Jataka tales

Foreword

Long ago I was captivated by the charm of the Jataka Tales and realized the excellent use that might be made of them in the teaching of children. The obvious lessons are many of them suitable for little people, and beneath the obvious there are depths and depths of meaning which they may learn to fathom later on. The Oriental setting lends an additional fascination. I am glad that Miss Babbitt has undertaken to put together this collection, and commend it freely to teachers and parents.

FELIX ADLER.

Vii u I XIV

VI VII VIII

XIII XIV XV XVI XVII ‘XVIII

Contents

THe MONKEY AND THE CROCODILE How THE TuRTLE SAvED His Own LiFe THe MERCHANT OF SERI

THe TurRTLE WuHo CouLp N’t Stop TALKING .

THE Ox WHo WON THE ForFEIT

Part II

H1E Monkey soon moved away from that tree. 1 He wanted to get away from the Crocodile, so that he might live in peace. | But the Crocodile found him, far down the river, living in another tree.

In the middle of the river was an island covered with fruit-trees.

THE MONKEY .AND THE CROCODILE

Half-way between the bank of the river and the island, a large rock rose out of the water. The Monkey could jump to the rock, and then to the island. The Crocodile watched the Monkey crossing from the bank of the river to the rock, and then to the . island.

He thought to himself, “The Monkey will stay on the island all day, and I ’ll catch him on his way home at night.”

The Monkey had a fine feast, while the Crocodile swam about, watching him all day.

Toward night the Crocodile crawled out of the water and lay on the rock, perfectly still.

When it grew dark among the trees, the Monkey started for home. He ran down to the river bank, and there he stopped.

“What is the matter with the rock?” the Monkey thought to himself. “I never saw it so high before. The Crocodile is lying on it!’

But he went to the edge of the water and called: “Hello, Rock!”

No answer.

Then he called again: ‘Hello, Rock!”

Three times the Monkey called, and then he said:

“Why is it, Friend Rock, that you do not answer me to-night ?”

“Oh,” said the stupid Crocodile to himself, “the rock answers the Monkey at night. T’ll have to answer for the rock this time.”

So he answered: “Yes, Monkey! What is it?”

The Monkey laughed, and said: “Oh, it’s you, Crocodile, is it?”

“Yes,” said the Crocodile. “I am waiting here for you. Iam going to eat you.”

“You have caught me in a trap this time,” said the Monkey. “There is no other way for me to go home. Open your mouth wide so I can jump right into it.”

The Monkey jumped. 8

THE MONKEY AND THE CROCODILE

Now the Monkey well knew that when Crocodiles open their mouths wide, they shut their eyes.

While the Crocodile lay on the rock with his mouth wide open and his eyes shut, the Monkey jumped.

But not into his mouth! Oh, no! He landed on the top of the Crocodile’s head, and then sprang

quickly to the bank. Up he whisked into his tree. _ When the Crocodile saw the trick the Monkey had played on him, he said: “Monkey, you have great cunning. Youknownofear. [Il let you alone after this.”’

“Thank you, Crocodile, but I shall be on the watch for you just the same,” said the Monkey,

II HOW THE TURTLE SAVED HIS OWN LIFE

\ KING once had a lake made in the courtyard for the young princes to play in. They swam | about in it, and sailed their boats and rafts

on it. One day the king told them he had asked the men to put some fishes into the lake.

Off the boys ran to see the fishes. Now, along with the fishes, there was a Turtle. The boys were de-.

lighted with the fishes, but they had never seen a Turtle, and they were afraid of it, thinking it was a demon. They ran back to their father, crying, “There is a demon on the bank of the lake.”

The king ordered his men to catch the demon, and to bring it to the palace. When the Turtle was brought in, the boys cried and ran away.

The king was very fond of his sons, so he ordered the men who had brought the Turtle to kill it.

“How shall we kill it?” they asked.

IO

HOW THE TURTLE SAVED HIS LIFE

“Pound it to powder,” said some one. “Bake it in hot coals,” said another.

“Throw the thing into the lake.”

So one plan after another was spoken of. Then an old man who had always been afraid of the water said: ‘Throw the thing into the lake where it flows out over the rocks into the river. Then it will surely be killed.”

When the Turtle heard what the old man said, he thrust out his head and asked: ‘Friend, what have

II

I done that you should do such a dreadful thing as that to me? The other plans were bad enough, but to throw me into the lake! Don’t speak of such a cruel thing!”

When the king heard what the Turtle said, he told his men to take the Turtle at once and throw it into the lake.

The Turtle laughed to himself as he slid away down the river to his old home. “Good!” he said, “those people do not know how safe I am in the water!”

IIT THE MERCHANT OF SERI brass and tinware. He went from town to

town, in company with another man, who also sold brass and tinware. This second man was greedy, getting all he could for nothing, and giving as little as he could for what he bought.

