, which animated some of the first 
 disciples. They all think they are earning 
 "merit" by their easy service. But there is at 
 least, at these full-moon festivals, a genuine 
 feeling of human kindness, in harmony alike 
 
FOREWORD k 
 
 with the teachings of Gotama and with the 
 gentle beauty of those moonlit scenes. 1 
 
 It is not only under the palm groves of 
 the South that these stories are a perennial 
 delight. Wherever Buddhism has gone they 
 have gone with it. They are known and loved 
 on the plains of Central Asia, in the valleys 
 of Kashmir and Afghanistan, on the cold 
 tablelands of Nepal, Tartary and Tibet, 
 through the vast regions of India and China, 
 in the islands of Japan and the Malay archi- 
 pelago, and throughout the jungles of Siam 
 and Annam. 
 
 And not only so. Soldiers of Alexander 
 who had settled in the East, wandering mer- 
 chants of many nations and climes, crusading 
 knights and hermits who had mixed with 
 Eastern folk, brought the stories from East/ 
 to West. They were very popular in Europe 
 in the Middle Ages; and were used, more es- 
 pecially by the clergy, as the subjects of nu- 
 merous homilies, romances, anecdotes, poems 
 and edifying plays and mysteries. The char- 
 acter of the hero of them in his last or formef 
 
 i 8e» Rhys Davids' Buddhism (S.P.C.K.), pp. 57, 58. 
 
x FOREWORD 
 
 births appealed so strongly to the sympathies, 
 and especially to the religious sympathies, of 
 medieval Christians that the Buddha (under 
 another name) was included, and has ever 
 since remained, in the list of canonized saints 
 both in the Roman and Greek Churches; and 
 a collection of these and similar stories — 
 wrongly but very naturally ascribed to a fa- 
 mous story-teller of the ancient Greeks — has 
 become the common property, the household 
 literature, of all the nations of Europe; and, 
 under the name of iEsop's Fables, has handed 
 down, as a first moral lesson-book for our 
 children in the West, tales first invented to 
 please and to instruct our far-off cousins in 
 the distant East. 
 
 So the story of the migration of the stories 
 is the most marvelous story of them all. 1 And, 
 strange to say, in spite of the enormous out- 
 pouring of more modern tales, these old ones 
 have not, even yet, lost their charm. I used 
 to tell them by the hour together, to mixed 
 
 1 For the details of this story the introduction to my 
 Buddhist Birth Stories may be consulted; and for the history 
 of the Jatakas in India the chapter on that subject in my 
 Buddhist India. 
 
FOREWORD xi 
 
 audiences, and never found them fail. Out of 
 the many hundred Birth-stories there are only 
 a small proportion that are suitable for chil- 
 dren. Miss Shedlock, so well known on both 
 sides of the Atlantic for her skill and judg- 
 ment in this regard, has selected those she 
 deems most suitable; and, so far as I can 
 judge, has succeeded very admirably in adapt- 
 ing them for the use of children and of teachers 
 alike. Much depends, no doubt, upon the tell- 
 ing. Could Miss Shedlock herself be the teller, 
 there would be little doubt of the success. But 
 I know from my own experience that less able 
 story-tellers have no cause at all to be dis- 
 couraged. 
 
 The reason is, indeed, not far to seek. The 
 stories are not ordinary ones. It is not on 
 sharpness of repartee, or on striking incidents, 
 that their charm depends. These they have 
 sometimes. But their attraction lies rather in 
 a unique mixture of subtle humor, cunning 
 make-belief, and earnestness; in the piquancy 
 of the contrast between the humorous incon- 
 gruities and impossibilities of the details, and 
 the real serious earnestness, never absent but 
 
xii FOREWORD 
 
 always latent, of the ethical tone. They never 
 raise a boisterous laugh: only a quiet smile of 
 delighted appreciation ; and they leave a pleas- 
 ant aroma behind them. To the child-mind 
 the impossibilities are no impossibilities at all, 
 they are merely delightful. And these quaint 
 old-world stories will continue to appeal to 
 children, young and old, as they have done, the 
 world over, through the long centuries of the 
 past. 
 
 T. W. Rhys Davids. 
 
EDITOR'S PREFACE 
 
 These stories of the Buddha-Rebirths are 
 not for one age or for one country, but for 
 all time, and for the whole world. Their phi- 
 losophy might be incorporated into the tenets 
 of faith of a League of Nations without de- 
 stroying any national forms of religious teach- 
 ing. On the other hand those who prefer the 
 foundation of more orthodox views will be 
 astonished to find their ethics are identical with 
 many of those inculcated in the stories: here 
 we find condemnation of hypocrisy, cruelty, 
 selfishness, and vice of every kind and a con- 
 stant appeal to Love, Pity, Honesty, loftiness 
 of purpose and breadth of vision. And should 
 we reject such teachings because they were 
 given to the World more than 2,000 years ago? 
 Since it is wise to take into consideration the 
 claims and interests of the passing hour it is 
 well to re-introduce these stories at a moment 
 
xiv EDITOR'S PREFACE 
 
 when, perhaps more than ever before, East 
 and West are struggling to arrive at a clearer 
 understanding of one another. 
 
 In Tagore's essay on the relation of the In- 
 dividual to the Universe, he says : "In the West 
 the prevalent feeling is that Nature belongs 
 exclusively to inanimate things and to beasts; 
 that there is a sudden unaccountable break 
 where human nature begins. According to it, 
 everything that is low in the scale of beings is 
 merely nature, and whatever has the stamp of 
 perfection on it, intellectual or moral, is hu- 
 man nature. It is like dividing the bud and 
 the blossom into two separate categories and 
 putting their grace to the credit of two dif- 
 ferent and antithetical principles. But the In- 
 dian mind never has any hesitation in acknowl- 
 edging its kinship with nature, its unbroken 
 relation with all." 
 
 This is perhaps the best summing up of the 
 value of this collection. Since the publication 
 of the book in 1910, I have had many oppor- 
 tunities of testing the value of the dramatic 
 appeal in these stories both for adults and boys 
 and girls of adolescent age. When presented 
 
EDITOR'S PREFACE xv 
 
 at this impressionable period, the inner mean- 
 ing will sink more deeply into their minds than 
 the same truths presented in a more direct 
 and didactic fashion. 
 
 I am greatly indebted to Professor Rhys 
 Davids, not only because he has placed the 
 material of his translations from the Pali at 
 my disposal, but also because of his unfailing 
 kindness and help in directing my work. I 
 am fortunate to have had the restraining in- 
 fluence of so great a scholar so that I might not 
 lose the Indian atmosphere and line of thought 
 which is of such value in these stories. 
 
 I most gratefully acknowledge my indebt- 
 edness to the Cambridge Press, by whose cour- 
 tesy I have been able to include several of 
 the stories published in their volumes. 
 
 I present here a selection from over 500 
 stories. 
 
 Marie L. Shedlock. 
 Cambridge, Massachusetts. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 FiGE 
 
 1. The Hare that ran away 1 
 
 8 
 13 
 19 
 27 
 35 
 41 
 
 2. The Monkey and the Crocodile i^\ 
 
 3. The Spirit that lived in a Tree 
 
 4. The Hare that was not afraid to die 
 
 5. The Parrot that fed his Parents . 
 
 6. The Man who worked to give Alms 
 
 7. The King who saw the Truth 
 
 8. The Bull that demanded fair Treatment 49 
 
 9. The Bull that proved his Gratitude . 57 
 
 10. The Horse that held out to the End . 63 
 
 11. The Monkey that saved the Herd . . 71 
 
 12. The Mallard that asked for too much 77 
 
 13. The Merchant who overcame all Obsta- 
 
 cles 81 
 
 14. The Elephant that was honored in Old 
 
 Age 87 
 
 15. The Faithful Friend 93 
 
 16. The Hawk and the Osprey .... 99 
 
 17. Grandmother's golden Dish^" . . . 107 
 
 18. The Elephant that spared Life^*-' . . 115 
 
 19. How the Antelope was caught . . . 123 
 
 20. The Banyan Deer 129 
 
 21. The Pupil who taught his Teacher t^-. 139 
 
xviii CONTENTS 
 
 22. The Man who told a Lie . 
 
 23. The Crow that thought it knew 
 
 24. The Judas Tree 
 
 25. The River-fish and the Money 
 
 26. The Dreamer in the Wood 
 
 27. The Rice Measure .... 
 
 28. The Poisonous Trees . 
 
 29. The well-trained Elephant . 
 SO. The wise Physician .... 
 
 PAGE 
 
 145 
 153 
 159 
 163 
 171 
 175 
 183 
 189 
 197 
 
 \ 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 TO this new and enlarged edition of East- 
 ern Stories and Legends, Miss Shedlock 
 has brought years of dramatic experience in 
 the telling of stories to children and grown 
 people in England and America, and united 
 with it a discriminating selection from the 
 work of a great Oriental scholar. 
 
 The result is a book of intrinsic merit for 
 the general reading of children and of great 
 practical value to all who are concerned with 
 moral or ethical training. 
 
 "I feel a great joy in what these stories can 
 unconsciously bring to the reader," says Miss 
 Shedlock in a personal letter, "the mere living 
 among the stories for the past few weeks has 
 given me a sense of calm and permanence 
 which it is difficult to maintain under present 
 outward conditions." 
 
 I have observed with growing interest, ex- 
 
xx INTRODUCTION 
 
 tending over a period of years, the effect of 
 such stories as "The Folly of Panic" and "The 
 Tree Spirit" upon audiences of adolescent 
 boys and girls in the public schools, public li- 
 braries, social settlements, Sunday schools and 
 private schools, I have visited with Miss Shed- 
 lock. There is in Miss Shedlock's rendering 
 something more than a suggestion of kinship 
 with Nature and the attributes of animal life. 
 The story is told in an atmosphere of spiritual 
 actuality remote from our everyday experience 
 yet confirming its eternal truths. 
 
 My familiarity with the earlier edition of 
 Eastern Stories and Legends and my personal 
 introduction of "The True Spirit of a Festi- 
 val Day" and other stories to audiences of 
 parents and teachers, enables me to speak with 
 confidence of the value of the book in an en- 
 larged and more popular form. 
 
 In rearranging and expanding her selec- 
 tion of stories Miss Shedlock has wisely freed 
 the book from limitations which gave it too 
 much the appearance of a text book. In so do- 
 ing she has preserved the classical rendering 
 of her earlier work. Her long experience as 
 
INTRODUCTION 2nd 
 
 a teacher and story-teller in England and 
 America informs her notes and arouses in the 
 mature reader a fresh sense of the "power to 
 educate" which rises out of all great literature 
 at the touch of a true interpreter. 
 
 July 14, 1920. 
 
THE HARE THAT RAN AWAY 
 
THE HARE THAT RAN AWAY 
 
 AND it came to pass that the Buddha (to 
 be) was born again as a Lion. Just as 
 he had helped his fellow-men, he now began 
 to help his fellow-animals, and there was a 
 great deal to be done. For instance, there was 
 a little nervous Hare who was always afraid 
 that something dreadful was going to happen 
 to her. She was always saying: "Suppose the 
 Earth were to fall in, what would happen to 
 me?" And she said this so often that at last 
 she thought it really was about to happen. 
 One day, when she had been saying over and 
 over again, "Suppose the Earth were to fall in, 
 what would happen to me?" she heard a slight 
 noise: it really was only a heavy fruit which 
 had fallen upon a rustling leaf, but the little 
 Hare was so nervous she was ready to believe 
 anything, and she said in a frightened tone: 
 "The Earth is falling in." She ran away as 
 fast as she could go, and presently she met an 
 
 3 
 
4 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 old brother Hare, who said: "Where are you 
 running to, Mistress Hare?" 
 
 And the little Hare said : "I have no time to 
 stop and tell you anything. The Earth is fall- 
 ing in, and I am running away." 
 
 "The Earth is falling in, is it?" said the old 
 brother Hare, in a tone of much astonishment ; 
 and he repeated this to his brother hare, and he 
 to his brother hare, and he to his brother hare, 
 until at last there were a hundred thousand 
 brother hares, all shouting: "The Earth is 
 falling in." Now presently the bigger animals 
 began to take the cry up. First the deer, and 
 then the sheep, and then the wild boar, and 
 then the buffalo, and then the camel, and then 
 the tiger, and then the elephant. 
 
 Now the wise Lion heard all this noise and 
 wondered at it. "There are no signs," he said, 
 "of the Earth falling in. They must have 
 heard something." And then he stopped them 
 all short and said: "What is this you are say- 
 ing?" 
 
 And the Elephant said: "I remarked that 
 the Earth was falling in." 
 
 "How do you know this ?" asked the Lion. 
 
THE HARE THAT RAN AWAY 5 
 
 "Why, now I come to think of it, it was the 
 Tiger that remarked it to me." 
 
 And the Tiger said: "I had it from the 
 Camel," and the Camel said: "I had it from 
 the Buffalo." And the buffalo from the wild 
 boar, and the wild boar from the sheep, and 
 the sheep from the deer, and the deer from 
 the hares, and the Hares said: "Oh! we heard 
 it from that little Hare." 
 
 And the Lion said : "Little Hare, what made 
 you say that the Earth was falling in?" 
 
 And the little Hare said: "I saw it." 
 
 "You saw it?" said the Lion. "Where?" 
 
 "Yonder, by the tree." 
 
 "Well," said the Lion, "come with me and 
 I will show you how " 
 
 "No, no," said the Hare, "I would not go 
 near that tree for anything, I'm so nervous." 
 
 "But," said the Lion, "I am going to take 
 you on my back." And he took her on his 
 back, and begged the animals to stay where 
 they were until they returned. Then he 
 showed the little Hare how the fruit had fallen 
 upon the leaf, making the noise that had fright- 
 ened her, and she said: "Yes, I see — the 
 
6 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 Earth is not falling in." And the Lion said: 
 "Shall we go back and tell the other animals?" 
 And they went back. The little Hare stood 
 before the animals and said: "The Earth is 
 not falling in." And all the animals began to 
 repeat this to one another, and they dispersed 
 gradually, and you heard the words more and 
 more softly: 
 
 "The Earth is not falling in," etc., etc., etc., 
 until the sound died away altogether. 
 
 Note. — This story I have told in my own words, using the 
 language I have found most effective for very young children. 
 
THE MONKEY AND THE 
 CROCODILE 
 
THE MONKEY AND THE 
 CROCODILE 
 
 ONCE upon a time, while Brahmadatta 
 was king of Benares, the Bodhisatta 
 came to life at the foot of Himalaya as a Mon- 
 key. He grew strong and sturdy, big of 
 frame, well-to-do, and lived by a curve of the 
 river Ganges in a forest haunt. 
 
 Now at that time there was a Crocodile 
 dwelling in the Ganges. The Crocodile's mate 
 saw the great frame of the monkey, and she 
 conceived a longing for his heart to eat. So 
 she said to her lord: "Sir, I desire to eat the 
 heart of that great king of the monkeys!" 
 
 "Good wife," said the Crocodile, "I live in 
 the water and he lives on dry land: how can 
 we catch him?" 
 
 "By hook or by crook," she replied, "caught 
 he must be. If I don't get him, I shall die." 
 
 "All right," answered the Crocodile, con- 
 
10 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 soling her, "don't trouble yourself. I have a 
 plan; I will give you his heart to eat." 
 
 So when the Bodhisatta was sitting on the 
 bank of the Ganges, after taking a drink of 
 water, the Crocodile drew near, and said : 
 
 "Sir Monkey, why do you live on bad fruits 
 in this old familiar place? On the other side 
 of the Ganges there is no end to the mango 
 trees, and labuja trees, with fruit sweet as 
 honey ! Is it not better to cross over and have 
 all kinds of wild fruit to eat?" 
 
 "Lord Crocodile," the Monkey made an- 
 swer, "deep and wide is the Ganges: how shall 
 I get across?" 
 
 "If you will go, I will mount you on my 
 back, and carry you over." 
 
 The Monkey trusted him, and agreed. 
 "Come here, then," said the other, "up on my 
 back with you!" and up the Monkey climbed. 
 But when the Crocodile had swum a little way, 
 he plunged the Monkey under the water. 
 
 "Good friend, you are letting me sink!" cried 
 the Monkey. "What is that for?" 
 
 Said the Crocodile, "You think I am carry- 
 ing you out of pure good nature? Not a bit of 
 
THE MONKEY AND THE CROCODILE 11 
 
 it! My wife has a longing for your heart, and 
 I want to give it to her to eat!" 
 
