349. The Tree-Deity And The Black Lion
Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta was king of Benares, there stood without the city a village of carpenters. In it was a brahmin carpenter, who gained his livelihood by bringing wood from the forest, and making carts.
At that time there was a great plassey tree in the region of Himalaya. A black Lion used to go and lie at its root when a-hunting for food. One day a wind smote the tree, and a dry branch fell, and came down upon his shoulder.
348. The Tiger And The She-Goat
Once upon a time the Bodhisatta was born in a certain village of the Magadha kingdom, in a wealthy family. When he grew up, he renounced desires and adopted the religious life, reaching the perfection of meditation. After dwelling long in the Himalaya, he came to Rajagaha for salt and vinegar, and dwelt in a hut of leaves which he made in a mountain enclosure. The goatherds drove their goats there. One day as a single she-goat was going out later than the rest, a panther waited by the door, thinking to eat her. When she saw him, she thought, “My life is forfeit. By some means I must get him into pleasant and kindly talk, and so soften his heart and save my life.” Beginning a friendly talk with him from some distance, she spoke:
347. The Three Fishes
Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, there lived in the river three fishes, named Over thoughtful, Thoughtful, and Thoughtless. And they came down stream from the wild country to where men lived. Now, Thoughtful said to the other two, “This is a dangerous place, where fishermen catch fish with nets and basket traps. Let us go to the wild country again.”
346. The Snake, The Crow And The Turtle
Once upon a time there was a brahmin village called Salindiya on the east side of Rajagaha. The Bodhisatta was born there in that village in a brahmin family. When he grew up he settled down and worked a farm of a thousand karisas in a district of Magadha to the north-east of the village. One day he had gone to the field with his men, and giving them orders to plough he went to a great pool to wash his face. In that pool there lives a crab of golden hue, beautiful and charming. The Bodhisatta having chewed his toothpick went down into the pool. When he was washing his mouth, the crab came near. Then he lifted up the crab and taking it laid it in his outer garment; and after doing his work in the field he put the crab again in the pool and went home.
