The Woodpecker and The Lion

Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in
Benares, the Bodhisatta came to life as a woodpecker in
the Himalaya country.

Now a certain lion, while devouring his prey, had a
bone stick in his throat. His throat swelled up so that
he could not take any food and severe pains set in. Then
this woodpecker, while intent on seeking its own food, as
it was perched on a bough, saw the lion and asked him,
saying, " Friend, what ails you ? " He told him what was
the matter, and the bird said, " I would take the bone out
of your throat, friend, but I dare not put my head into
your mouth, for fear you should eat me up.' 1

" Do not be afraid, friend ; I will not eat you up. Only
save my life."

" All right," said the bird, and ordered the lion to lie
down upon his side. Then it thought : " Who knows what
this fellow will be about?" And to prevent his closing
his mouth, it fixed a stick between his upper and lower
jaw, and then entering into the lion's mouth, it struck
the end of the bone with its beak. The bone fell out and
disappeared. And then the woodpecker came out of the
lion's mouth, and with a blow from its beak knocked out
the stick, and hopping off sat on the top of a bough.

The lion recovered from his sickness, and one day was
devouring a wild buffalo which he had killed. Thought
the woodpecker : " I will now put him to the test," and
perching on a bough above the lion's head, it fell to con-
versing with him and uttered the first stanza :

Kindness as much as in us lay,
To thee, my lord, we once did shew :

On us in turn, we humbly pray,
Do thou a trifling boon bestow.

On hearing this the lion repeated the second stanza :

To trust thy head to a lion's jaw,
A creature red in tooth and claw,
To dare such a deed and be living still,
Is token enough of my good will.

The woodpecker on hearing this uttered two more
stanzas :

From the base ingrate hope not to obtain
The due requital of good service done;

From bitter thought and angry word refrain,
But haste the presence of the wretch to shun.

With these words the woodpecker flew away.