 "Friend," said the Monkey, "it is nice of 
 you to tell me. Why, if our heart were inside 
 us when we go jumping among the tree-tops, 
 it would be all knocked to pieces!" 
 
 "Well, where do you keep it?" asked the 
 other. 
 
 The Bodhisatta pointed out a fig-tree, with 
 clusters of ripe fruit, standing not far off. 
 "See," said he, "there are our hearts hanging 
 on yon fig-tree." 
 
 "If you will show me your heart," said the 
 Crocodile, "then I won't kill you." 
 
 "Take me to the tree, then, and I will point 
 it out to you hanging upon it." 
 
 The Crocodile brought him to the place. The 
 Monkey leapt off his back, and climbing up the 
 fig-tree sat upon it. "O silly Crocodile !" said 
 he, "you thought that there were creatures that 
 kept their hearts in a tree-top ! You are a fool, 
 and I have outwitted you! You may keep 
 your fruit to yourself. Your body is great, 
 but you have no sense." And then to explain 
 this idea he uttered the following stanzas: 
 
12 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 "Rose-apple, jack- fruit, mangoes too across 
 
 the water there I see; 
 Enough of them, I want them not; my fig is 
 
 good enough for me! 
 
 "Great is your body, verily, but how much 
 
 smaller is your wit! 
 Now go your ways, Sir Crocodile, for I have 
 
 had the best of it." 
 
 The Crocodile, feeling as sad and miserable 
 as if he had lost a thousand pieces of money, 
 went back sorrowing to the place where he 
 lived. 
 
THE SPIRIT THAT LIVED 
 IN A TREE 
 
THE SPIRIT THAT LIVED 
 IN A TREE 
 
 AND it came to pass that the Ruddha was 
 re-born as a Tree- Spirit. Now there 
 reigned (at Benares) at that time a King who 
 said to himself: "All over India, the kings live 
 in palaces supported by many a column. I will 
 build me a palace resting on one column only 
 — then shall I in truth be the chiefest of all 
 kings." 
 
 Now in the King's Park was a lordly Sal 
 tree, straight and well-grown, worshiped by 
 village and town, and to this tree even the 
 Royal Family also paid tribute, worship, and 
 honor. And then suddenly there came an or- 
 der from the King that the tree should be cut 
 down. 
 
 And the people were sore dismayed, but the 
 woodmen, who dared not disobey the orders of 
 the King, came to the Park with hands full of 
 perfumed garlands, and encircling the tree 
 
 15 
 
16 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 with a string, fastened to it a nosegay of flow- 
 ers, and kindling a lamp, they did worship, ex- 
 claiming: "O Tree! on the seventh day must 
 we cut thee down, for so hath the King com- 
 manded. Now let the Deities who dwell within 
 thee go elsewhither, and since we are only 
 obeying the King's command, let no blame fall 
 upon us, and no harm come to our children 
 because of this." 
 
 And the Spirit who lived in the tree, hearing 
 these words, reflected within himself and said: 
 "These builders are determined to cut down 
 this tree, and to destroy my place of dwelling. 
 Now my life lasts only as long as this tree. 
 And lo! all the young Sal trees that stand 
 around, where dwell the Deities my kinsfolk — 
 and they are many — will be destroyed! My 
 own destruction does not touch me so near as 
 the destruction of my children: therefore must 
 I protect their lives." 
 
 Accordingly, at the hour of midnight 
 adorned in divine splendor, he entered into 
 the magnificent chamber of the King, and fill- 
 ing the whole chamber with a bright radiance, 
 stood weeping beside the King's pillow. At 
 
THE SPIRIT THAT LIVED IN A TREE 17 
 
 the sight of him, the King, overcome with ter- 
 ror, said: "Who art thou, standing high in 
 the air, and why do thy tears flow?" 
 
 And the Tree-God made answer: "Within 
 thy realm I am known as the Lucky- Tree. 
 For sixty thousand years have I stood, and 
 all have worshiped me, and though they have 
 built many a house, and many a town, no 
 violence has been done to me. Spare thou me, 
 also, O King." 
 
 Then the King made answer and said: 
 "Never have I seen so mighty a trunk, so 
 thick and strong a tree; but I will build me 
 a palace, and thou shalt be the only column 
 on which it shall rest, and thou shalt dwell 
 there for ever." 
 
 And the Tree said: "Since thou art resolved 
 to tear my body from me, I pray thee cut me 
 down gently, one branch after another — the 
 root last of all." 
 
 And the King said: "O Woodland Tree! 
 what is this thou askest of me? It were a 
 painful death to die. One stroke at the root 
 would fell thee to the ground. Why wouldst 
 thou die piecemeal?" 
 
18 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 And the Tree made answer: "O King! 
 My children, the young Sal trees, all grow 
 at my feet : they are prosperous and well shel- 
 tered. If I should fall with one mighty crash, 
 behold these young children of the forest would 
 perish also!" 
 
 And the King was greatly moved by this 
 spirit of sacrifice, and said: "O great and 
 glorious Tree! I set thee free from thy fear, 
 and because thou wouldst willingly die to save 
 thy kindred, thou shalt not be cut down. Re- 
 turn to thy home in the Ancient Forest." 
 
THE HARE THAT WAS NOT 
 AFRAID TO DIE 
 
THE HARE THAT WAS NOT 
 AFRAID TO DIE 
 
 AND it came to pass that the Buddha was 
 born a Hare and lived in a wood ; on one 
 side was the foot of a mountain, on another 
 a river, on the third side a border village. 
 
 And with him lived three friends: a Mon- 
 key, a Jackal, and an Otter; each of these 
 creatures got food on his own hunting ground. 
 In the evening they met together, and the 
 Hare taught his companions many wise things : 
 that the moral law should be observed — that 
 alms should be given to the poor, and that 
 holy days should be kept. 
 
 One day the Buddha said: "To-morrow is 
 a fast day. Feed any beggars that come to 
 you by giving from your own store of food." 
 They all consented. 
 
 The next day the Otter went down to the 
 
 bank of the Ganges to seek his prey. Now 
 
 a fisherman had landed seven red fish and had 
 
 21 
 
22 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 buried them in the sand on the river's bank 
 while he went down the stream catching more. 
 The Otter scented the buried fish, dug up the 
 sand till he came upon them, and he called 
 aloud: "Does any one own these fish?" And, 
 not seeing the owner, he laid the fish in the 
 jungle where he dwelt, intending to eat them 
 at a fitting time. Then he lay down, thinking 
 how virtuous he was. 
 
 The Jackal also went off in search of food, 
 and found in the hut of a field watcher a 
 lizard, and a pot of milk-curd. 
 
 And, after thrice crying aloud, "To whom 
 do these belong?" and not finding an owner, 
 he put on his neck the rope for lifting the pot, 
 and grasping the spits and lizard with his 
 teeth, he laid them in his own lair, thinking, 
 "In due season I will devour them," and then 
 he lay down, thinking how virtuous he had 
 been. 
 
 The Monkey entered the clump of trees, and 
 gathering a bunch of mangoes, laid them up in 
 his part of the jungle, meaning to eat them 
 in due season. He then lay down and thought 
 how virtuous he had been. 
 
THE HARE NOT AFRAID TO DIE 23 
 
 But the Hare (who was the Buddha-to-be) 
 in due time came out thinking to lie (in con- 
 templation) on the Kuca grass. "It is impos- 
 sible for me to offer grass to any beggars who 
 may chance to come by, and I have no oil or 
 rice or fish. If any beggar come to me, I will 
 give him (of) my own flesh to eat." 
 
 Now when Sakka, the King of the Gods, 
 heard this thing, he determined to put the 
 Royal Hare to the test. So he came in dis- 
 guise of a Brahmin to the Otter and said: 
 "Wise Sir, if I could get something to eat, 
 I would perform all my priestly duties." 
 
 The Otter said: "I will give you food. 
 Seven red fish have I safely brought to land 
 from the sacred river of the Ganges. Eat thy 
 fill, O Brahmin, and stay in this wood." 
 
 And the Brahmin said: "Let it be until to- 
 morrow, and I will see to it then." 
 
 Then he went to the Jackal, who confessed 
 that he had stolen the food, but he begged the 
 Brahmin to accept it and remain in the wood; 
 but the Brahmin said: "Let it be until to- 
 morrow, and then I will see to it." 
 
 And he came to the Monkey, who offered 
 
24 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 him the mangoes, and the Brahmin answered 
 in the same way. 
 
 Then the Brahmin went to the wise Hare, 
 and the Hare said: "Behold, I will give thee 
 of my flesh to eat. But thou must not take 
 life on this holy day. When thou hast piled 
 up the logs I will sacrifice myself by falling 
 into the midst of the flames, and when my 
 body is roasted thou shalt eat it and perform 
 all thy priestly duties." 
 
 Now when Sakka heard these words he 
 caused a heap of burning coals to appear, and 
 the Wisdom Being, rising from the grass, came 
 to the place, but before casting himself into 
 the flames he shook himself, lest perchance 
 there should be any insects in his coat who 
 might suffer death. Then, offering his body 
 as a free gift, he sprang up, and like a royal 
 swan, lighting on a bed of lotus in an ecstasy 
 of joy, he fell on the heap of live coals. But 
 the flame failed even to heat the pores of the 
 hair on the body of the Wisdom Being, and it 
 was as if he had entered a region of frost. 
 Then he addressed the Brahmin in these words : 
 "Brahmin, the fire that thou hast kindled is 
 
THE HARE NOT AFRAID TO DIE 25 
 
 icy cold; it fails to heat the pores of the hair 
 on my body. What is the meaning of this ?" 
 
 "O most wise Hare! I am Sakka, and have 
 come to put your virtue to the test." 
 
 And the Buddha in a sweet voice said: "No 
 god or man could find in me an unwillingness 
 to die." 
 
 Then Sakka said: "O wise Hare, be thy 
 virtue known to all the ages to come." 
 
 And seizing the mountain he squeezed out 
 the juice and daubed on the moon the signs 
 of the young hare. 
 
 Then he placed him back on the grass that 
 he might continue his Sabbath meditation and 
 returned to Heaven. 
 
 And the four creatures lived together and 
 kept the moral law. 
 
THE PARROT THAT FED HIS 
 PARENTS 
 
THE PARROT THAT FED HIS 
 PARENTS 
 
 NOW it came to pass that the Buddha was 
 re-born in the shape of a Parrot, and he 
 greatly excelled all other parrots in his 
 strength and beauty. And when he was full 
 grown his father, who had long been the leader 
 of the flock in their flights to other climes, said 
 to him : "My son, behold my strength is spent ! 
 Do thou lead the flock, for I am no longer 
 able." And the Buddha said: "Behold, thou 
 shalt rest. I will lead the birds." And the 
 Parrots rejoiced in the strength of their new 
 leader, and willingly did they follow him. 
 Now from that day on, the Buddha undertook 
 to feed his parents, and would not consent that 
 they should do any more work. Each day he 
 led his flock to the Himalaya Hills, and when 
 he had eaten his fill of the clumps of rice that 
 grew there, he filled his beak with food for the 
 dear parents who were waiting his return. 
 
 29 
 
30 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 Now there was a man appointed to watch 
 the rice-fields, and he did his best to drive 
 the Parrots away, but there seemed to be some 
 secret power in the leader of this flock which 
 the Keeper could not overcome. 
 
 He noticed that the Parrots ate their fill 
 and then flew away, but that the Parrot-King 
 not only satisfied his hunger, but carried away 
 rice in his beak. 
 
 Now he feared there would be no rice left, 
 and he went to his master the Brahmin to 
 tell him what had happened; and even as the 
 master listened there came to him the thought 
 that the Parrot-King was something higher 
 than he seemed, and he loved him even before 
 he saw him. But he said nothing of this, and 
 only warned the Keeper that he should set a 
 snare and catch the dangerous bird. So the 
 man did as he was bidden: he made a small 
 cage and set the snare, and sat down in his 
 hut waiting for the birds to come. And soon 
 he saw the Parrot-King amidst his flock, who, 
 because he had no greed, sought no richer spot, 
 but flew down to the same place in which he 
 had fed the day before. 
 
THE PARROT THAT FED HIS PARENTS 31 
 
 Now, no sooner had he touched the ground 
 than he felt his feet caught in the noose. Then 
 fear crept into his bird-heart, but a stronger 
 feeling was there to crush it down, for he 
 thought: "If I cry out the Cry of the Cap- 
 tured, my Kinsfolk will be terrified, and they 
 will fly away foodless. But if I lie still, then 
 their hunger will be satisfied, and they may 
 safely come to my aid." Thus was the Par- 
 rot both brave and prudent. 
 
 But alas! he did not know that his Kins- 
 folk had nought of his brave spirit. When 
 they had eaten their fill, though they heard 
 the thrice-uttered cry of the captured, they 
 flew away, nor heeded the sad plight of their 
 leader. 
 
 Then was the heart of the Parrot-King sore 
 within him, and he said: "All these my kith 
 and kin, and not one to look back on me. Alas ! 
 what sin have I done?" 
 
 The Watchman now heard the cry of the 
 Parrot-King, and the sound of the other Par- 
 rots flying through the air. "What is that?" 
 he cried, and leaving his hut he came to the 
 place where he had laid the snare. There he 
 
32 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 found the captive Parrot; he tied his feet to- 
 gether and brought him to the Brahmin, his 
 master. Now, when the Brahmin saw the Par- 
 rot-King, he felt his strong power, and his 
 heart was full of love to him, but he hid his 
 feelings and said in a voice of anger: "Is thy 
 greed greater than that of all other birds? 
 They eat their fill, but thou takest away each 
 day more food than thou canst eat. Doest thou 
 this out of hatred for me, or dost thou store up 
 the food in some granary for selfish greed?" 
 
 And the Great Being made answer in a 
 sweet human voice: "I hate thee not, O Brah- 
 min. Nor do I store the rice in a granary for 
 selfish greed. But this thing I do. Each day 
 I pay a debt which is due — each day I grant a- 
 loan, and each day I store up a treasure." 
 
 Now the Brahmin could not understand the 
 words of the Buddha (because true wisdom 
 had not entered his heart), and he said: "I 
 pray thee, O Wondrous Bird, to make these 
 words clear unto me." 
 
 And then the Parrot-King made answer: 
 "I carry food to my ancient parents who 
 can no longer seek that food for themselves: 
 
THE PARROT THAT FED HIS PARENTS $8 
 
 thus I pay my daily debt. I carry food to 
 my callow chicks whose wings are yet un- 
 grown. When I am old they will care for me 
 — this my loan to them. And for other birds, 
 weak and helpless of wing, who need the aid 
 of the strong, for them I lay up a store; to 
 these I give in charity." 
 
 Then was the Brahmin much moved, and 
 showed the love that was in his heart. "Eat 
 thy fill, O Righteous Bird, and let thy Kins- 
 folk eat too, for thy sake." And he wished to 
 bestow a thousand acres of land upon him, but 
 the Great Being would only take a tiny por- 
 tion round which were set boundary stores. 
 
 And the Parrot returned with a head of 
 rice, and said: "Arise, dear Parents, that I 
 may take you to a place of plenty." And he 
 told them the story of his deliverance. 
 
THE MAN WHO WORKED TO 
 GIVE ALMS 
 
THE MAN WHO WORKED TO 
 GIVE ALMS 
 
 ONCE upon a time the Buddha was born 
 as a merchant named Vissaya (and be- 
 ing endowed with the Five Virtues) he was 
 liberal and fond of alms-giving. He had alms 
 halls built at the four city gates, in the heart 
 of the city, and at the door of his own house. 
 At these points he set on foot alms-giving and 
 every day 600,000 men went forth to beg and 
 the food of the beggar and the merchant was 
 exactly the same. And as he thus stirred up 
 the people of India by his gifts, Sakka, the 
 King of the gods, grew suspicious and thought, 
 "This Vissaya gives alms and by scattering his 
 gifts everywhere is stirring up all India. By 
 means of his alms-giving, methinks he will de- 
 throne me and himself become Sakka. I will 
 destroy his wealth, and make him a poor man, 
 and so bring it about that he shall no longer 
 
 give alms." So Sakka caused his oil, honey, 
 
 37 
 
38 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 molasses and the like, and all his treasure of 
 grain to disappear, as well as his slaves and 
 work people. Those who were deprived of his 
 gifts came and said, "My Lord, the alms hall 
 has disappeared. We do not find anything in 
 the various places set up by you." "Take 
 money hence," he said. "Do not cut off the 
 giving of alms." And calling his wife, he bade 
 her keep up her charity. She searched the 
 whole house, and not finding a single bit of 
 money, she said, "My Lord, except the clothes 
 we wear, I see nothing. The whole house is 
 empty." Opening the seven jewel treasuries 
 they found nothing, and save the merchant and 
 his wife no one else was seen, neither slaves nor 
 hirelings. The merchant, again addressing his 
 wife, said, "My dear, we cannot possibly cut 
 off our charities. Search the whole house till 
 you find something." 
 
