The Grateful Elephant

Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta was king of
Benares, there was a village of carpenters not far from
the city, in which five hundred carpenters lived. They
would go up the river in a vessel, and enter the forest,
where they would shape beams and planks for house-
building, and put together the framework of one-storey
or two-storey houses, numbering all the pieces from the
mainpost onwards ; these then they brought down to the
river bank, and put them all aboard ; then rowing down
stream again, they would build houses to order as it was
required of them; after which, when they received their
wage, they went back again for more materials for the
building, and in this way they made their livelihood.

Once it befell that in a place where they were at work
in shaping timbers, a certain Elephant trod upon a splinter
of acacia wood, which pierced his foot, and caused it to
swell up and fester, and he was in great pain. In his
agony, he caught the sound of these carpenters cutting
wood. " There are some carpenters will cure me," thought
he; and limping on three feet, he presented himself before
them, and lay down close by. The carpenters, noticing
his swollen foot, went up and looked; there was the
splinter sticking in it. With a sharp tool they made in-
cision about the splinter, and tying a string to it, pulled
it right out. Then they lanced the gathering, and washed
it with warm water, and doctored it properly; and in a
very short time the wound was healed.

Grateful for this cure, the Elephant thought: "My life
has been saved by the help of these carpenters; now I
must make myself useful to them." So ever after that,
he used to pull up trees for them, or when they were
chopping he would roll up the logs ; or bring them their
adzes and any tools they might want, holding everything
in his trunk like grim death. And the carpenters, when
it was time to feed him, used to bring him each a portion
of food, so that he had five hundred portions in all.

Now this Elephant had a young one, white all over, a
magnificent high-bred creature. The Elephant reflected
that he was now old, and he had better bring his young
one to serve the carpenters, and himself be left free to go.
So without a word to the carpenters, he went off into the
wood, and brought his son to them, saying, "This young-
Elephant is a son of mine. You saved my life, and I give
him to you as a fee for your leechcraft ; from henceforth
he shall work for you." So he explained to the young
Elephant that it was his duty to do the work which he
had been used to do himself, and then went away into the
forest, leaving him with the carpenters. So after that
time the young Elephant did all their work, faithfully and
obediently; and they fed him, as they had fed the other,
with five hundred portions for a meal.

His work once done, the Elephant would go play about
in the river, and then return again. The carpenters'
children used to pull him by the trunk, and play all sorts
of pranks with him in water and out. Now noble creatures,
be they elephants, horses, or men, never dung or stale in
the water 1 . So this Elephant did nothing of the kind
when he was in the water, but waited until he came out
upon the bank.

One day, rain had fallen up river; and by the flood a
half-dry cake of his dung was carried into the river. This
floated down to the Benares landing place, where it stuck
fast in a bush. Just then the king's elephant keepers
had brought down five hundred elephants to give them a
bath. But the creatures scented this soil of a noble
animal, and not one would enter the water ; up went their
tails, and off they all ran. The keepers told this to the
elephant trainers; who replied, "There must be something
in the water, then." So orders were given to cleanse the
water ; and there in the bushes this lump was seen. " That's
Avhat the matter is ! " cried the men. So they brought a
jar, and filled it with water; next powdering the stuff into
it, they sprinkled the water over the elephants, whose
bodies then became sweet. At once they went down into
the river and bathed.

When the trainers made their report to the king, they
advised him to secure the Elephant for his own use and
profit.

The king accordingly embarked upon a raft, and rowed
up stream until he arrived at the place where the carpenters
had settled. The young Elephant, hearing the sound of
drums as he was playing in the water, came out and pre-
sented himself before the carpenters, who one and all came
forth to do honour to the king's coming, and said to him,
" Sire, if woodwork is wanted, what need to come here ?
Why not send and have it brought to you ? "

" No, no, good friends," the king answered, " 'tis not for
wood that I come, but for this elephant here."

"He is yours, Sire!" -But the Elephant refused to
budge.

" What do you want me to do, gossip Elephant ? " asked
the king.

" Order the carpenters to be paid for what they have
spent on me, Sire."

"Willingly, friend." And the king ordered an hundred
thousand pieces of money to be laid by his tail, and trunk,
and by each of his four feet. But this was not enough
for the Elephant; go he would not. So to each of the
carpenters was given a pair of cloths, and to each of their
wives robes to dress in, nor did he omit to give enough
whereby his playmates the children should be brought up ;
then with a last look upon the carpenters, and the women,
and the children, he departed in company with the king.

To his capital city the king brought him; and city and
stable were decked out with all magnificence. He led the
Elephant round the city in solemn procession, and thence
into his stable, which was fitted up with splendour and
pomp. There he solemnly sprinkled the Elephant, and
appointed him for his own riding; like a comrade he
treated him, and gave him the half of his kingdom, taking
as much care of him as he did of himself. After the coming
of this Elephant, the king won supremacy over all India,
In course of time the Bodhisatta was conceived by the
Queen Consort; and when her time was near come to be
delivered, the king died. Xow if the Elephant learnt
news of the king's death, he was sure to break his heart ;
so he was waited upon as before, and not a word said.
But the next neighbour, the king of Kosala, heard of the
king's death. " Surely the land is at my mercy," thought
he; and marched with a mighty host to the city, and
beleaguered it. Straight the gates were closed, and a
message was sent to the king of Kosala: "Our Queen is
near the time of her delivery; and the astrologers have
declared that in seven days she shall bear a son. If she
bears a son, we will not yield the kingdom, but on the
seventh day we will give you battle. For so long we pray
you wait ! " And to this the king agreed.

In seven days the Queen bore a son. On his name-day
they called him Prince Winheart, because, said they, he
was born to win the hearts of the people.

On the very same day that he was born, the townsfolk
began to do battle with the king of Kosala. But as they
had no leader, little by little the army gave way, great
though it was. The courtiers told this news to the Queen,
adding, " Since our army loses ground in this way, we fear
defeat. But the state Elephant, our king's bosom friend,
has never been told that the king is dead, and a son born
to him, and that the king of Kosala is here to give us
battle. Shall we tell him?"

" Yes, do so," said the Queen. So she dressed up her
son, and laid him in a fine linen cloth; after which she
with all the court came down from the palace and entered
the Elephant's stable. There she laid the babe at the
Elephant's feet, saying, "Master, your comrade is dead,
but we feared to tell it you lest you might break your
heart. This is your comrade's son; the king of Kosala
has run a leaguer about the city, and is making war upon
your son ; the army is losing ground ; either kill your son
yourself, or else win the kingdom back for him ! "

At once the Elephant stroked the child with his trunk,
and lifted him upon his own head ; then making moan
and lamentation he took him down and laid him in his
mother's arms, and with the words "I will master the
king of Kosala ! " he went forth hastily.

Then the courtiers put his armour and caparison
upon him, and unlocked the city gate, and escorted him
thither. The Elephant emerging trumpeted, and frightened
all the host so that they ran away, and broke up the
camp ; then seizing the king of Kosala by his topknot, he
carried him to the young prince, at whose feet he let him
fall. Some rose to kill him, but them the Elephant stayed ;
and he let the captive king go with this advice: "Be
careful for the future, and be not presumptuous by reason
that our Prince is young."

After that, the power over all India fell into the Bod-
hisatta's own hand, and not a foe was able to rise up
against him. The Bodhisatta was consecrated at the age
of seven years, as King Winheart ; just was his reign, and
when he came to life's end he attained to heaven.