Bibliography: Jataka Tales from the Eastern Stories and Legends by Marie Shedlock.
Bull That Demanded Fair Treatment
- Bodisat = bull, called Nandi Visala by the Brahmin who had brought him up
- Bodisat tells Brahmin to go bet on his strength
- a hundred carts (small wagons made for two bullocks) with sand and gravel and stones, ranged them all in a row, and tied them all firmly together, cross-bar to axle-tree
- Brahmin calls Bodisat a wretch...bet lost
- Bodisat tells Brahmin that the loss was his fault since he sat down and called him a wretch for no reason, tells Brahmin to go bet again
- Bodisat pulls all 100 with encouragement and support of Brahmin
The Bull That Proved His Gratitude
- Bodisat = bull, raised by old woman
- known as "The old woman's Blackie"
- Bodisat wants to earn money so the "mom" doesn't have to work
- He pulls 500 carts, caravan people thought they could trick him, but he was smart and did not move out of their way until he was rewarded the promised amount
- went to mom and she was delighted, but also inquisitive as to why he would exhaust himself that his eyes were bloodshot
- the women bathed, fed, and comforted the bull
- at the end both passed away together
Horse That Held Out to the End
- Buddha = horse
- made THE HORSE = King's Destrier
- King of Benares is threatened to either give up kingdom or to fight by 7 kings passing Benares
- Destrier was taken by the Knight to help in the capturing of the seven kings, each one was brought back and made prisoner.
- at 6th camp horse was wounded and the knight took off the armor of the horse to suit up another one
- horse was determined to not let his king down and told the knight to suit him back up
- 7th king captured and brought back
- Horse requests the king of Benares to bind the other kings by oath and let them return home instead of killing them
- the horse passed away after he had requested the king while his armor was being removed
- King returned the other kings to their respective homes and ruled with justice and righteousness until his death
The Monkey That Saved the Herd
- Buddha = King of Monkeys
- trees in this forest 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 consulting me
- 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
- Orge gets power via those who drink the lake water
- King tours the whole forest via hollowed cane
- monkeys drank via cane...ogre leaves in rage since he could not get the monkeys to fall under his control
The Mallard That Asked for Too Much
- Buddha = Brahmin
- married, 3 daughters
- after death born again as Golden Mallard
- feathers = gold, goes back to give wife and daughters each a feather so that they may live in comfort
- soon they are wealthy and mom gets greedy
- tried to convince the girls that who knows if and when their "dad" will come back so the best thing to do is to pluck him clean
- girls refuse...mom does against the Golden Mallard's wishes
- feathers turn to crane feather
- new feathers aren't gold they are white and he flies away never to come back
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| Golden Mallard |
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