 At that moment a certain grass-mower 
 threw down his sickle and pole and the rope for 
 binding the grass in the doorway, and ran 
 away. The merchant's wife found them and 
 said: "My Lord, this is all I see," and brought 
 and gave them to him. Said he: "All these 
 
THE MAN WHO WORKED TO GIVE ALMS 39 
 
 years I have never mown grass before, but to- 
 day I will mow grass, and take and sell it, and 
 by this means dispense the fitting alms." 
 
 So, through fear of having to cut off his char- 
 ities, he took the sickle, and the pole and the 
 rope, and going forth from the city came to 
 a place of much grass, and mowing it, tied it 
 up in two bundles, saying, "One shall belong 
 to us, and with the other I will give alms." 
 
 This he did for six days, and because there 
 was not enough to feed all who came for alms, 
 on the seventh day, he and his wife went fast- 
 ing. Then his strength gave out. No sooner 
 did the heat of the sun strike upon his head 
 than his eyes began to swim in his head, and he 
 became unconscious, and falling down he scat- 
 tered the grass. Sakka was moving about, ob- 
 serving what the merchant did. And that god, 
 standing in mid-air, cried: "Refrain from giv- 
 ing, and thou shalt have joy for ever." 
 
 "Who art thou?" cried the merchant. 
 
 "I am Sakka." 
 
 And the merchant said: 
 
 "Sakka reached his high office by taking 
 upon himself moral duties, and giving alms." 
 
40 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 "Why dost thou give alms?" asked Sakka, 
 still wishing to test him. 
 
 "It is not because I desire Sakkahood nor 
 Brahmaship, but through giving there cometh 
 knowledge of all things." 
 
 "Great merchant," cried Sakka, "henceforth 
 do thou every day give alms." And all his 
 wealth was restored to him. 
 
THE KING WHO SAW THE TRUTH 
 
THE KING WHO SAW THE TRUTH 
 
 T ONG, long ago the Wisdom Child that 
 -*— ■ should in time become the Buddha was 
 born a King. He was kind and generous, dis- 
 tributing all sorts of alms to the poor; nor 
 did he leave the work to those under him: he 
 took a personal part in the giving of the gifts 
 — and nearly every day came himself to the 
 Alms Hall to see that none went away empty ~ 
 handed. 
 
 But one morning, as he lay meditating on 
 what he still might do for his people, he be- 
 gan to feel that, after all, he had done no 
 very great thing, and he said: "I have given 
 to my people only outside things — the mere 
 gold and silver and raiment and food that I 
 can well spare, and lo! this giving brings me no 
 joy. If I could only give my people part of 
 myself — some precious thing which would 
 show my love for them — whatever it might 
 cost me! And if to-day, when I go down to 
 
 43 
 
4* EASTERN STORIES 
 
 the Alms Hall, one should say, 'Give me thy 
 heart,' then, in truth, I will cut open my breast 
 with a spear, and, as though I were drawing 
 up a water-lily from a calm lake, I will pull 
 forth my heart. If he asks my flesh and blood, 
 behold I will give it to him. If he complain 
 that there is no other to do his work, then I 
 will leave my royal throne, and, proclaiming 
 myself a slave, I will do the work of a slave — 
 and, indeed, should any man ask for my eyes, 
 the most precious gift of the gods, then will I 
 tear them out as one might tear the pith from 
 the palm-tree." 
 
 Then he bathed himself, and, mounted upon 
 a richly caparisoned elephant, he rode down 
 to the Alms Hall, his heart filled with love 
 for his people. 
 
 Now Sakka, the King of the Gods, heard 
 the resolve of the King, and he thought to 
 test him, whether his words were vain ; whether 
 it were a sudden mood which would pass away 
 when the moment came to carry out his stern 
 resolution. 
 
 So, when the King came down to the Alms 
 Hall, Sakka stood before him, in the guise of 
 
THE KING WHO SAW THE TRUTH 45 
 
 an old blind Brahmin, who, stretching out 
 his hands, cried out: "Long live the King!" 
 
 And the King made sign for him to say 
 what was in his heart. 
 
 "O great King," said the blind Brahmin — 
 "in all the inhabited world there is no spot 
 where the fame of thy great heart has not 
 spread. I am blind, but thou, O King, hast 
 two eyes — I therefore beseech thee, give me 
 one, that I too may behold the glories of the 
 Earth!" 
 
 Then did the King rejoice greatly that this 
 opportunity should have come to him so 
 quickly, but not wishing to show at once the 
 joy he felt in his heart, he said: "O Brahmin, 
 I pray thee tell me, who bade thee wend thy 
 way to this alms-house? Thou askest of me 
 the most precious thing that a man possesses, 
 and lo! it is very hard to give!" 
 
 And the Brahmin made answer: "Behold, 
 a god has sent me hither, and has told me to 
 ask this boon." 
 
 And the King said: "Thy prayer is granted: 
 thou didst ask for one eye, behold I will give 
 thee both eyes." 
 
46 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 And then the news spread quickly through 
 the town that the King was about to give his 
 eyes to a blind Brahmin, and the Commander- 
 in-Chief and all the officials gathered together 
 that they might turn the King from his pur- 
 pose. 
 
 And they said: "O great King, are there 
 not other gifts which thou canst bestow upon 
 this sightless Brahmin — money, jewels, ele- 
 phants with cloth of gold? Why shouldst thou 
 give to him that most precious of gifts, thy 
 royal eyes?" 
 
 And the King said: "Behold, I have taken 
 this vow, and I should be sinful if I were to 
 break it." 
 
 And the courtiers said: "O King, why doest 
 thou this thing? Is it for Life, or Beauty or 
 Strength?" 
 
 The King answered : "It is for none of these 
 things: it is for the joy of giving." 
 
 Then the King bid the Surgeon do his work. 
 And when one of his eyes was taken out, he 
 gave it to the Brahmin, and it remained fixed 
 in his socket like a blue lotus flower in bloom. 
 And the King said: "The eye that sees all 
 
THE KING WHO SAW THE TRUTH 47 
 
 things is greater than this eye," and, being 
 filled with ecstasy of joy, he gave the second 
 eye. 
 
 And after many days and much suffering, 
 the King's sight was restored to him — not the 
 natural eyes which see the things around — but 
 the eyes which see perfect and absolute Truth. 
 
 And he reigned in righteousness and justice, 
 and the people learnt of him pure wisdom. 
 
THE BULL THAT DEMANDED 
 FAIR TREATMENT 
 
THE BULL THAT DEMANDED 
 FAIR TREATMENT 
 
 LONG ago the Bodisat came to life as a 
 Bull. 
 
 Now, when he was yet a young calf, a cer- 
 tain Brahmin, after attending upon some de- 
 votees who were wont to give oxen to priests, 
 received the bull. And he called it Nandi 
 Visala, and grew very fond of it, treating it 
 like a son, and feeding it on gruel and rice. 
 
 When the Bodisat grew up, he said to him- 
 self: "This Brahmin has brought me up with 
 great care; and there's no other ox in all the 
 continent of India can drag the weight I can. 
 What if I were to let the Brahmin know about 
 my strength, and so in my turn provide sus- 
 tenance for him!" 
 
 And he said one day to the Brahmin: "Do 
 
 you go now, Brahmin, to some Squire rich in 
 
 cattle, and offer to bet him a thousand that 
 
 your ox will move a hundred laden carts." 
 
 si 
 
02 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 The Brahmin went to a rich farmer, and 
 started a conversation thus: 
 
 "Whose bullocks hereabout do you think 
 the strongest?" 
 
 "Such and such a man's," said the farmer, 
 and then added: "But, of course, there are 
 none in the whole country-side to touch my 
 own!" 
 
 "I have one ox," said the Brahmin, "who is 
 good to move a hundred carts, loads and all!" 
 
 "Tush!" said the Squire. "Where in the 
 world is such an ox?" 
 
 "Just in my house!" said the Brahmin. 
 
 "Then make a bet about it!" 
 
 "All right! I bet you a thousand he can." 
 
 So the bet was made. And he filled a hun- 
 dred carts (small wagons made for two bul- 
 locks) with sand and gravel and stones, ranged 
 them all in a row, and tied them all firmly to- 
 gether, cross-bar to axle-tree. 
 
 Then he bathed Nandi Visala, gave him a 
 measure of scented rice, hung a garland round 
 his neck, and yoked him by himself to the front 
 cart. Then he took his seat on the pole, raised 
 
THE BULL AND FAIR TREATMENT 53 
 
 his goad aloft, and called out: "Gee up! you 
 brute!! Drag 'em alpng, you wretch!!" 
 
 The Bodisat said to himself: "He addresses 
 me as a wretch. I am no wretch !" And, keep- 
 ing his four legs as firm as so many posts, he 
 stood perfectly still. 
 
 Then the Squire that moment claimed his 
 bet, and made the Brahmin hand over the thou- 
 sand pieces. And the Brahmin, minus his thou- 
 sand, took out his ox, went home to his house, 
 and lay down overwhelmed with grief. 
 
 Presently Nandi Visala, who was roaming 
 about the place, came up and saw the Brah- 
 min grieving there, and said to him: "What, 
 Brahmin! Are you asleep ?" 
 
 "Sleep! How can I sleep after losing the 
 thousand pieces?" 
 
 "Brahmin! I've lived so long in your house, 
 and have I ever broken any pots, or rubbed up 
 against the walls?" 
 
 "Never, my dear!" 
 
 "Then why did you call me a wretch? It's 
 your fault. It's not my fault. Go now and 
 bet him two thousand; and never call me a 
 
VI EASTERN STORIES 
 
 wretch again — I, who am no wretch at all!" 
 
 When the Brahmin heard what he said, he 
 made the bet two thousand, tied the carts to- 
 gether as before, decked out Nandi Visala, and 
 yoked him to the foremost cart. 
 
 He managed this in the following way: he 
 tied the pole and the cross-piece fast together, 
 yoked Nandi Visala on one side; on the other 
 he fixed a smooth piece of timber from the 
 point of the yoke to the axle-end, and wrapping 
 it round with the fastenings of the cross-piece, 
 tied it fast, so that when this was done the yoke 
 could not move this way and that way, and it 
 was possible for one ox to drag forwards the 
 double bullock-cart. 
 
 Then the Brahmin seated himself on the 
 pole, stroked Nandi Visala on the back, and 
 called out: "Gee up! my beauty!! Drag it 
 along, my beauty!!" 
 
 And the Bodisat, with one mighty effort, 
 dragged forwards the hundred heavily-laden 
 carts, and brought the hindmost one up to the 
 place where the foremost one had stood. 
 
 Then the cattle-owner acknowledged him- 
 self beaten, and handed over to the Brahmin 
 
THE BULL AND FAIR TREATMENT 55 
 
 the two thousand; the bystanders, too, pre- 
 sented the Bodisat with a large sum, and the 
 whole became the property of the Brahmin. 
 Thus, by means of the Bodisat, great was the 
 wealth he acquired. 
 
THE BULL THAT PROVED 
 HIS GRATITUDE 
 
THE BULL THAT PROVED 
 HIS GRATITUDE 
 
 LONG ago . . . the Bodisat returned to 
 life as a Bull. 
 
 Now, when it was still a young calf, its 
 owners stopped a while in an old woman's 
 house, and gave him to her when they settled 
 their account for their lodging. And she 
 brought him up, treating him like a son, and 
 feeding him on gruel and rice. 
 
 He soon became known as "The old woman's 
 Blackie." When he grew up, he roamed about, 
 as black as collyrium, with the village cattle, 
 and was very good-tempered and quiet. The 
 village children used to catch hold of his horns, 
 or ears, or dewlaps, and hang on to him; or 
 amuse themselves by pulling his tail, or riding 
 about on his back. 
 
 One day he said to himself: "My mother 
 is wretchedly poor. She's taken so much pains, 
 too, in bringing me up, and has treated me like 
 
 59 
 
60 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 a son. What if I were to work for hire, and 
 so relieve her distress!" And from that day 
 he was always on the look-out for a job. 
 
 Now, one day a young caravan owner ar- 
 rived at a neighboring ford with five hundred 
 bullock-wagons. And his bullocks were not 
 only unable to drag the carts across, but 
 even when he yoked the five hundred pair in 
 a row they could not move one cart by itself. 
 
 The Bodisat was grazing with the village 
 cattle close to the ford. The young caravan 
 owner was a famous judge of cattle, and 
 began looking about to see whether there were 
 among them any thoroughbred bull able to 
 drag over the carts. Seeing the Bodisat, he 
 thought he would do, and asked the herdsmen : 
 "Who may be the owners, my men, of this 
 fellow? I should like to yoke him to the cart, 
 and am willing to give a reward for having the 
 carts dragged over." 
 
 "Catch him and yoke him then," said they. 
 "He has no owner hereabouts." 
 
 But when he began to put a string through 
 his nose and drag him along, he could not get 
 him to come. For the Bodisat, it is said, 
 
THE BULL PROVED HIS GRATITUDE 61 
 
 wouldn't go till he was promised a reward. 
 
 The young caravan owner, seeing what his 
 object was, said to him: "Sir! if you'll drag 
 over these five hundred carts for me, I'll pay 
 you wages at the rate of two pence for each 
 cart — a thousand pieces in all." 
 
 Then the Bodisat went along of his own ac- 
 cord, and the men yoked him to the cart. And 
 with a mighty effort he dragged it up and 
 landed it safe on the high ground. And in 
 the same manner he dragged up all the carts. 
 
 So the caravan owner then put five hundred 
 pennies in a bundle, one for each cart, and tied 
 it round his neck. The Bull said to himself: 
 "This fellow is not giving me wages according 
 to the rate agreed upon. I shan't let him go 
 on now!" And so he went and stood in the way 
 of the front cart, and they tried in vain to get 
 him away. 
 
 The caravan owner thought: "He knows, I 
 suppose, that the pay is too little ;" and wrap- 
 ping a thousand pieces in a cloth, tied them up 
 in a bundle, and hung that round his neck. 
 And as soon as he got the bundle with a thou- 
 sand inside, he went off to his "mother." 
 
«2 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 Then the village children called out: "See! 
 what's that round the neck of the old woman's 
 Blackie?" and began to run up to him. But 
 he chased after them, so that they took to their 
 heels before they got near him; and he went 
 straight to his "mother." And he appeared 
 with eyes all bloodshot, utterly exhausted from 
 dragging over so many carts. 
 
 "How did you get this, dear?" said the good 
 old woman, when she saw the bag round his 
 neck. And when she heard, on inquiry from 
 the herdsmen, what had happened, she ex- 
 claimed: "Am I so anxious, then, to live on 
 the fruit of your toil, my darling ! Why do you 
 put yourself to all this pain?" 
 
 And she bathed him in warm water, and 
 rubbed him all over with oil, and gave him 
 to drink, and fed him up with good food. And 
 at the end of her life she passed away accord- 
 ing to her deeds, and the Bodisat with her. 
 
THE HORSE THAT HELD 
 OUT TO THE END 
 
THE HORSE THAT HELD 
 OUT TO THE END 
 
 AND it came to pass that the Buddha (to 
 be) came to life in the shape of a Horse 
 — a thoroughbred small horse, and he was 
 made the King's Destrier, surrounded by 
 pomp and state. He was fed on exquisite 
 three-year-old rice which was always served up 
 to him in a golden dish worth a hundred thou- 
 sand pieces of money, and the ground of his 
 stall was perfumed with the four odors. Round 
 his stall were hung crimson curtains, while 
 overhead was a canopy studded with stars of 
 gold. On the wall were festooned wreaths and 
 garlands of fragrant flowers, and a lamp fed 
 with scented oil was always burning there. 
 
 Now all the kings round coveted the king- 
 dom of Benares. Once seven kings passed 
 Benares and sent a missive to the King, saying : 
 "Either yield up your kingdom to us or give 
 battle." 
 
 65 
 
66 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 Assembling his ministers, the King of 
 Benares laid the matter before them and asked 
 what he was to do. Said they: "You ought 
 not to go out to battle in person, Sire, in the 
 first instance. Despatch such and such a 
 Knight out first to fight him, and, later on, 
 if he fall, we will decide what to do." 
 
