94. The Bodhisatta – As The King’s Horse
Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta came to life as a thoroughbred Sindh horse and was made the king’s horse fully decorated. He was fed on exquisite three-year old rice. He was given all the comforts.
All the kings round coveted the kingdom of Benares. Once seven kings encompassed Benares, and sent a missive to the king, saying, “Either yield up your kingdom to us or fight.”
93. The Bodhisatta – As The Black Bull
Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta came to life as a bull. And while he was still a young calf, his owners, who had been lodging with an old woman, made him over to her in settlement of their reckoning. She reared him like her own child, feeding him on rice-gruel and rice and on other good cheer. They called him “Granny’s Blackie.” Growing up, he used to range about with the other cattle of the village, and was as black as jet. The village urchins used to catch hold of his horns and ears and dewlaps, and have a ride; or they would hold on to his tail in play, and mount on his back.
92. The Bodhisatta – As Snake Charmer
Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born into a family of doctors skilled in the cure of snake bites, and when he grew up, he practiced for a livelihood.
Now that a countryman was bitten by a snake; and without delay his relatives quickly fetched the doctor. Said the Bodhisatta, “Shall I extract the venom with the usual antidotes, or have the snake caught and make it suck its own poison out of the wound?” They said,”Have the snake caught and make it suck the poison out.” So he had the snake caught, and asked the creature, saying “Did you bite this man?”
91. The Bodhisatta – As Serpant Prince
Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning at Benares, the Daddara Nagas lived at the foot of Mount Daddara in the Himalayas and the Bodhisatta came to life as Mahadaddara, the son of Suradaddara, the king of that country, with a younger brother named Culladaddara. The latter was passionate and cruel, and went about abusing and striking the Naga maidens. The Naga king, on hearing of his cruelty, gave orders for his expulsion from the Naga world, but Mahadaddara got his father to forgive him and saved his brother from expulsion; the same thing repeated the second time and again he was induced to forgive him. But on the third occasion the king said, “You have prevented me from expelling this good-for-nothing fellow; now both of you get out from this Naga world, and live for three years at Benares on a dunghill.”
