List of Illustrations.

Story Facing
1. The grateful elephant[ Title-page]
Then the elephant with his trunk caressed the Future Buddha and lifted him up
2. Grateful animals and ungrateful man[ 12]
Thus did those four persons travel together, swept along by the river
3. Elephant and ungrateful forester[ 22]
The man actually cut off his two principal tusks!
7. Antelope, woodpecker, tortoise, and hunter[ 50]
At that moment the tortoise had chewed all of the strips except just one strap
9. A Buddhist Tar-baby[ 60]
Then he hit him with a spear
11. The anger-eating ogre[ 72]
“Here, Sire, a certain ogre, ill-favored, dwarfish, sits in your seat”
14. King and boar[ 86]
He bit the gem, and by its magical power rose into the air
15. A Buddhist Henny-Penny[ 96]
So taking the little hare on his back, he sprang forward with the speed of a lion
17. Dragon Jewel-neck[ 104]
Every day Jewel-neck the dragon-king would encircle him with his coils
22. Monkey-gardeners[ 130]
“When you water the young trees, pull them up by the roots, every one”

Introduction.

THESE stories are said to have been related by Gotama Buddha for the purpose of conveying to his hearers moral and religious lessons and the lessons of common sense.

Gotama Buddha was born nearly twenty-five centuries ago in the city of Kapila, in Northeast India. Kapila was the principal city of the Sakya tribe, and his father was king of the tribe. Gotama was his family name. Buddha means Awakened or Enlightened, that is to say, awakened or enlightened to the cause and the cure of human suffering.

The Buddhist Scriptures tell us that when Gotama was born, the angels rejoiced and sang. An aged wise man inquired: “Why doth the company of angels rejoice?” They replied: “He that shall become Buddha is born in the village of the Sakyas for the welfare and happiness of mankind; therefore are we joyful and exceeding glad.”

The wise man hastened to the king’s house, and said: “Where is the child? I, too, wish to see him.” They showed him the child. When he saw the child, he rejoiced and was exceeding glad. And he took him in his arms, and said: “Without an equal is he! foremost among men!” Then, because he was an old man, and knew that he was soon to die, he became sorrowful and wept tears.

Said the Sakyas: “Will any harm come to the child?” “No,” replied the wise man, “this child shall one day become Buddha; out of love and pity for mankind he shall set in motion the Wheel of Religion; far and wide shall his religion be spread. But as for me, I have not long to live; before these things shall come to pass, death will be upon me. Therefore am I stricken with woe, overwhelmed with sorrow, afflicted with grief.”

Seven days after Gotama was born, his mother died, and he was brought up by his aunt and step-mother. When he was nineteen years old, he married his own cousin. For ten years he lived a life of ease, in the enjoyment of all the comforts and luxuries which riches and high position could give him. When he was twenty-nine years old, a change came over him.