 Then the King sent for that Knight and said 
 to him: "Can you fight the seven kings, my 
 dear Knight?" Said he: "Give me but your 
 noble Destrier, and then I could fight not only 
 seven kings but all the kings in India." "My 
 dear Knight, take my Destrier or any horse 
 you please, and do battle." "Very good, my 
 Sovereign Lord," said the Knight, and with 
 a bow he passed down from the upper cham- 
 bers of the palace. 
 
 Then he had the noble Destrier led out and 
 sheathed in mail, arming himself too and gird- 
 ing on his sword. 
 
 Mounted on his noble steed he passed out 
 of the City Gate, and with a lightning charge 
 broke down the first camp, taking one king 
 alone, and bringing him back a prisoner to the 
 soldiers' custody. 
 
THE HORSE HELD OUT TO THE END 67 
 
 . . . And this went on until six kings had 
 been made prisoner. Then the noble Horse 
 received a wound which streamed with blood 
 and caused him much pain. Perceiving that 
 the Horse was wounded, the Knight made it 
 lie down at the King's gate, loosened its mail, 
 and set about arming another horse. 
 
 But the Horse perceiving this, said: "The 
 other horse will not be able to break down 
 the seventh camp and capture the seventh 
 king: he will lose all that I have accomplished. 
 The peerless Knight will be slain, and the 
 King will fall into the hands of the foe. I 
 alone and no other horse can break down 
 the seventh camp and capture the seventh 
 king." 
 
 So he called to the Knight and repeated 
 these words, and added: "I will not throw 
 away what I have already done. Only have 
 me set upon my feet, and clad again in my ar- 
 mor, and I will accomplish my work." 
 
 The Knight had the Horse set upon his feet, 
 bound up his wound, and armed him again in 
 proof. Mounted on the Destrier, he broke 
 
68 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 down the seventh camp, and brought back 
 alive the seventh king. 
 
 They led the Horse to the King's gate, and 
 the King came up to look at him. 
 
 Then said the Great Being: "Great King, 
 slay not these seven kings: bind them by an 
 oath, and let them go. Let the Knight enjoy 
 the honor due to us both. As for you, exercise 
 charity, keep the Ornaments, and rule your 
 kingdom in righteousness and justice." When 
 the Horse had thus exhorted the King, they 
 took off his mail, but as they were taking it 
 off piecemeal, he passed away. 
 
 The King had the body buried with due re- 
 spect, bestowed great honors on the Knight, 
 and sent the kings to their homes, after ex- 
 acting from each an oath never to war upon 
 him any more. And he ruled his kingdom in 
 righteousness and justice, passing away when 
 his life closed, to fare thereafter according to 
 his deserts. 
 
 The story was told by the Master about a 
 brother who gave up persevering. 
 
 "Brethren, in bygone days the wise and 
 good persevered even in hostile surroundings, 
 
THE HORSE HELD OUT TO THE END 69 
 
 and even when 'they were wounded they did 
 not give in. Whereas you who have devoted 
 yourself to so saving a doctrine, how comes it 
 that you give up persevering?" 
 
THE MONKEY THAT SAVED 
 THE HERD 
 
THE MONKEY THAT SAVED 
 THE HERD 
 
 T T came to pass that the Buddha was re-born 
 ■*• as the King of the monkeys. He lived 
 with his herd of 80,000 monkeys in a thick for- 
 est, near a lake. In this lake there lived an 
 ogre who used to devour all those who went 
 down to the water. 
 
 The Buddha spoke to his subjects and said: 
 "My friends, in this forest there are trees that 
 are poisoned, and lakes that are haunted by 
 ogres. Eat no fruit and drink no water of 
 which you have not already tasted without con- 
 sulting me." 
 
 This they agreed to. And one day, having 
 arrived at a spot which they had never visited 
 before, they found a great lake. They did 
 not drink, but awaited the return of their 
 King. 
 
 Now when he arrived he went round the 
 
 73 
 
74 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 lake, and found that all the footsteps led down 
 to the lake, but none came up again. And 
 he said: "Without doubt this is the haunt of 
 an ogre." 
 
 When this water-ogre saw that they were 
 not invading his domain he appeared in the 
 form of a terrible monster with a blue belly, 
 a white face, and bright red hands and feet. 
 In this shape he came out of the water and 
 said to the King: "Why are you seated here? 
 Go down to the lake to drink." But the King 
 said: "Are you not the ogre of this water?" 
 "Yes, I am," was the answer. "Do you take 
 as your prey all those who go down into this 
 water?" "Yes, I do, from small birds up- 
 wards. I never let anything go which comes 
 down into this water. I will eat the lot of you, 
 too." "But we shall not let you eat us." "Just 
 drink the water." "Yes, we will drink the 
 water, and yet not fall into your power." 
 "How do you propose to drink the water, 
 then?" "Ah, you think we shall have to go 
 down to the water to drink; whereas we shall 
 not enter the water at all, but the whole eighty 
 
THE MONKEY WHO SAVED THE HERD 75 
 
 thousand of us will take a cane each and drink 
 therewith from your lake as easily as through 
 the hollow stalk of a lotus. And so you will 
 not be able to eat us." j 
 
 So saying the King had a cane brought to 
 him, and in true belief that the miracle would 
 take place he blew down the cane, which 
 straightway became hollow throughout, with- 
 out a single knot being left in its length. In 
 this fashion he had another, and another 
 brought, and blew down them. Then he made 
 the tour of the lake, and commanded, saying, 
 "Let all canes growing here become hollow 
 throughout." Now, thanks to the saving good- 
 ness of their re-born chiefs, their commands 
 are always fulfilled. And henceforth every 
 single cane that grew round that lake became 
 hollow throughout. After giving his com- 
 mands the King seated himself with a cane in 
 his hand. All the other 80,000 monkeys, too, 
 seated themselves round the lake each with a 
 cane in his hands. At the same moment when 
 the King sucked up the water through his 
 cane, they all drank in the same manner as 
 
76 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 they sat on the bank. This was the way they 
 drank, and the ogre could get no power over 
 any one of them, so he went off in a rage to 
 his habitation. The King, with his following 
 of 80,000 monkeys, went back into the forest. 
 
THE MALLARD THAT ASKED 
 FOR TOO MUCH 
 
THE MALLARD THAT ASKED 
 FOR TOO MUCH 
 
 AND it came to pass that the Buddha (to 
 be) was born a Brahmin, and growing 
 up was married to a bride of his own rank, 
 who bore him three daughters. 
 
 After his death he was born again as a 
 Golden Mallard, and he determined to give his 
 golden feathers one at a time to enable his 
 wife and daughters to live in comfort. So 
 away he flew to where they dwelt, and alighted 
 on the central beam of the roof. 
 
 Seeing the Bodisat, the wife and girls asked 
 where he had come from, and he told them 
 that he was their father who had died and been 
 born a Golden Mallard, and that he had come 
 to bring them help. "You shall have my gold- 
 en feathers, one by one," he said. He gave 
 them one and departed. From time to time 
 he returned to give them another feather, and 
 they became quite wealthy. 
 
 79 
 
80 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 But one day the mother said: "There's no 
 trusting animals, my children. Who's to say 
 your father might not go away one of these 
 days and never return? Let us use our time, 
 and pluck him clean the next time he comes, 
 so as to make sure of all his feathers." Think- 
 ing this would pain him, the daughters refused. 
 The mother in her greed plucked the Mallard 
 herself, and as she plucked them against his 
 wish, they ceased to be golden and became 
 like a crane's feathers. His wings grew again, 
 but they were plain white ; he flew away to his, 
 own abode and never came back. 
 
THE MERCHANT WHO OVER- 
 CAME ALL OBSTACLES 
 
THE MERCHANT WHO OVER- 
 CAME ALL OBSTACLES 
 
 ,NCE upon a time the Buddha (to be) 
 was born in a merchant's family; and 
 when he grew up he went about trafficking 
 with five hundred carts. 
 
 One day he arrived at a sandy desert twenty 
 leagues across. The sand in that desert was 
 so fine that when taken in the closed fist it 
 could not be kept in the hand. After the sun 
 had risen it became as hot as a mass of char- 
 coal, so that no man could walk on it. Those, 
 therefore, who had to travel over it took wood 
 and water and oil and rice in their carts, and 
 traveled during the night. And at daybreak 
 they formed an encampment, and spread an 
 awning over it, and, taking their meals early, 
 they passed the day sitting in the shade. At 
 sunset they supped ; and when the ground had 
 become cool, they yoked their oxen and went 
 on. The traveling was like a voyage over the 
 
 83 
 
84 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 sea: a so-called land-pilot had to be chosen, 
 and he brought the caravan safe to the other 
 side by his knowledge of the stars. 
 
 On this occasion the merchant of our story 
 traversed the desert in that way. And when 
 he had passed over fifty-nine leagues, he 
 thought: "Now in one more night we shall get 
 out of the sand." And after supper he directed 
 the wood and water to be thrown away, and 
 the wagons to be yoked, and so set out. The 
 pilot had cushions arranged on the foremost 
 cart, and lay down looking at the stars, and 
 directing them where to drive. But, worn out 
 by want of rest during the long march, he fell 
 asleep, and did not perceive that the oxen had 
 turned around and taken the same road by 
 which they had come. 
 
 The oxen went on the whole night through. 
 Towards dawn the pilot woke up, and, observ- 
 ing the stars, called out: "Stop the wagons! 
 Stop the wagons!" The day broke just as they 
 had stopped, and were drawing up the carts in 
 a line. Then the men cried out: "Why, this is 
 the very encampment we left yesterday ! Our 
 wood and water is all gone! We are lost!" 
 
THE MERCHANT WHO OVERCAME 85 
 
 And unyoking the oxen, and spreading the 
 canopy over their heads, they lay down in de- 
 spondency, each one under his wagon. 
 
 But the Bodisat, saying to himself, "If I 
 lose heart, all these will perish," walked about 
 while the morning was yet cool. And on see- 
 ing a tuft of Kusa grass, he thought: "This 
 must have grown by attracting some water 
 which there must be beneath it." 
 
 And he made them bring a hoe and dig in 
 that spot. And they dug sixty cubits deep. 
 And when they had got thus far, the spade of 
 the diggers struck on a rock, and as soon as it 
 struck, they all gave up in despair. 
 
 But the Bodisat thought, "There must be 
 water under that rock," and, stooping down, 
 applied his ear to it and tested the sound of 
 it. And he heard the sound of water gurgling 
 beneath. And he got out and called his page. 
 "My lad, if you give up now, we shall all be 
 lost. Don't you lose heart. Take this iron 
 hammer, and go down into the pit and give 
 the rock a good blow." 
 
 The lad obeyed, and though they all stood 
 by in despair, he went down full of determina- 
 
 / 
 
86 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 tion, and struck at the stone. And the rock 
 split in two and fell below, and no longer 
 blocked up the stream. And water rose till 
 its brim was the height of a palm-tree in the 
 well. And they all drank of the water, and 
 bathed in it. Then they split up their extra 
 yokes and axles, and cooked rice and ate it, 
 and fed their oxen with it. And when the sun 
 set, they put up a flag by the well and went 
 to the place appointed. There they sold their 
 merchandise at double and treble profit, and 
 returned to their own home, and lived to a 
 good old age, and then passed away according 
 to their deeds. And the Bodisat gave gifts, 
 and did other virtuous acts, and passed away 
 according to his deeds. 
 
THE ELEPHANT THAT WAS 
 HONORED IN OLD AGE 
 
THE ELEPHANT THAT WAS 
 HONORED IN OLD AGE 
 
 AND the Buddha as Prime Minister served 
 the King. Now there was a certain She- 
 Elephant endowed with great might which 
 enabled her to go a hundred leagues a day. 
 She did the duties of messenger to the King, 
 and in battle she fought and crushed the 
 enemy. The King said: "She is very service- 
 able to me." 
 
 He gave her ornaments, and caused all 
 honor to be shown her. Then, when she was 
 weak from age, the King took away all the 
 honor he had bestowed. 
 
 From that time she was unprotected, and 
 lived by eating grass and leaves in the forest. 
 
 And one day the chief Potter had not 
 enough oxen to yoke to the carts which car- 
 ried the material for making clay. And the 
 King said: "Where is our She-Elephant?" 
 
 89 
 
90 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 "O King! she is wandering at her will in 
 the forest." 
 
 And the King said: "Do thou yoke her to 
 the cart." 
 
 And the Potter said: " Good, O King!" 
 And he did even as the King commanded. 
 
 But when this insult was offered to the 
 Elephant, she came to the Prime Minister 
 and said: "O Wise Being! I pray you listen 
 to my tale. When I was young, great strength 
 was mine; and I did walk a hundred leagues 
 to bear the King's messages, and, with weapons 
 bound upon my body, I did take part in 
 battle, crushing the enemy beneath my feet. 
 And now I am old, and the King hath with- 
 drawn all the honors he bestowed upon me, 
 and not content with allowing me to wander 
 and feed on grass, unprotected in my old age, 
 he has even caused me to be yoked to the 
 Potter's cart as are the oxen." 
 
 Then the Buddha promised that he would 
 plead her cause, and appearing before the 
 King, he asked: "Great King, did not a She- 
 Elephant covered with weapons do battle for 
 thee; and on such and such a day, with a 
 
AN ELEPHANT HONORED IN OLD AGE 91 
 
 writing upon her neck, did she not go a 
 hundred leagues on a message? Thou didst 
 bestow upon her great honor. I pray thee 
 tell me, where is she now?" 
 
 And the King, in some confusion, made 
 answer: "Behold, she is yoked to a cart." 
 
 Then did the Buddha speak in sorrowful 
 anger to the King, and rebuked him, saying: 
 "Thou hast yoked this Elephant to a cart after 
 all the services she has rendered. Then was 
 the honor only bestowed because of more 
 services expected?" 
 
 And all who heard him received his instruc- 
 tion, and the King restored the She-Elephant 
 to her former place of honor. 
 
THE FAITHFUL FRIEND 
 
THE FAITHFUL FRIEND 
 
 LONG ago, when Brahma-datta was reign- 
 ing in Benares, the Bodisat became his 
 Minister. 
 
 At that time a dog used to go to the 
 state elephant's stable, and feed on the lumps 
 of rice which fell where the elephant fed. 
 Being attracted there by the food, he soon 
 became great friends with the elephant, and 
 used to eat close by him. At last neither of 
 them was happy without the other; and the 
 dog used to amuse himself by catching hold 
 of the elephant's trunk, and swinging to 
 and fro. 
 
 But one day there came a peasant who gave 
 the elephant-keeper money for the dog, and 
 took it back with him to his village. From 
 that time the elephant, missing the dog, would 
 neither eat nor drink nor bathe. And they 
 let the King know about it. 
 
 He sent the Bodisat, saying: "Do you* go, 
 
 95 
 
96 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 Pandit, and find out what's the cause of the 
 elephant's behavior." 
 
 So he went to the stable, and seeing how 
 sad the elephant looked, said to himself: 
 "There seems to be nothing bodily the matter 
 with him. He must be so overwhelmed with 
 grief by missing some one, I should think, who 
 had become near and dear to him." And he 
 asked the elephant-keepers: "Is there any one 
 with whom he is particularly intimate?" 
 
 "Certainly, Sir! There was a dog of whom 
 he was very fond indeed." 
 
 "Where is it now?" 
 
 "Some man or other took it away." 
 
 "Do you know where the man lives?" 
 
 "No, Sir!" 
 
 Then the Bodisat went and told the King. 
 "There's nothing the matter with the elephant, 
 your majesty; but he was great friends with 
 a dog, and I fancy it's through missing it that 
 he refuses his food." 
 
 When the King heard what he said, he 
 asked what was now to be done. 
 
 "Have a proclamation made, O King, to 
 this effect : 'A man is said to have taken away 
 
THE FAITHFUL FRIEND 97 
 
 a dog of whom our state elephant was fond. 
 In whose house soever that dog shall be 
 found, he shall be fined so much !' " 
 
 The King did so; and, as soon as he heard 
 of it, the man turned the dog loose. The dog 
 hastened back, and went close up to the ele- 
 phant. The elephant took him up in his trunk 
 and placed him on his forehead, and wept and 
 cried, and took him down again, and watched 
 him as he fed. And then he took his own food. 
 
 Then the King paid great honor to the 
 Bodisat for knowing the motives even of 
 animals. 
 
