The Banyan Deer [Jataka Tales]
THERE was once a Deer the color of gold. His eyes were like round jewels, his horns were white as silver, his mouth was red like a flower, his hoofs were bright and hard. He had a large body and a fine tail.
He lived in a
forest and was king of a herd of five hundred Banyan Deer. Near by lived
another herd of Deer, called the Monkey Deer. They, too, had a king.
The king of that
country was fond of hunting the Deer and eating deer meat. He did not like to
go alone so he called the people of his town to go with him, day after day.
The townspeople did
not like this for while they were gone no one did their work. So they decided
to make a park and drive the Deer into it. Then the king could go into the park
and hunt and they could go on with their daily work.
They made a park,
planted grass in it and provided water for the Deer, built a fence all around
it and drove the Deer into it.
Then they shut the
gate and went to the king to tell him that in the park near by he could find
all the Deer he wanted.
The king went at
once to look at the Deer. First he saw there the two Deer kings, and granted
them their lives. Then he looked at their great herds.
Some days the king
would go to hunt the Deer, sometimes his cook would go. As soon as any of the
Deer saw them they would shake with fear and run. But when they had been hit
once or twice they would drop down dead.
The King of the
Banyan Deer sent for the King of the Monkey Deer and said, "Friend, many
of the Deer are being killed. Many are wounded besides those who are killed.
After this suppose one from my herd goes up to be killed one day, and the next
day let one from your herd go up. Fewer Deer will be lost this way."
The Monkey Deer
agreed. Each day the Deer whose turn it was would go and lie down, placing its
head on the block. The cook would come and carry off the one he found lying
there.
One day the lot
fell to a mother Deer who had a young baby. She went to her king and said,
"O King of the Monkey Deer, let the turn pass me by until my baby is old
enough to get along without me. Then I will go and put my head on the
block."
But the king did
not help her. He told her that if the lot had fallen to her she must die.
Then she went to
the King of the Banyan Deer and asked him to save her.
"Go back to
your herd. I will go in your place," said he.
The next day the
cook found the King of the Banyan Deer lying with his head on the block. The
cook went to the king, who came himself to find out about this.
"King of the
Banyan Deer! did I not grant you your life? Why are you lying here?"
"O great
King!" said the King of the Banyan Deer, "a mother came with her
young baby and told me that the lot had fallen to her. I could not ask any one
else to take her place, so I came myself."
"King of the
Banyan Deer! I never saw such kindness and mercy. Rise up. I grant your life
and hers. Nor will I hunt any more the Deer in either park or forest."
0 Comments:
Post a Comment