🧚 Opening, part 1

_The Grateful Elephant_1

_By the same author_:2

BUDDHIST PARABLES.3 Translated from the original Pāli.4 One volume. xxix + 348 pages.5 With photogravure of a Bodhisattva head from Gandhāra, from original in the Pennsylvania Museum.6 Octavo.7 Cloth.8 Yale University Press, 1922.9 $5.00.10

BUDDHIST LEGENDS.11 Translated from the original Pāli text of the Dhammapada Commentary.12 Three volumes.13 Harvard Oriental Series, 28, 29, 30.14 1114 pages.15 Octavo.16 Cloth.17 Harvard University Press, 1921.18 $15.00 a set.19

Buddha and lifted him up.20

_The Grateful Elephant_21

_And Other Stories Translated from the Pāli_22

_By Eugene Watson Burlingame_23

_with Illustrations by Dorothy Lathrop_24

_New Haven, Yale University Press_ _London, Humphrey Milford, Oxford University Press_ _Mcmxxiii_25

_Copyright 1923 by Yale University Press.26

_Printed in the United States of America.27

_To my nephew Westcott_28

This _book contains twenty-six stories selected from the author’s larger work_ Buddhist Parables, _Yale University Press, 1922.29 The translation is a close, idiomatic rendering of the original Pāli text.30 In a few cases, words and phrases have been softened, and sentences have been omitted.31 In Story 1, two whole paragraphs which interrupt the progress of the story have been omitted.32 The author has not, however, “written down” any of the stories in order to remove such difficulties as the original translation may present to the child.33

_Note on Pronunciation of Pāli Names.34

The quantity of vowels is marked throughout.35 Short _a_ is pronounced like _u_ in _but_, long _ā_ like _a_ in _father_, long _ī_ like _ee_ in _see_, long _ū_ like _oo_ in _too_, short _i_ and short _u_ differing from the corresponding long vowels not in sound but in length.36 The _u_ in _Buddha_, for example, is short.37 Simple consonants are pronounced as in English, except that _c_ is pronounced like _ch_ in _church_, _g_ as in _get_, and _j_ as in _judge_.38 Combinations like _th_ and _dh_ should be pronounced as in _hothouse_ and _madhouse_.39 Names containing underdotted letters have been eliminated.40 A syllable is said to be long if it contains either a long vowel, or a short vowel followed by two consonants (except a consonant followed by _h_).41 Words of three or more syllables are accented on the second syllable from the last, provided the next to the last syllable is short, as _Gótama_, _Mállika_.42 If the next to the last syllable is long, it receives the accent, as _Brahmadátta_, _Nibbāna_.43

_Contents.44

PAGE45

Note on pronunciation of Pāli names viii46

List of illustrations xiii47

Introduction xv48

Note on the illustrations xxix49

1.50 The grateful elephant Jā.51 156: ii.52 17 1 _Where there’s a will, there’s a way_53

2.54 Grateful animals and ungrateful man Jā.55 73: i. 322 9 _Driftwood is worth more than some men_56

3.57 Elephant and ungrateful forester Jā.58 72: i. 319 19 _The whole earth will not satisfy an ungrateful man_59

4.60 Quail, crow, fly, frog, and elephants Jā.61 357: iii.62 174 26 _The biter bit_63

5.64 Quails and fowler Jā.65 33: i. 208 30 _In union there is strength_66

6.67 Brahmadatta and the prince Vin. i. 342 33 _Love your enemies_68

7.69 Antelope, woodpecker, tortoise, and hunter Jā.70 206: ii.71 152 48 _In union there is strength_72

8.73 Brahmadatta and Mallika Jā.74 151: ii.75 1 52 _Overcome evil with good_76

9.77 A Buddhist Tar-baby Jā.78 55: i. 272 58 _Keep the Precepts_79

10.80 Vedabbha and the thieves Jā.81 48: i. 252 64 _Cupidity is the root of ruin_82

11.83 The anger-eating ogre S. i. 237 72 _Refrain from anger_84

12.85 The patient woman M. 21: i. 125 75 _Patient is as patient does_86

13.87 Blind men and elephant Udāna, 66 79 _Avoid vain wrangling_88

14.89 King and boar 83 _Evil communications corrupt good manners_90

Part 1.91 Gem, hatchet, drum, and bowl Jā.92 186: ii.93 101 Part 2.94 Corrupt fruit from a good tree Jā.95 186: ii.96 10497