THE HAWK AND THE OSPREY 
 
THE HAWK AND THE OSPREY 
 
 THERE lived once, on the shores of a 
 natural lake, a Hawk on the south shore, 
 a She-Hawk on the west shore, on the north 
 a Lion, the king of beasts, on the east the 
 Osprey, the king of birds, in the middle a 
 Tortoise on a small island. 
 
 Now the Hawk asked the She-Hawk to 
 become his wife. She asked him : "Have you 
 any friends?" "No, madam," he replied. "But," 
 she said, "we must have some friends who 
 can defend us against any danger or trouble 
 that may arise. Therefore I beg of you to 
 find some friends." "But," said the Hawk, 
 "with whom shall I make friends?" "Why, 
 with King Osprey, who lives on the eastern 
 shore, with King Lion on the north, and with 
 the Tortoise who lives in the middle of the 
 lake." 
 
 And he took her advice. And all these 
 
 creatures formed a bond of friendship, and 
 
 101 
 
102 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 promised to protect each other in time of 
 danger. 
 
 Now in time the Mother-Hawk had two 
 sons. One day when the wings of the young 
 birds were not yet callow, some of the country- 
 folk went foraging through the woods all day 
 and found nothing. 
 
 They went down to the lake to catch fish 
 or a tortoise, and, in order to drive away the 
 gnats, they made a fire by rubbing sticks 
 together. The smoke annoyed the young 
 birds, and they uttered a cry. The men said: 
 " 'Tis the cry of birds — we will make a fire 
 and eat their flesh." They made the fire blaze 
 and built it up. 
 
 But the Mother-Bird heard the sound, and 
 thought: "These men will eat our young ones. 
 I will send my mate to the Great Osprey." 
 This she did, and the bird promised to help. 
 He sat upon a tree-top near that in which the 
 Hawks had built their nests, and no sooner 
 did the men begin to climb up the tree than 
 the Osprey dived into the lake, and from 
 wings and back sprinkled water upon the 
 
THE HAWK AND THE OSPREY 103 
 
 brands and put the fire out. Down came the 
 men and made another fire, but again the 
 Osprey put it out, and this went on until 
 midnight. 
 
 And the bird was tired out and his eyes 
 were bloodshot. And the Mother - Bird 
 whispered to her mate : "My Lord, the Osprey 
 is worn out! Go and tell the Tortoise, that 
 this weary bird may have a rest." 
 
 But the Osprey in a loud voice said he 
 would gladly give his life to guard the tree. 
 And the grateful Hawk said: "I pray thee, 
 friend Osprey, rest awhile." Then he went 
 for help to the Tortoise, who said he would 
 gladly help, but his son said: "I would not 
 have my old father troubled, but I will gladly 
 go in his stead." 
 
 And the Tortoise collected mud and 
 quenched the flame. Then said the men: "Let 
 us kill the Tortoise: he will be enough for 
 all." But when they plucked creepers to bind 
 him and tried to turn him over, he dragged 
 them into the water. And they said: "What 
 strange things have happened to us! Half 
 
104. EASTERN STORIES 
 
 the night the Osprey has put out our fire, and 
 now the Tortoise has dragged us in after him 
 and made us swallow water. Let us light 
 another fire, and at sunrise we will eat these 
 young Hawks." 
 
 The Hen-Bird heard the noise and said: 
 "My husband — sooner or later these men will 
 devour our young and depart. You go and 
 tell our friend the Lion." At once the Hawk 
 went to the Lion, who asked him why he came 
 at such an unreasonable hour. But when the 
 whole matter was put before him, he said: 
 "Go and comfort your young ones, for I will 
 save them." And then he came forth with 
 a mighty tread, and the men were terrified. 
 
 "Alas!" they cried. "The Osprey hath put 
 out our fire. The Tortoise dragged us into the 
 water. But now we are done for: the Lion 
 will destroy us at once." They ran this way 
 and that, and when the noble beast stood at 
 the foot of the tree, no trace could be found 
 of the frightened men. 
 
 Then the Osprey, the Hawk, the She- 
 Hawk, and the Tortoise came up to greet 
 him, and they discoursed for a long time on 
 
THE HAWK AND THE OSPREY 105 
 
 the value of friendship. And this company 
 of friends lived all their lives without breaking 
 their bond. And they passed away according 
 to their deeds. 
 
GRANDMOTHER'S GOLDEN DISH 
 
GRANDMOTHER'S GOLDEN DISH 
 
 LONG ago the Bodisat was a dealer in 
 tin and brass ware, named Seriva, in 
 the country of that name. This Seriva, to- 
 gether with another dealer in tin and brass 
 ware, who was an avaricious man, crossed the 
 river Telavaha, and entered the town called 
 Andhapura. And, dividing the streets of the 
 city between them, the Bodisat went round 
 selling his goods in the street allotted to him, 
 while the other took the street that fell to him. 
 Now in that city there was a wealthy family 
 reduced to abject poverty. All the sons and 
 brothers in the family had died, and all its 
 property had been lost. Only one girl and 
 her grandmother were left; and those two 
 gained their living by serving others for hire. 
 There was indeed in the house the vessel of 
 gold out of which the head of the house used 
 to eat in the days of its prosperity; but it 
 was covered with dirt, and had long lain 
 
 109 
 
110 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 neglected and unused among the pots and 
 pans. And they did not even know that it 
 
 was of gold. 
 
 At that time the avaricious hawker, as he 
 was going along, calling out, "Buy my water- 
 pots! Buy my water-pots!" came to the door 
 of their house. When the girl saw him, she 
 said to her grandmother: "Mother! do buy me 
 an ornament." 
 
 "But we are poor, dear. What shall we 
 give in exchange for it?" 
 
 "This dish of ours is no use to us; you can 
 give that away and get one." 
 
 The old woman called the hawker, and, 
 after asking him to take a seat, gave him 
 the dish, and said: "Will you take this, Sir, 
 and give something to your little sister for it?" 
 
 The hawker took the dish, and thought: 
 "This must be gold!" And turning it round, 
 he scratched a line on its back with a needle, 
 and found that it was so. Then, hoping to 
 get the dish without giving them anything, 
 he said: "What is this worth? It is not even 
 worth a halfpenny!" And throwing it on the 
 
GRANDMOTHER'S GOLDEN DISH 111 
 
 ground, he got up from his seat and went 
 away. 
 
 Now,, it was allowed to either hawker to 
 enter the street which the other had left. And 
 the Bodisat came into that street, and calling 
 out, "Buy my water-pots," came up to the 
 door of that very house. And the girl spoke 
 to her grandmother as before. But the grand- 
 mother said: "My child, the dealer who came 
 just now threw the dish on the floor, and went 
 away; what have I now got to give him in 
 exchange?" 
 
 "That merchant, mother dear, was a surly 
 man; but this one looks pleasant, and has a 
 kind voice: perchance he may take it." 
 
 "Call him, then," said she. 
 
 So she called him. And when he had come 
 in and sat down, they gave him the dish. He 
 saw that it was gold, and said: "Mother! this 
 dish is worth a hundred thousand. All the 
 goods in my possession are not equal to it in 
 value!" 
 
 "But, Sir, a hawker who came just now 
 threw it on the ground, and went away, say- 
 
112 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 ing it was not worth a halfpenny. It must 
 have been changed into gold by the power of 
 your virtue, so we make you a present of it." 
 
 The Bodisat gave them all the cash he had 
 in hand (five hundred pieces), and all his 
 stock-in-trade, worth five hundred more. He 
 asked of them only to let him keep eight pen- 
 nies, and the bag and the yoke that he used to 
 carry his things with. And these he took and 
 departed. 
 
 And going quickly to the river-side, he gave 
 those eight pennies to a boatman, and got 
 into the boat. 
 
 But the covetous hawker came back to the 
 house, and said: "Bring out that dish, I'll give 
 you something for it." 
 
 Then she scolded him, and said: "You said 
 our gold dish, worth a hundred thousand, was 
 not worth a halfpenny. But a just dealer, 
 who seems to be your master, gave us a thou- 
 sand for it, and has taken it away." 
 
 When he heard this he called out: 
 "Through this fellow I have lost a golden 
 pot worth — Oh, worth a hundred thousand! 
 He has ruined me altogether!" And bitter 
 
GRANDMOTHER'S GOLDEN DISH 113 
 
 sorrow overcame him, and he was unable to 
 retain his presence of mind, and he lost all 
 self-command. And scattering the money he 
 had, and all the goods, at the door of the house, 
 he seized as a club the yoke by which he had 
 carried them, and tore off his clothes, and 
 pursued after the Bodisat. 
 
 When he reached the river-side, he saw the 
 Bodisat going away, and he cried out : "Hallo, 
 Boatman! stop the boat!" 
 
 But the Bodisat said: "Don't stop!" and so 
 prevented that. And as the other gazed and 
 gazed at the departing Bodisat, he was torn 
 with violent grief; his heart grew hot, and 
 blood flowed from his mouth until his heart 
 broke — like tank-mud in the heat of the sun. 
 
 Thus harboring hatred against the Bodisat, 
 he brought about on that very spot his own 
 destruction. This was the first time that 
 Devadatta harbored hatred against the 
 Bodisat. 
 
 But the Bodisat gave gifts, and did other 
 good acts, and passed away according to his 
 deeds. 
 
THE ELEPHANT THAT SPARED 
 LIFE 
 
THE ELEPHANT THAT SPARED 
 LIFE 
 
 AT that time the Bodisat was born as a 
 nobleman's son. On the naming-day 
 they gave him the name of Prince Magha, and 
 when he grew up he was known as "Magha 
 the young Brahmin." 
 
 His parents procured him a wife from a 
 family of equal rank; and, increasing in sons 
 and daughters, he became a great giver of 
 gifts, and kept the Five Commandments. 
 
 In that village there were as many as thirty 
 families; and one day the men of those 
 families stopped in the middle of the village 
 to transact some village business. The Bodisat 
 removed with his feet the lumps of soil on 
 the place where he stood, and made the spot 
 convenient to stand on; but another came up 
 and stood there. Then he smoothed out an- 
 other spot, and took his stand there; but an- 
 other man came and stood upon it. Still the 
 
 117 
 
118 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 Bodisat tried again and again, with the same 
 result, until he had made convenient standing- 
 room for all the thirty. 
 
 The next time he had an open-roofed shed 
 put up there ; and then pulled that down, and 
 built a hall, and had benches spread in it, and 
 a water-pot placed there. On another occa- 
 sion those thirty men were reconciled by the 
 Bodisat, who confirmed them in the Five 
 Commandments; and thenceforward he con- 
 tinued with them in works of piety. 
 
 Whilst they were so living they used to 
 rise up early, go out with bill-hooks and crow- 
 bars in their hands, tear up with the crowbars 
 the stones in the four high roads and village 
 paths, and roll them away, take away the 
 trees which would be in the way of vehicles, 
 make the rough places plain, form causeways, 
 dig ponds, build public halls, give gifts, and 
 keep the Commandments — thus, in many 
 ways, all the dwellers in the village listened to 
 the exhortations of the Bodisat, and kept the 
 Commandments. 
 
 Now the village headman said to himself: 
 
THE ELEPHANT THAT SPARED LIFE 119 
 
 "I used to have great gain from fines, and 
 taxes, and pot-money, when these fellows 
 drank strong drink, or took life, or broke the 
 other Commandments. But now Magha the 
 young Brahmin has determined to have the 
 Commandments kept, and permits none to 
 take life, or to do anything else that is wrong. 
 I'll make them keep the Commandments with 
 a vengeance!" 
 
 And he went in a rage to the King, and 
 said: "O King! there are a number of robbers 
 going about sacking the villages !" 
 
 "Go and bring them up!" said the King 
 in reply. 
 
 And he went, and brought back all those 
 men as prisoners, and had it announced to 
 the King that the robbers were brought up. 
 And the King, without inquiring what they 
 had done, gave orders to have them all tram- 
 pled to death by elephants! 
 
 Then they made them all lie down in the 
 courtyard, and fetched the elephant. And the 
 Bodisat exhorted them, saying: "Keep the 
 Commandments in mind. Regard them all — 
 
120 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 the slanderer, and the King, and the elephant 
 — with feelings as kind as you harbor to- 
 wards yourselves!" 
 
 And they did so. 
 
 Then men led up the elephant; but though 
 they brought him to the spot, he would not 
 begin his work, but trumpeted forth a mighty 
 cry, and took to flight. And they brought up 
 another and another, but they all ran away. 
 
 "There must be some drug in their posses- 
 sion," said the King; and gave orders to have 
 them searched. So they searched, but found 
 nothing, and told the King so. 
 
 "Then they must be repeating some spell. 
 Ask them if they have any spell to utter." 
 
 The officials asked them, and the Bodisat 
 said there was. And they told the King, and 
 •he had them all called before him, and said: 
 "Tell me that spell you know!" 
 
 Then the Bodisat spoke, and said: "O King! 
 we have no other spell but this — that we de- 
 stroy no life, not even of grass; that we take 
 nothing which is not given to us; that we are 
 never guilty of unfaithfulness, nor speak 
 falsehood, nor drink intoxicants; that we ex- 
 
THE ELEPHANT THAT SPARED LIFE 121 
 
 ercise ourselves in love, and give gifts; that 
 we make rough places plain, dig ponds, and 
 put up rest-houses — this is our spell, this is 
 our defense, this is our strength!" 
 
 Then the King had confidence in them, and 
 gave them all the property in the house of 
 the slanderer, and made him their slave; and 
 bestowed, too, the elephant upon them, and 
 made them a grant of the village. 
 
HOW THE ANTELOPE WAS 
 CAUGHT 
 
HOW THE ANTELOPE WAS 
 CAUGHT 
 
 /~\NCE upon a time the King of Benares 
 V-^ had a gardener named Sanjaya. Now, 
 a swift antelope who had come to the garden 
 took to flight as soon as it saw Sanjaya. But 
 Sanjaya did not frighten it away; and when 
 it had come again and again it began to walk 
 about in the garden. And day by day the 
 gardener used to pluck the various fruits and 
 flowers in the garden and take them away to 
 the King. 
 
 Now, one day the King asked him: "I say, 
 friend gardener, is there anything strange in 
 the garden so far as you've noticed?" 
 
 "I've noticed nothing, O King, save that an 
 antelope is in the habit of coming and wander- 
 ing about there. That I often see." 
 
 "But could you catch it?" 
 
 "If I had a little honey I could bring it 
 right inside the palace here!" 
 
 125 
 
126 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 The King gave him the honey; and he took 
 it, went to the garden, smeared it on the grass 
 at the spot the antelope frequented, and hid 
 himself. When the deer came and had eaten 
 the honey-smeared grass, it was bound with 
 the lust of taste; and from that time went 
 nowhere else, but came exclusively to the 
 garden. And as the gardener saw that it was 
 allured by the honey-smeared grass, he in due 
 course showed himself. For a few days the 
 antelope took to flight on seeing him. But 
 after seeing him again and again it acquired 
 confidence, and gradually came to eat grass 
 from the gardener's hand. And when the 
 gardener saw that its confidence was gained, 
 he strewed the path right up to the palace as 
 thick with branches as if he were covering it 
 with mats, hung a gourdful of honey over his 
 shoulder, carried a bundle of grass at his waist, 
 and then kept sprinkling honey-smeared grass 
 in front of the antelope till he led him within 
 the palace. 
 
 As soon as the deer had got inside, they 
 shut the door. The antelope, seeing men, 
 began to tremble and quake with the fear of 
 
HOW THE ANTELOPE WAS CAUGHT 127 
 
 death, and ran hither and thither about the 
 hall. The King came down from his upper 
 chamber, and, seeing the trembling creature, 
 said: "Such is the nature of an antelope, that 
 it will not go for a week afterwards to a place 
 where it has seen men, nor its life long to a 
 place where it has been frightened. Yet this 
 one, with just such a disposition, and accus- 
 tomed only to the jungle, has now, bound by 
 the lust of taste, come to just such a place. 
 ,Verily, there is nothing worse in the world than 
 this lust of taste!" 
 
 And when in other words he had shown 
 the danger of greed, he let the anteloDe go 
 back to the forest. 
 
THE BANYAN DEER 
 
THE BANYAN DEER 
 
 LONG ago the Bodisat came to life as a 
 deer. When he was born he was of a 
 golden color; his eyes were like round jewels; 
 his horns were white as silver; his mouth was 
 red as a cluster of kamala flowers; his hoofs 
 were as bright and hard as lacquer- work; his 
 tail as fine as the tail of a Thibetan ox; and 
 his body as large in size as a foal's. 
 