When they went into a town, they divided the streets between them. Each man went up and down the streets he had chosen, calling, “Tinware for sale. Brass for sale.’ People came out to their door-steps,

and bought, or traded, with them. | In one house there lived a poor old woman and her granddaughter. The family had once been rich, but now the only thing they had left of all their riches was a golden bowl. The grandmother did not know it was a golden bowl, but she had kept this because her husband used to eat out of it in the old days. It

[less was once a merchant of Seri who sold stood on a shelf among the other pots and pans, and was not often used.

‘usorm NOUNG

He threw the bowl on the ground,

The greedy merchant passed this house, calling, “Buy my water-jars! Buy my pans!’ The granddaughter said: “Oh, Grandmother, do buy something for me!”

“My dear,” said the old woman, “we are too poor to buy anything. I have not anything to trade, even.”

“Grandmother, see what the merchant will give for the old bowl. We do not use that, and perhaps he’

THE MERCHANT OF SERI will take it and give us something we want for it.”

The old woman called the merchant and showed him the bowl, saying, “Will you take this, sir, and give the little girl here something for it?”

The greedy man took the bowl and scratched its side with a needle. Thus he found that it was a golden bowl. He hoped he could get it for nothing, so he said: “What is this worth? Not even a halfpenny.” He threw the bowl on the ground, and went away.

By and by the other merchant passed the house. For it was agreed that either merchant might go through any street which the other had left. He called: “Buy my water-jars! Buy my tinware! Buy my brass!”

The little girl heard him, and begged her grandmother to see what he would give for the bowl. ~ “My child,” said the grandmother, “the merchant who was just here threw the bowl on the ground and went away. I ave nothing else to offer in trade.”

“But, Grandmother,” said the girl, “that was a cross man. This one looks pleasant. Ask him. Perhaps he ’ll give some little tin dish.”

“Call him, then, and show it to him,” said the old woman.

As soon as the merchant took the bowl in his hands, he knew it was of gold. He said: “All that I have here is not worth so much as this bowl. It is a golden bowl. Iam not rich enough to buy it.”

“But, sir, a merchant who passed here a few moments ago, threw it on the ground, saying it was not worth a halfpenny, and he went away,” said the grandmother. “It was worth nothing to him. If you value it, take it, giving the little girl some dish she likes for it.”

But the merchant would not have it so. He gave the woman all the money he had, and all his wares. “Give me but eight pennies,” he said.

So he took the pennies, and left. Going quickly to the river, he paid the boatman the eight pennies to take him across the river.

Soon the greedy merchant went back to the house where he had seen the golden bowl, and said: “Bring that bowl to me, and I will give you something for it.”

“No,” said the grandmother. “You said the bowl was worthless, but another merchant has paid a great price for it, and taken it away.”

THE MERCHANT OF SERI

“Tt is a golden bowl.”

Then the greedy merchant was angry, crying out, “Through this other man I have lost a small fortune. That bowl was of gold.”

He ran down to the riverside, and, seeing the other merchant in the boat out in the river, he called: “Hallo, Boatman! Stop your boat!”

But the man in the boat said: “Don’t stop!” So he reached the city on the other side of the river, and lived well for a time on the money the bowl brought him.

2 17

IV The Turtle Who Could N’t Stop Talking

TURTLE lived in a pond at the foot of a hill. A Two young wild Geese, looking for food, saw the Turtle, and talked with him. The next day the Geese came again to visit the Turtle and they became very well acquainted. Soon they were great friends.

“Friend Turtle,” the Geese said one day, “we have a beautiful home far away. Weare going to fly back to it to-morrow It will be a long but pleasant journey. Will you go with us?”

“How could I? I have no wings,” said the Turtle. “Oh, we will take you, if only you can keep your mouth shut, and say not a word to anybody,” they said.

“T can do that,” said the Turtle. “Do take me with you. I will do exactly as you wish.” 18

THE TALKING TURTLE

So the next day the Geese brought a stick and they held the ends of it. “Now take the middle of this in

“How could I go with you?” said the Turtle, your mouth, and don’t say a word until we reach home,” they said.

The Geese sprang into the air.

The Geese then sprang into the air, with the Turtle between them, holding fast to the stick. The village children saw the two Geese flying along with the Turtle and cried out: “Oh, see the Turtle up in the air! Look at the Geese carrying a Turtle © by a stick! Did you ever see anything more ridiculous in your life!”

The Turtle looked down and began to say, “Well, and if my friends carry me, what business is that of yours?” when he let go, and fell dead at the feet of the children.

As the two Geese flew on, they heard the people say, when they came to see the poor Turtle, “That fellow could not keep his mouth shut. He had to talk, and so lost his life.”

“Oh, see the Turtle up in the air,” 20