15.98 A Buddhist Henny-Penny Jā.99 322: iii.100 74 92 _Much ado about nothing_101

16.102 The birds (cf.103 17) Vin. iii.104 147 97 _Nobody loves a beggar_105

17.106 Dragon Jewel-neck 99 _Nobody loves a beggar_107

A. Canonical version Vin. iii.108 145 B. Uncanonical version Jā.109 253: ii.110 283111

18.112 Snake-charm 107 _A blessing upon all living beings!113

A. Canonical version Vin. ii.114 109 B. Uncanonical version Jā.115 203: ii.116 144117

19.118 Partridge, monkey, and elephant 114 _Reverence your elders_119

A. Canonical version Vin. ii.120 161 B. Uncanonical version Jā.121 37: i. 217122

20.123 The hawk 119 _Walk not in forbidden ground_124

A. Canonical version S. v. 146 B. Uncanonical version Jā.125 168: ii.126 58127

21.128 How not to hit an insect 124 _Better an enemy with sense than a friend without it_129

A. Boy and mosquito Jā.130 44: i. 246 B. Girl and fly Jā.131 45: i. 248132

22.133 Monkey-gardeners 129 _Misdirected effort spells failure_134

A. One-stanza version Jā.135 46: i. 249 B. Three-stanza version Jā.136 268: ii.137 345138

23.139 Two dicers 135 _Take care!140

A. Canonical version D. ii.141 348 B. Uncanonical version Jā.142 91: i. 379143

24.144 Two caravan-leaders 138 _Be prudent!145

A. Canonical version D. ii.146 342 B. Uncanonical version Jā.147 1: i. 95148

25.149 Boar and lion Kathāsaritsāgara, 72 154 _Eat me, O lion!150

26.151 Fairy-prince and griffin Kathāsaritsāgara, 22 and 90 157 _Eat me, O griffin!152

Glossary 169153

_List of Illustrations.154

_Story_ _Facing_155

1.156 The grateful elephant _Title-page_ _Then the elephant with his trunk caressed the Future Buddha and lifted him up_157

2.158 Grateful animals and ungrateful man 12 _Thus did those four persons travel together, swept along by the river_159

3.160 Elephant and ungrateful forester 22 _The man actually cut off his two principal tusks!161

7.162 Antelope, woodpecker, tortoise, and hunter 50 _At that moment the tortoise had chewed all of the strips except just one strap_163

9.164 A Buddhist Tar-baby 60 _Then he hit him with a spear_165

11.166 The anger-eating ogre 72 “_Here, Sire, a certain ogre, ill-favored, dwarfish, sits in your seat_”167

14.168 King and boar 86 _He bit the gem, and by its magical power rose into the air_169

15.170 A Buddhist Henny-Penny 96 _So taking the little hare on his back, he sprang forward with the speed of a lion_171

17.172 Dragon Jewel-neck 104 _Every day Jewel-neck the dragon-king would encircle him with his coils_173

22.174 Monkey-gardeners 130 “_When you water the young trees, pull them up by the roots, every one_”175

_Introduction.176

These stories are said to have been related by Gotama Buddha for the purpose of conveying to his hearers moral and religious lessons and the lessons of common sense.177

Gotama Buddha was born nearly twenty-five centuries ago in the city of Kapila, in Northeast India.178 Kapila was the principal city of the Sakya tribe, and his father was king of the tribe.179 _Gotama_ was his family name.180 _Buddha_ means _Awakened_ or _Enlightened_, that is to say, awakened or enlightened to the cause and the cure of human suffering.181

The Buddhist Scriptures tell us that when Gotama was born, the angels rejoiced and sang.182 An aged wise man inquired: “Why doth the company of angels rejoice?”183 They replied: “He that shall become Buddha is born in the village of the Sakyas for the welfare and happiness of mankind; therefore are we joyful and exceeding glad.”184

The wise man hastened to the king’s house, and said: “Where is the child?185 I, too, wish to see him.”186 They showed him the child.187 When he saw the child, he rejoiced and was exceeding glad.188 And he took him in his arms, and said: “Without an equal is he! foremost among men!”189 Then, because he was an old man, and knew that he was soon to die, he became sorrowful and wept tears.190

Said the Sakyas: “Will any harm come to the child?”191 “No,” replied the wise man, “this child shall one day become Buddha; out of love and pity for mankind he shall set in motion the Wheel of Religion; far and wide shall his religion be spread.192 But as for me, I have not long to live; before these things shall come to pass, death will be upon me.193 Therefore am I stricken with woe, overwhelmed with sorrow, afflicted with grief.”194