 He lived in the forest with an attendant 
 herd of five hundred deer, under the name of 
 the King of the Banyan Deer; and not far 
 from him there dwelt another deer, golden as 
 he, under the name of the Monkey Deer, with 
 a like attendant herd. 
 
 The King of that country was devoted to 
 hunting, never ate without meat, and used to 
 summon all the townspeople to go hunting 
 every day to the destruction of their ordinary 
 work. The people thought, "This King puts 
 an end to all our work. Suppose we make a 
 
 131 
 
1S2 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 park, provide food and drink for the deer. 
 Then we will drive them into the park, close 
 the entrance and deliver them to the King." 
 
 This they did, surrounding the very place 
 where the Banyan Deer and the Monkey Deer 
 were living. When the King heard this, he 
 went to the park, and seeing there the two 
 golden-colored deer, he granted them their 
 lives. But henceforth he would go himself to 
 shoot the deer and bring it home. Sometimes 
 his cook would go and shoot one. The deer, 
 as soon as they saw the bow, would quake with 
 fear of Death, and run away; but when they 
 had been hit once or twice, they became weary 
 or wounded and were killed. And the herd 
 told their King, who sent for the Monkey 
 Deer and said: "Friend, almost all the Deer 
 are being destroyed. Now, though they cer- 
 tainly must die, yet henceforth let them not 
 be wounded with arrows. Let the deer take 
 it by turns to go to the place of execution. 
 One day let the lot fall on my herd, and the 
 next day on yours." 
 
 He agreed, and thenceforth the deer whose 
 turn it was used to go down and lie down after 
 
THE BANYAN DEER 139 
 
 placing his neck on the block of execution. 
 And the cook used to come and carry off the 
 one he found lying there. 
 
 But one day the lot fell upon a roe in the 
 Monkey Deer who was with young. She went 
 to the Monkey Deer and said: "Lord! I am 
 with young. When I have brought forth my 
 son, we will both take our turn. Order the 
 bows to pass me by." 
 
 "I cannot make your lot," said he, "fall 
 upon the others. You know well enough it 
 has fallen upon you. Go away!" Receiving 
 no help from him, she went to the Bodisat 
 and told him the matter. He listened to her 
 quietly and said: "Be it so! Do you go back. 
 I will relieve you of your turn." And he went 
 himself and laid his head on the block of 
 execution. 
 
 The cook, seeing him, exclaimed: "The 
 King of the Deer whose life was promised to 
 him is lying in the place of execution. What 
 does it mean?" And he went hastily, and told 
 the King. 
 
 The King no sooner heard it than he 
 mounted his chariot and proceeded with a 
 
134 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 great retinue to the place, and beholding the 
 Bodisat, said: "My friend, the King of the 
 Deer! Did I not grant you your life? Why 
 are you lying here?" 
 
 "O great King! A roe with young came and 
 told me that the lot had fallen upon her. Now 
 I could not ask another to take her place, so 
 I, giving my life for her, have lain down. 
 Harbor no further suspicion, O great King!" 
 
 "My Lord, the golden-colored King of 
 the Deer! I never yet saw, even among men, 
 one so full of forbearance, kindness and com- 
 passion. I am pleased with thee in this matter ! 
 Rise up. I grant your lives, both to you and 
 to her!" 
 
 "But though we be safe, what shall the 
 rest do, O King of men?" 
 
 "Then I grant their lives to the rest, my 
 Lord." 
 
 "Thus, then, great King, the deer in the 
 park will have gained security, but what will 
 the others do?" 
 
 "They also shall not be molested." 
 
 "Great King! even though the deer dwell 
 
THE BANYAN DEER 135 
 
 secure, what shall the rest of the four-footed 
 
 creatures do?" 
 
 "They shall also be free from fear." 
 "Great King, even though the quadrupeds 
 
 are in safety, what shall the flock of birds do?" 
 "Well, I grant the same boon to them." 
 "Great King! the birds then will obtain 
 
 peace; but what of the fish who dwell in the 
 
 water?" 
 
 "They shall have peace as well." 
 
 Then the Great Being having interceded 
 
 with the King for all creatures, said: 
 
 "Walk in righteousness, O great King! 
 
 Doing justice to fathers and mothers, to 
 
 townsmen and landsmen, you shall enter, when 
 
 your body is dissolved, the happy world of 
 
 Heaven." 
 
 ft ■& ■sic <fj %fc 
 
 The roe gave birth to a son as beautiful as 
 buds of flowers ; and he went to playing about 
 with the Monkey Deer's herd. But when its 
 mother saw that, she said, "My son, hence- 
 forth go not in his company. You may keep 
 to the Banyan Deer's herd." 
 
136 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 Now after that, the deer, secure of their 
 lives, began to eat men's crops. And the men 
 dared not strike them or drive them away, 
 recollecting how it had been granted to them 
 that they should dwell secure. So they met 
 together in front of the King's palace, and 
 told the matter to the King. 
 
 "When I was well pleased, I granted to the 
 leader of the Banyan herd a boon," said he. 
 "I may give up my kingdom but not my oaths ! 
 Begone with you ! Not a man in my kingdom 
 shall be allowed to hurt the deer." 
 
 When the Banyan King heard that, he as- 
 sembled his herd, and said: 
 
 "Henceforth you are not allowed to eat 
 other people's crops." And so forbidding 
 them, he sent a message to the men: "Hence- 
 forth let the husbandmen put up no fence to 
 guard their crops: but let them tie leaves 
 round the edge of the field as a sign." 
 
 From that time, they say, the sign of the 
 tying of the leaves was seen in the fields, and 
 from that time not a single deer trespassed 
 beyond it: for such was the instruction they 
 
THE BANYAN DEER 137 
 
 received from (their King) the Bodisat. 
 And the Bodisat continued thus his life long 
 to instruct the deer, and passed away with 
 his herd, according to his deeds. 
 
THE PUPIL WHO TAUGHT HIS 
 TEACHER 
 
 (From "Buddhitt Birth Storiet.") 
 
THE PUPIL WHO TAUGHT HIS 
 TEACHER 
 
 AND the Buddha was re-born in a Brah- 
 min family and was known as Dhama- 
 pala or Law Keeper. 
 
 When he came of age he was sent by his 
 father to study with a world famed teacher 
 at Takasila and became the chief pupil in a 
 company of five hundred youths. 
 
 At that time the eldest son of the teacher 
 died and the father, surrounded by his pupils, 
 in the midst of his kith and kin, buried his son 
 — and all the pupils wept and wailed, but 
 Dhamapala was silent and shed no tear, but 
 when the company returned from the cemetery 
 Dhamapala asked, "Why did your son die? 
 It is not right that children should die; only 
 when people grow old can this happen." And 
 they asked him, "Is it the custom of your 
 family that the young do not die?" And he 
 said: "Yes, that is the custom in my family." 
 
 141 
 
142 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 The lads told this conversation to their teacher. 
 
 Now when the teacher heard this, he said 
 to them, "That is a most marvelous thing that 
 he says. I will make a journey to his father 
 and ask him about it, and if it be true I will 
 live according to his rule of right." 
 
 And he said to the young man : "I am going 
 on a journey. Do thou, in my absence, in- 
 struct these youths." 
 
 So saying, he procured the bones of a wild 
 goat, washed and scented them, and put them 
 into a bag. Then taking with him a little page 
 boy he started for the village in which lived 
 the father of his pupil. 
 
 When the house was reached, and the 
 teacher had rested and taken food, and the 
 host had washed the feet of his guest, the 
 teacher said: " Brahmin, your son when full 
 of wisdom has by an unhappy chance lost his 
 life. Grieve not for him." The Brahmin 
 laughed loudly. "Why do you laugh, Brah- 
 min?" asked the other. "Because," he said, 
 "it is not my son who is dead; it must be some 
 other." 
 
 "No, Brahmin, your son is dead, and no 
 
A PUPIL WHO TAUGHT HIS TEACHER 148 
 
 other. Look on his bones, and believe." So 
 saying, he unwrapped the bones. "There are 
 your son's bones," he said. 
 
 "A wild goat's bones, perhaps," quoth the 
 Brahmin, "or a dog's, but my son is not dead. 
 In our family for seven generations, no such 
 thing has been known as a death in tender 
 years, and you are speaking falsehood." Then 
 they all clapped their hands and laughed aloud. 
 
 The teacher, when he beheld this wonderful 
 thing, was much pleased and said: "Brahmin, 
 this custom in your family line cannot be with- 
 out cause, that the young do not die. Why is 
 it that you do not die young? Of what good 
 and holy deed is this the fruit?" 
 
 Then the Brahmin made answer: 
 
 "We walk in righteousness. We speak no 
 ill. We flee from things that are evil. We 
 take no heed of the foolish. We follow the 
 counsel of the wise. We delight in giving 
 gifts. We feed the hungry. We are faithful 
 in our marriage vows. We are versed in 
 sacred knowledge. Therefore, the young 
 amongst us never die." 
 
 On hearing this, the teacher replied: "A 
 
144 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 happy journey is this of mine and fruitful. I 
 came hither, O wise Brahmin, to test you. 
 Your son is safe and well. I pray you impart 
 to me your rule of preserving life." 
 
 Then the other wrote it on a leaf and re- 
 turned to his pupils. 
 
THE MAN WHO TOLD A LIE 
 
THE MAN WHO TOLD A LIE 
 
 ON one occasion four divine beings made 
 their appearance on the Earth to attend 
 a festival of the Gods. 
 
 And they bore in their hands wreaths of 
 the strangest flowers that had ever been seen, 
 and those around asked: "What are these 
 flowers?" And the Gods made answer and 
 said: "These divine flowers are fit for those 
 possessed of great powers: for the base, the 
 foolish, the faithless, the sinful beings within 
 the world of men, they are not fitted. But, 
 whosoever amongst men is endowed with 
 certain virtues — to them is due the honor of 
 wearing these flowers. 
 
 "He who steals no thing from another, 
 
 Who uttereth no lie, 
 
 Who doth not lose his head at the 
 
 height of Fame — 
 He may wear the flowers." 
 
 147 
 
148 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 Now there was a certain false Teacher or 
 Priest who thought to himself: "I do not 
 possess one of these qualities, hut, by appear- 
 ing to possess them, I shall obtain permission 
 to wear the wreaths, and the people will 
 believe that I really am what I appear to be, 
 and they will place their confidence in me." 
 
 Then, with exceeding boldness, he came to 
 the first of the Gods and exclaimed with great 
 solemnity: "Behold, I am endowed with these 
 qualities of which you speak — 
 
 "I have stolen from no man, never have I 
 uttered a lie, nor has fame ever caused me to 
 be proud or haughty." 
 
 And when he had uttered these words, the 
 wreath was placed upon his brow. And, em- 
 boldened by his success, he came with the same 
 pride and confidence into the presence of the 
 second God, and asked that the second wreath 
 should be bestowed upon him. 
 
 And the God said: 
 
 "He who earns wealth honestly, and 
 shuns dishonest means, 
 
THE MAN WHO TOLD A LIE 149 
 
 Who takes but sparingly of the Cup of 
 
 Pleasure, 
 To him shall be awarded this second 
 
 wreath." 
 
 And the false Priest bowed his head and 
 said: "Behold all that I have earned is 
 honestly gotten, and all pleasure have I 
 shunned. Give me the wreath!" 
 
 And the wreath was placed upon his 
 brow. 
 
 Then, with boldness increased by his 
 success, he approached the third God, and 
 asked that the third wreath should encircle 
 his brow. 
 
 And the God said: 
 
 "He who scorns choice food, 
 Who never turneth from his purpose, 
 Who keepeth his faith unchanged, 
 To him shall be given the wreath." 
 
 And the false Priest said: "I have ever lived 
 on the simplest fare. I have been ever stead- 
 
150 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 fast of purpose, and loyal in my faith. There- 
 fore give me the wreath." 
 
 And the third wreath was bestowed upon 
 him. 
 
 Then did the pride of the false Priest know 
 no bounds, and he went hastily to the fourth 
 God and demanded the fourth wreath. 
 
 And the God said : 
 
 "He who will attack no good man to his 
 
 face or behind his back, 
 And who keeps his word in all things, 
 To him belongs this wreath." 
 
 Then the false Priest cried out in a loud 
 voice: "I have attacked no man, good or evil, 
 and never have I broken my word to any." 
 
 The God looked at him sadly, but he placed 
 the wreath upon his brow, and the four divine 
 beings disappeared from the sight of man. But 
 no sooner had they left the earth than the 
 Priest felt a violent pain. His head seemed to 
 be crushed by spikes, and, writhing in agony, 
 he made full confession and begged that the 
 flowers should be removed from his head; but 
 
THE MAN WHO TOLD A LIE 151 
 
 though all pitied his condition, none could re- 
 move the flowers, for they seemed to he fas- 
 tened on with an iron band. 
 
 And he called aloud to the Gods, saying 
 "O ye great powers, forgive my pride and 
 spare my life!" And they answered: "These 
 flowers are not meet for the wicked. You have 
 received the reward of your false words." 
 Then, having rebuked him in the presence of 
 the people, they removed the flowers from the 
 head of the repentant man and returned to 
 the abode of the Blest. 
 
THE CROW THAT THOUGHT IT 
 KNEW 
 
THE CROW THAT THOUGHT IT 
 KNEW 
 
 ONCE upon a time, while Brahma-datta 
 reigned as king in Benares, the Bod- 
 hisatta became a marsh crow, and dwelt by a 
 certain pool. His name was Viraka, the 
 Strong. 
 
 There arose a famine in Kasi. Men could 
 not spare food for the crows, nor make offer- 
 ing to goblins and snakes. One by one the 
 crows left the famine-stricken land, and be- 
 took them to the woods. 
 
 A certain crow named Savitthaka, who 
 lived at Benares, took with him his lady crow 
 and went to the place where Viraka lived, 
 making his abode beside the same pool. 
 
 One day, this crow was seeking food about 
 the pool. He saw how Viraka went down into 
 it, and made a meal off some fish; and after- 
 wards came up out of the water again, and 
 stood drying his feathers. "Under the wing 
 
 155 
 
156 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 of that crow," thought he, "plenty of fish are 
 to be got. I will become his servant." So he 
 drew near. 
 
 "What is it, Sir?" asked Viraka. 
 
 "I want to be your servant, my Lord!" was 
 the reply. 
 
 Viraka agreed, and from that time the other 
 served him. And from that time, Viraka used 
 to eat enough fish to keep him alive, and the 
 rest he gave to Savitthaka as soon as he had 
 caught them; and when Savitthaka had eaten 
 enough to keep him alive, he gave what was 
 over to his wife. 
 
 After a while pride came into his heart. 
 "This crow," said he, "is black, and so am I: 
 in eyes and beak and feet, too, there is no 
 difference between us. I don't want his fish; 
 I will catch my own!" So he told Viraka that 
 for the future he intended to go down to the 
 water and catch fish himself. Then Viraka 
 said, "Good friend, you do not belong to a 
 tribe of such crows as are born to go into water 
 and catch fish. Don't destroy yourself!" 
 
 But in spite of this attempt to dissuade him, 
 Savitthaka did not take the warning to heart. 
 
THE CROW THAT THOUGHT IT KNEW 157 
 
 Down he went to the pool, into the water ; but 
 he could not make his way through the weeds 
 and come out again — there he was, entangled 
 in the weeds, with only the tip of his beak 
 appearing above the water. So not being able 
 to breathe he perished there beneath the water. 
 His mate noticed that he did not return, 
 and went to Viraka to ask news of him. "My 
 Lord," she asked, "Savitthaka is not to be seen: 
 where is he?" And as she asked him this, she 
 repeated the first stanza: — 
 
 "O have you seen Savitthaka, O Viraka, 
 
 have you seen 
 My sweet-voiced mate whose neck is like 
 
 the peacock in its sheen?" 
 
 When Viraka heard it, he replied, "Yes, I 
 know where he is gone," and recited the 
 second stanza: — 
 
 "He was not born to dive beneath 
 the wave, 
 But what he could not do he 
 needs must try; 
 
158 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 So the poor bird has found a watery- 
 grave, 
 Entangled in the weeds, and left 
 to die." 
 
 When the lady-crow heard it, weeping, she 
 returned to Benares. 
 
THE JUDAS TREE 
 
THE JUDAS TREE 
 
 ONCE upon a time Brahmadatta, the king 
 of Benares, had four sons. One day they 
 sent for the charioteer, and said to him : 
 
 "We want to see a Judas tree; show us 
 one!" 
 
 "Very well, I will," the charioteer replied. 
 But he did not show it to them all together. 
 He took the eldest at once to the forest in the 
 chariot, and showed him the tree at the time 
 when the buds were just sprouting from the 
 stem. To the second he showed it when the 
 leaves were green, to the third at the time 
 of blossoming, and to the fourth when it was 
 bearing fruit. 
 
 After this it happened that the four 
 brothers were sitting together, and some one 
 asked, "What sort of a tree is the Judas tree ?" 
 Then the first brother answered : 
 
 "Like a burnt stump!" 
 
 And the second cried, "Like a banyan tree!" 
 
 161 
 
162 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 And the third — "Like a piece of meatl" 
 And the fourth said, "Like the acacia!" 
 They were vexed at each other's answers, 
 and ran to find their father. "My Lord," they 
 asked, "what sort of a tree is the Judas tree?" 
 "What did you say to that?" he asked. They 
 told him the manner of their answers. Said 
 the king: 
 
 "All four of you have seen the tree. Only 
 when the charioteer showed you the tree, you 
 did not ask him, 'What is the tree like at such 
 a time?' or 'at such another time?' You made 
 no distinctions, and that is the reason for your 
 mistake." And he repeated the first stanza: — 
 
 "All have seen the Judas tree — 
 What is your perplexity? 
 No one asked the charioteer 
 What its form the livelong year!" 
 
THE RIVER FISH AND THE 
 MONEY 
 
THE RIVER FISH AND THE 
 MONEY 
 
 ONCE upon a time, when Brahmadatta 
 was king of Benares, the Bodhisatta 
 was born in the family of a landed proprietor. 
 When he grew up, he became a wealthy- 
 man. He had a young brother. Afterwards 
 their father died. They determined to arrange 
 some business of their father's. This took 
 them to a village, where they were paid a 
 thousand pieces of money. On their way 
 back, as they waited on a river-bank for the 
 boat, they ate a meal out of a leaf -pottle. The 
 Bodhisatta threw what he left into the Ganges 
 for the fishes, giving the merit to the river- 
 spirit. The spirit accepted this with gratifi- 
 cation, which increased her divine power, and 
 on thinking over this increase of her power, 
 became aware what had happened. The 
 Bodhisatta laid his upper garment upon the 
 
 165 
 
166 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 sand, and there he lay down and went to 
 sleep. 
 
 Now the young brother was of a rather 
 thievish nature. He wanted to filch the money 
 from the Bodhisatta and keep it himself; so 
 he packed a parcel of gravel to look like the 
 parcel of money, and put them both away. 
 
 When they had got aboard, and were come 
 to mid-river, the younger stumbled against the 
 side of the boat, and dropped overboard the 
 parcel of gravel, as he thought, but really the 
 money. 
 
 "Brother, the money's overboard!" he 
 cried. "What's to be done?" 
 
 "What can we do? What's gone is gone. 
 Never mind about it," replied the other. 
 
 But the river-spirit thought how pleased 
 she had been with the merit she had received, 
 and how her divine power had been increased, 
 and resolved to take care of his property. So 
 by her power she made a big-mouthed fish 
 swallow the parcel, and took care of it herself. 
 
 When the thief got home, he chuckled over 
 the trick he had served his brother, and undid 
 
THE RIVER FISH AND THE MONEY 167 
 
 the remaining parcel. There was nothing but 
 gravel to be seen ! His heart dried up ; he fell 
 on his bed, and clutched the bedstead. 
 
 Now some fishermen just then cast their 
 nets for a draught. By power of the river- 
 spirit, this fish fell into the net. The fishers 
 took it to town to sell. People asked what the 
 price was. 
 
 "A thousand pieces and seven annas," said 
 the fishermen. 
 
 Everybody made fun of them. "We have 
 seen a fish offered for a thousand pieces!" they 
 laughed. 
 
 The fishers brought their fish to the Bodhi- 
 satta's door, and asked him to buy it. 
 
 "What's the price?" he asked. 
 
 "You may have it for seven annas," they 
 said. 
 
 "What did you ask other people for it?" 
 
 "From other people we asked a thousand 
 rupees and seven annas; but you may have it 
 for seven annas," they said. 
 
 He paid seven annas for it, and sent it to 
 his wife. She cut it open, and there was the 
 
168 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 parcel of money! She called the Bodhisatta. 
 He gave a look, and recognizing his mark, 
 knew it for his own. Thought he, "These 
 fishers asked other people the price of a 
 thousand rupees and seven annas, but because 
 the thousand rupees were mine, they let me 
 have it for seven annas only! If a man does 
 not understand the meaning of this, nothing 
 will ever make him believe." 
 
 When he had said this, he wondered how 
 it was that he had recovered his money. At 
 the moment the river-spirit hovered invisibly 
 in the air, and declared — 
 
 "I am the Spirit of the Ganges. You gave 
 the remains of your meal to the fishes, and let 
 me have the merit. Therefore I have taken 
 care of your property." 
 
 Then the Spirit told about the mean trick 
 which the younger brother had played. Then 
 she added, "There he lies, with his heart dried 
 up within him. There is no prosperity for the 
 cheat. But I have brought you your own, 
 and I warn you not to lose it. Don't give 
 it to your young thief of a brother, but keep 
 it all yourself." 
 
THE RIVER FISH AND THE MONEY 169 
 
 Thus spoke the Spirit, not wishing that the 
 treacherous villain should receive the money. 
 But the Bodhisatta said, "That is impossible," 
 and all the same sent the brother five hundred. 
 
THE DREAMER IN THE WOOD 
 
THE DREAMER IN THE WOOD 
 
 NOW the Buddha once upon a time lived 
 alone in the woods, in the ecstasy of 
 meditation. For wild fruits he went no fur- 
 ther afield. When fruit grew upon the tree, 
 he ate the fruit ; in time of flowers, he ate flow- 
 ers. When the leaves grew, he ate leaves. 
 When leaves were none, he ate the bark of 
 trees. Thus, in the highest contentment he 
 lived a long time in that place. 
 
 Now on a day, Sakka, the King of the gods, 
 appeared before him and, wishing to test him, 
 said: "Behold yon man, all black of hue, my 
 spirit likes him not." 
 
 Now by his divine insight the Buddha knew 
 that Sakka spoke to him. And he made answer 
 and said: 
 
 "Though black of hue, I am a true Brah- 
 min. A man is not black by reason of his 
 outer skin; only can sin make him black." 
 Thus he discoursed to Sakka, and it was as 
 he had made the moon to rise in the sky. And 
 
 173 
 
174 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 the god asked him what boon he would crave. 
 
 And the Divine being asked to be free of 
 three things: malice, hatred and greed. 
 
 Then Sakka: "What is bad in these 
 things?" And Buddha made answer, "Be- 
 cause hatred grows from small to great and 
 is ever full of bitterness. Malice brings evil. 
 First word, then touch, next fist, then staff, 
 and last the swordstroke flashing free. When 
 men are urged by greed, then arise fraud and 
 deceit and swift pursuit of savage loot " 
 
 "Then," said Sakka, "choose another boon." 
 
 Then said the Buddha, "Grant that in the 
 woods where I live alone, no disease may mar 
 my peace, or break my ecstasy." 
 
 Then said Sakka, "He chooseth no thing 
 connected with food." And he granted yet 
 another boon. 
 
 And the Buddha said, "Let no creature ever 
 be harmed for me in body or in mind." 
 
 And Sakka made the tree bear fruit peren- 
 nially, and saluting the Buddha by touching 
 his head with joined hands, he said: 
 
 "Dwell here for ever free from disease," 
 and returned to his throne. 
 
THE RICE MEASURE 
 
THE RICE MEASURE 
 
 LON.G ago, Brahmadatta was king in 
 Benares, in the land of Kasi. At that 
 time our Bodisat was his valuer. He valued 
 both horses, elephants, or things of that kind; 
 and jewelry, gold, or things of that kind; and 
 having done so, he used to have the proper 
 price for the goods given to the owners thereof. 
 
 Now the King was covetous. And in his 
 avarice he thought, "If this valuer estimates 
 in this way, it will not be long before all the 
 wealth in my house will come to an end. I 
 will appoint another valuer." 
 
 And opening his window, and looking out 
 into the palace yard, he saw a stupid miserly 
 peasant crossing the yard. Him he deter- 
 mined to make his valuer ; and sending for him, 
 asked if he would undertake the office. The 
 man said he could; and the King, with the 
 object of keeping his treasure safer, estab- 
 lished that fool in the post of valuer. 
 
 177 
 
178 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 Thenceforward the dullard used to value 
 the horses and elephants, paying no regard 
 to their real value, but deciding just as he 
 chose ; and since he had been appointed to the 
 office, as he decided, so the price was. 
 
 Now at that time a horse-dealer brought 
 five hundred horses from the northern prai- 
 ries. The King sent for that fellow, and had 
 the horses valued. And he valued the five 
 hundred horses at a mere measure of rice, and 
 straightway ordered the horse-dealer to be 
 given the measure of rice, and the horses to 
 be lodged in the stable. Then the horse- 
 dealer went to the former valuer, and told 
 him what had happened, and asked him what 
 he should do. 
 
 "Give a bribe to that fellow," said he, "and 
 ask him thus: 'We know now that so many 
 horses of ours are worth a measure of rice, 
 but we want to know from you what a measure 
 of rice is worth. Can you value it for us, 
 standing in your place by the King?' If he 
 says he can, go with him into the royal pres- 
 ence, and I will be there too." 
 
 The horse-dealer accepted the Bodisat's 
 
THE RICE MEASURE 179 
 
 advice, went to the valuer, and bribed him, 
 and gave him the hint suggested. And he 
 took the bribe, and said, "All right! I can 
 value your measure of rice for you." 
 
 "Well, then, let us go to the audience-hall," 
 said he; and taking him with him, went into 
 the King's presence. And the Bodisat and 
 many other ministers went there also. 
 
 The horse-dealer bowed down before the 
 King, and said, "I acknowledge, O King, that 
 a measure of rice is the value of the five 
 hundred horses; but will the King be pleased 
 to ask the valuer what the value of the measure 
 of rice may be?" 
 
 The King, not knowing what had happened, 
 asked, "How now, valuer, what are five hun- 
 dred horses worth?" 
 
 "A measure of rice, O King!" said he. 
 
 "Very good, then! If five hundred horses 
 are worth only a measure of rice, what is that 
 measure of rice worth?" 
 
 "The measure of rice is worth all Benares, 
 both within and without the walls," replied 
 that foolish fellow. 
 
 For the story goes that he first valued the 
 
180 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 horses at a measure of rice just to please the 
 King ; and then, when he had taken the dealer's 
 bribe, valued that measure of rice at the whole 
 of Benares. Now at that time the circum- 
 ference of the rampart of Benares was twelve 
 leagues, and the land in its suburbs was three 
 hundred leagues in extent. Yet the foolish 
 fellow estimated that so-great city of Benares, 
 together with all its suburbs, at a measure of 
 rice! 
 
 Hearing this the ministers clapped their 
 hands, laughing, and saying, "We used to 
 think the broad earth, and the King's realm, 
 were alike beyond price; but this great and 
 famous royal city is worth, by his account, 
 just a measure of rice! O the depth of the 
 wisdom of the valuer! How can he have 
 stayed so long in office? Truly he is just 
 suited to our King!" Thus they laughed him 
 to scorn. 
 
 Then the Bodisat uttered this stanza: 
 
 "What is a measure of rice worth? 
 All Benares and its environs! 
 
THE RICE MEASURE 181 
 
 And what are five hundred horses 
 
 worth? 
 That same measure of ricel" 
 
 Then the king was ashamed, and drove out 
 that fool, and appointed the Bodisat to the 
 office of valuer. And in course of time the 
 Bodisat passed away according to his deeds. 
 
TELE POISONOUS TREES 
 
THE POISONOUS TREES 
 
 ONCE upon a time when Brahmadatta was 
 reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was 
 born a merchant. When he grew up, and was 
 trading with five hundred wagons, he came 
 one day to where the road led through a great 
 forest. Halting at the outskirts, he mustered 
 the caravan and addressed them thus: — 
 "Poison-trees grow in this forest. Take heed 
 that you taste no unfamiliar leaf, flower, or 
 fruit without first consulting me." All prom- 
 ised to take every care; and the journey into 
 the forest began. Now just within the forest- 
 border stands a village, and just outside that 
 village grows a What-fruit tree. That What- 
 fruit tree exactly resembles a mango alike in 
 trunk, branch, leaf, flower, and fruit. And 
 not only in outward semblance, but also in 
 taste and smell, the fruit — ripe and unripe — 
 mimics the mango. If eaten, it is a deadly 
 poison, and causes instant death. 
 
 185 
 
186 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 Now some greedy fellows, who went on 
 ahead of the caravan, came to this tree and, 
 taking it to be a mango, ate of its fruit. But 
 others said, "Let us ask our leader before we 
 eat" ; and they accordingly halted by the tree, 
 fruit in hand, till he came up. Perceiving 
 that it was no mango, he said: — "This 'mango' 
 is a What-fruit tree; don't touch its fruit." 
 
 Having stopped them from eating, the 
 Bodhisatta turned his attention to those who 
 had already eaten. First he dosed them with 
 an emetic, and then he gave them the four 
 sweet foods to eat; so that in the end they 
 recovered. 
 
 Now on former occasions caravans had 
 halted beneath this same tree, and had died 
 from eating the poisonous fruit which they 
 mistook for mangoes. On the morrow the 
 villagers would come, and seeing them lying 
 there dead, would fling them by the heels into 
 a secret place, departing with all the belong- 
 ings of the caravan, wagons and all. 
 
 And on the day too of our story these 
 villagers failed not to hurry at daybreak to 
 the tree for their expected spoils. "The oxen 
 
THE POISONOUS TREES 187 
 
 must be ours," said some. "And we'll have 
 the wagons," said others; — whilst others 
 again claimed the wares as their share. But 
 when they came breathless to the tree, there 
 was the whole caravan alive and well! 
 
 "How came you to know this was not a 
 mango tree?" demanded the disappointed vil- 
 lagers. "We didn't know," said they of the 
 caravan; "it was our leader who knew." 
 
 So the villagers came to the Bodhisatta and 
 said, "Man of wisdom, what did you do to 
 find out this tree was not a mango?" 
 
 "Two things told me," replied the Bodhi- 
 satta, and he repeated this stanza: — 
 
 "When near a village grows a tree 
 Not hard to climb, 'tis plain to me, 
 Nor need I further proof to know, 
 — No wholesome fruit thereon can grow!" 
 
 And having taught the Truth to the as- 
 sembled multitude, he finished his journey in 
 safety. 
 
THE WELL-TRAINED ELEPHANT 
 
THE WELL-TRAINED ELEPHANT 
 
 ONCE upon a time when King Magadha 
 was ruling in Rajagaha in Magadha, the 
 Bodhisatta was born an elephant. He was 
 white all over and graced with all beauty. 
 And because of his beauty the King made him 
 his state elephant. 
 
 One festal day the King adorned the city 
 like a city of the devas and, mounted on the, 
 elephant in all its trappings, made a solemn 
 procession round the city attended by a great 
 retinue. And all along the route the people 
 were moved by the sight of that peerless ele- 
 phant to exclaim, "Oh, what a stately gait! 
 what proportions! what beauty! what grace! 
 such a white elephant is worthy of an universal 
 monarch." All this praise of his elephant 
 awoke the King's jealousy and he resolved to 
 have it cast over a precipice and killed. So 
 he summoned the mahout and asked whether 
 he called that a trained elephant. 
 
 191 
 
192 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 "Indeed he is well trained, Sire," said the 
 mahout. "No, he is very badly trained." 
 "Sire, he is well trained." "If he is so well 
 trained, can you get him to climb to the sum- 
 mit of Mount Vepulla?" "Yes, Sire." "Away 
 with you, then," said the King. And he got 
 down from the elephant, making the mahout 
 mount instead, and went himself to the foot 
 of the mountain, whilst the mahout rode on 
 the elephant's back up to the top of Mount 
 Vepulla. The King with his courtiers also 
 climbed the mountain, and had the elephant 
 halted at the brink of a precipice. "Now," 
 said he to the man, "if he is so well trained as 
 you say, make him stand on three legs." 
 
 And the mahout on the elephant's back just 
 touched the animal with his goad by way of 
 sign and called to him, "Hi! my beauty, stand 
 on three legs." "Now make him stand on his 
 two fore-legs," said the King. And the Great 
 Being raised his hind-legs and stood on his 
 fore-legs alone. "Now on the hind-legs," said 
 the King, and the obedient elephant raised his 
 fore-legs till he stood on his hind-legs alone. 
 
THE WELL-TRAINED ELEPHANT 193 
 
 "Now on one leg," said the King, and the ele- 
 phant stood on one leg. 
 
 Seeing that the elephant did not fall over 
 the precipice, the King cried, "Now if you can, 
 make him stand in the air.'* 
 
 Then thought the mahout to himself, "All 
 India cannot show the match of this elephant 
 for excellence of training. Surely the King 
 must want to make him tumble over the preci- 
 pice and meet his death." So he whispered 
 in the elephant's ear, "My son, the King wants 
 you to fall over and get killed. He is not 
 worthy of you. If you have power to journey 
 through the air, rise up with me upon your 
 back and fly through the air to Benares." 
 
 And the Great Being, endowed as he was 
 with the marvelous powers which flow from 
 Merit, straightway rose up into the air. Then 
 said the mahout, "Sire, this elephant, pos- 
 sessed as he is with the marvelous powers 
 which flow from Merit, is too good for such a 
 worthless fool as you: none but a wise and 
 good King is worthy to be his master. When 
 those who are so worthless as you get an ele- 
 
194 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 phant like this, they don't know his value, and 
 so they lose their elephant, and all the rest of 
 their glory and splendor." So saying the 
 mahout, seated on the elephant's neck, recited 
 this stanza: — 
 
 "Exalted station breeds a fool great woe; 
 He proves his own and others' mortal foe." 
 
 "And now, good-by," said he to the King 
 as he ended this rebuke ; and rising in the air, 
 he passed to Benares and halted in mid-air, 
 over the royal courtyard. And there was a 
 great stir in the city and all cried out, "Look 
 at the state-elephant that has come through 
 the air for our King and is hovering over the 
 royal courtyard." And with all haste the news 
 was conveyed to the King, too, who came out 
 and said, "If your coming is for my behoof, 
 alight on the earth." And the Bodhisatta 
 descended from the air. Then the mahout got 
 down and bowed before the King, and in an- 
 swer to the King's enquiries told the whole 
 story of their leaving Rajagaha. "It was very 
 good of you," said the King, "to come here"; 
 
THE WELL-TRAINED ELEPHANT 193 
 
 and in his joy he had the city decorated and 
 the elephant installed in his state-stable. Then 
 he divided his kingdom into three portions, 
 and made over one to the Bodhisatta, one to 
 the mahout, and one he kept himself. And 
 his power grew from the day of the Bodi- 
 satta's coming till all India owned his 
 sovereign sway. As Emperor of India, he 
 was charitable and did other good works till 
 he passed away to fare according to his deserts. 
 
THE WISE PHYSICIAN 
 
THE WISE PHYSICIAN 
 
 KISAGOTAMI is the name of a young 
 girl, whose marriage with the only son 
 of a wealthy man was brought about in true 
 fairy-tale fashion. She had one child, but 
 when the beautiful boy could run alone, it died. 
 The young girl in her love for it carried 
 the dead child clasped to her bosom, and went 
 from house to house of her pitying friends 
 asking them to give her medicine for it. But 
 a Buddhist mendicant, thinking, "She does 
 not understand," said to her: "My good girl, 
 I myself have no such medicine as you ask 
 for, but I think I know of one who has." "Oh, 
 tell me who that is!" said Kisagotami. "The 
 Buddha can give you medicine: go to him," 
 was the answer. 
 
 She went to Gautama, and doing homage 
 to him, said: "Lord and Master, do you know 
 any medicine that will be good for my child?" 
 
 "Yes, I know of some," said the Teacher. 
 
 199 
 
200 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 Now it was the custom for patients or their 
 friends to provide the herbs which the doctors 
 required, so she asked what herbs he would 
 want. "I want some mustard-seed," he said; 
 and when the poor girl eagerly promised to 
 bring some of so common a drug, he added: 
 "You must get it from some house where 
 no son, or husband, or parent, or slave has 
 died." "Very good," she said, and went to 
 ask for it, still carrying her dead child with 
 her. The people said: "Here is mustard-seed, 
 take it." But when she asked, "In my friend's 
 house has any son died, or a husband, or a 
 parent, or slave?" they answered: "Lady! 
 what is this that thou sayest; the living are 
 few, but the dead are many." Then she went 
 to other houses, but one said: "I have lost 
 a son"; another, "We have lost our parents"; 
 another, "I have lost my slave." 
 
 At last, not being able to find a single 
 house where no one had died, her mind began 
 to clear, and, summoning up resolution, she 
 left the dead body of her child in a forest, 
 and returning to the Buddha paid him homage. 
 He said to her: "Have you the mustard- 
 
THE WISE PHYSICIAN 201 
 
 seed?" "My Lord," she replied, " I have not; 
 the people tell me that the living are few, but 
 the dead are many." Then he talked to her 
 on that essential part of his system — the 
 impermanency of all things, till her doubts 
 were cleared away, and, accepting her lot, she 
 became a disciple and entered the first Path. 
 
 The following lines, ascribed to some of her Sisters 
 in the Order and given in the Psalms (translated by 
 Mrs. Rhys Davids), would apply to Kisagotami: — 
 "Lo ! from my heart the hidden shaft is gone, 
 The shaft that nestled there hath he removed; 
 And that consuming grief for my dear child, 
 Which poisoned all the life of me, is dead. 
 To-day my heart is healed, my yearning stayed, 
 Perfected the deliverance wrought in me." 
 
NOTES FOR TEACHERS 
 
 The following notes are intended for teachers who 
 may wish to use this collection as a class text book. 
 In all these stories we have the idea of the Indian God 
 in various re-incarnations until he has attained full 
 Buddhahood. Beyond occasionally mentioning the fact 
 of Re-birth in introducing the story (so as to preserve 
 the Oriental flavor) I do not insist on this, nor do I 
 introduce the name of the Buddha into the actual table 
 of contents at the beginning of the book, as it might 
 seem abstruse to the younger readers. But because I 
 wish to appeal to scholars in the higher sense as well as 
 to boys and girls, I have tried in many instances to 
 preserve the language as given in the translation from 
 the Pali. I have also tried to avoid cutting out any 
 important episodes ; this sometimes happens in the popu- 
 lar adaptation of these deeply ethical stories. I have 
 tried to keep as far as possible the Eastern point of 
 view, since the book is sponsored by one of the foremost 
 of Oriental Scholars, Dr. Rhys Davids, who has helped 
 me with his advice, and taught me the spirit of the 
 whole conception. 
 
 THE HARE THAT RAN AWAY 
 
 This is the only story I have completely re-adapted 
 for quite small children, and I have found it among the 
 
 203 
 
204 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 most popular. I often tell it in connection with Hans 
 C. Andersen's story of the "Scandal in the Poultry 
 Yard," of which the subject is practically the same: 
 the first being simple and direct, the second veiled in 
 gentle satire. 
 
 THE MONKEY AND THE CROCODILE 
 
 I include this story because of the lighter side and 
 because we cannot hide from our boys and girls that 
 craft does enter into the question of success as the world 
 understands it. It is, however, in my mind where the 
 Buddha is not at his highest level. Perhaps the less 
 this story is explained the better. 
 
 THE SPIRIT THAT LIVED IN A TREE 
 
 This story I consider to be one of the most beautiful 
 in the collection. We cannot baldly appeal to the chil- 
 dren to think "of the next generation," but this wonder- 
 ful picture must fire their imagination where the ordi- 
 nary didactic appeal might fail. 
 
 THE HARE THAT WAS NOT AFRAID TO DIE 
 
 In this story it may be necessary to make a few words 
 of comment on the point of view of the Buddha which 
 might not be quite intelligible to the child. The fact, 
 that though he was ready to sacrifice his own body he 
 had a care for the tiny insects which might perish with 
 him, has much significance in the story scheme. It 
 shows not only the letter of the law but the spirit of the 
 
NOTES FOR TEACHERS 205 
 
 love which prompted him to act, and represents one of 
 the principal tenets of the Buddhist Faith. The whole 
 story is somewhat remote from modern life, but I have 
 found it of great interest to children of different ages, 
 most especially at the time when Fast Days were 
 called for. 
 
 THE PARROT THAT FED HIS PARENTS 
 
 The dramatic interest of this story appeals to all 
 ages. I have found quite young children enthralled by 
 the adventures of the parrot. I take exception to the 
 lack of poetic justice in the kinsfolk sharing the par- 
 rot's reward — but it was necessary to the Buddha's hap- 
 piness, and if children should raise the question, I 
 should explain it on that ground, 
 
 THE MAN WHO WORKED TO GIVE ALMS 
 
 The method of alms-giving may not appeal to modern 
 feeling, but the spirit in which the gifts were made 
 rises to wonderful heights, and the deeds are sanctified 
 by the self-sacrifice which brings them about. In tell- 
 ing this story to groups of boys and girls accustomed 
 to the warnings of charity organizations, the different 
 conditions in the East might be mentioned. 
 
 We have here the same idea as in the story of the 
 King who gave his eyes. This story seems to lead up 
 to the other, in which the sacrifice is so much greater. 
 
 THE KING WHO SAW THE TRUTH 
 
 This story may seem at first to be above the plane 
 of the young child. I have eliminated all the physical 
 
206 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 suffering, because it is not necessary to bring out the 
 real meaning of the story. Older children (whether in 
 years or understanding) will be able to appreciate the 
 beauty of the sacrifice and the exceeding greatness of 
 the reward. 
 
 THE BULL THAT DEMANDED FAIR 
 TREATMENT 
 
 The fact that the Buddha insists on a fair wage, not 
 from selfish greed but for the sake of his employer, lifts 
 the story from the realm of the commonplace which the 
 subject might suggest. 
 
 THE BULL THAT PROVED HIS GRATITUDE 
 
 An excellent illustration for children of the necessity 
 of kindness to animals, not only from the merciful 
 point of view, but from the practical question of ensur- 
 ing good work. 
 
 THE HORSE THAT HELD OUT TO THE END 
 
 The children will be much impressed by the courage 
 of the horse, and the power of will he shows in accom- 
 plishing the task he has set himself. It is the spirit of 
 the soldier at its best and might be cited as displayed 
 during the Great War by individuals from all nations. 
 
 THE MONKEY THAT SAVED THE HERD 
 
 This is one of the most practical stories in the collec- 
 tion, showing that for success in leadership it is neces- 
 
NOTES FOR TEACHERS 207 
 
 sary to have a quiet mind, a great deal of knowledge, 
 and a firm belief in success. This is the way ogres are 
 outwitted. The frank laying down of his cards, his 
 open declaration of his plans to the enemy, present the 
 Bodisat at his best. 
 
 There is an unconscious note of humor in this tale, 
 in presenting a monkey as possessed of such complete 
 self-control as to be able to bring about so great a 
 miracle, but if any explanation is offered in the telling 
 of these tales, it should be that, whatever the outward 
 form, the Buddha preserves the attribute of a god. 
 
 THE MALLARD THAT ASKED FOR TOO MUCH 
 
 Origin of the "Goose that laid the Golden Eggs"; 
 Pali word for golden goose is Hansa, whence Gans, 
 goose. 
 
 THE MERCHANT WHO OVERCAME ALL 
 OBSTACLES 
 
 For encouraging a spirit of enterprise, and courage 
 under difficulties, this is an admirable story. I think 
 both boys and girls will apply it (unconsciously) in 
 their everyday undertakings, but this will depend largely 
 on the manner in which it is told: it must appeal to 
 the imagination through the dramatic presentation. 
 
 THE ELEPHANT THAT WAS HONORED IN 
 OLD AGE 
 
 A splendid example of the honor we ought to show 
 to those old people in the community who have done 
 
208 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 really good work. This story might be taken in connec- 
 tion with stories from history illustrating the same point. 
 
 THE FAITHFUL FRIEND 
 
 A story which will encourage children's interest in 
 animals and their characteristics, and will increase their 
 interest in observing the ways of those animals under 
 their care. 
 
 THE HAWK AND THE OSPREY 
 
 This story should be told as dramatically as possible, 
 because it is full of action and will hold the children 
 quite breathless. The little touch of the lion objecting 
 at first to be roused at an unreasonable hour is delight- 
 fully human, and the fact that when he realizes the 
 necessity he is ready to help, is worthy of his high posi- 
 tion among the animals. 
 
 GRANDMOTHER'S GOLDEN DISH 
 
 This story is specially useful because since rogues 
 are so often successful in the ordinary sense, and we 
 are bound to admit this ordinary success, it is well 
 that a graphic description of the triumph of honesty - 
 should be presented to children which will at once ap- 
 peal to their sense of fairness. 
 
 THE ELEPHANT THAT SPARED LIFE 
 
 This may seem a little too lofty for the children, but 
 I think it well to include a few stories where the stand- 
 
NOTES FOR TEACHERS 209 
 
 ard may seem too high and the action quixotic. In later 
 years they will realize the philosophy of the story, but 
 the dramatic interest will appeal at once. 
 
 HOW THE ANTELOPE WAS CAUGHT 
 
 This is an admirable treatise on the relative value of 
 things which children are quick to see. It should be told 
 with increasing dramatic force up to the final run of the 
 foolish antelope who has sacrificed his liberty to bis 
 greed. 
 
 THE BANYAN DEER 
 
 This is one of the most beautiful of all the Jataka 
 stories. I have given the whole as translated from the 
 Buddhist Birth Stories, only leaving out parts of the 
 description. Any curtailed edition of the action of this 
 story, leaving out the tenderness of the Bodisat for the 
 deer that is "with young," robs the story of its most 
 beautiful meaning. 
 
 THE PUPIL WHO TAUGHT HIS TEACHER 
 
 This is a healthy idea and one which should commend 
 itself to the young who are naturally averse to the idea 
 of Death. It is the opposite of the idea: Whom the 
 gods love, die young. 
 
 THE MAN WHO TOLD A LIE 
 
 In this story, if it is considered injudicious to tell 
 children of the hypocrisy of the teacher and the priest, 
 
210 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 the title of the man could be left out. For my part, and 
 from experience as a teacher, I have always found it 
 wise to admit and condemn the same faults in teachers 
 and preachers as in the laity, but to point out to the 
 children that those same faults are the more reprehen- 
 sible because of the profession which is degraded by 
 such people as the false priest. 
 
 THE CROW THAT THOUGHT IT KNEW 
 
 This story shows the power of the skilled workman. 
 The one who was not skilled thought he could do more 
 than he had the power to do, and came to grief. 
 
 THE JUDAS TREE 
 
 The point of this story is the impossibility of a just 
 judgment without full knowledge of your subject. Each 
 one has only a partial knowledge and is therefore ex- 
 cluded from the knowledge of the whole. 
 
 THE RIVER FISH AND THE MONEY 
 
 The power of honesty restores the lost treasure. The 
 Bodisatta is not anxious about it, preserves his calm, and 
 recovers it. Observe the way in which he keeps only the 
 money which belongs to him, refusing to withhold it from 
 the dishonest man. 
 
 THE DREAMER IN THE WOOD 
 
 I have hesitated to include this story as beyond the 
 range of children but I leave it for the abnormal child 
 who may value the joy of solitude. 
 
NOTES FOR TEACHERS 211 
 
 THE RICE MEASURE 
 
 The King falls easily into the trap that is laid for 
 him. His craving for greed leads him to appoint a fool 
 and the fool leads to his failure. 
 
 THE POISONOUS TREES 
 
 Here we have the skill of knowledge. The Bodisatta 
 knows how to distinguish the mango tree from the What- 
 fruit tree, and to save the life of those who had eaten 
 therefrom. 
 
 THE WELL-TRAINED ELEPHANT 
 
 Here we have the Bodisatta ready to do the miracle 
 that he may convince the King that he is unworthy to 
 possess him. The whole picture is very striking and the 
 story lends itself to dramatic effect. 
 
 THE WISE PHYSICIAN 
 
 I am indebted to Sir Robert Morant, K.C.B., who has 
 kindly been interested in the preparation of my book 
 as a whole, for the suggestion that I should include this 
 story (although it is not one of the series of Buddha 
 Re-Birth Stories to which all the others belong), also 
 for the reminder of this special version — namely, the 
 woman's own recognition, through her personal experi- 
 ence, of the impermanence of those things which seem 
 to be lasting. 
 
 I should not suggest this story as one which would 
 appeal to children. I have included it for "children of 
 
212 EASTERN STORIES 
 
 larger growth" as embodying one of the important tenets 
 of the Buddhist Faith, and as showing how personal 
 grief may be assuaged in gaining sympathy with the 
 sorrow of others.