The illustration to Story 2, Grateful animals and ungrateful man, represents the pampered prince astride of a tree-trunk, accompanied by his three companions, a snake, a rat, and a parrot, swept along by the river amid storm and darkness.
The illustration to Story 3, Elephant and forester, shows the Future Buddha, in the form of a pure white elephant, reclining like a cow, and willingly permitting the ungrateful forester to cut off his two tusks. Trees.—Left middle: Pātali-tree, Trumpet Flower, Bignonia Suaveolens, the Bo-tree of the Buddha Vipassi. See Cunningham, Plates xxiii. 3 and xxix. 1. Centre over elephant: Probably the Sāl-tree, Shorea Robusta, the Bo-tree of the Buddha Vessabhu. The mother of Gotama is said to have stood upright at his birth and to have supported herself by a branch of a Sāl-tree. See Cunningham, Plate xxix. 2 and 5. Over elephant’s head: Fan-palm, Borassus Flabelliformis. See Cunningham, Plate xxx. 4. Right middle: Probably a Sandalwood-tree, Candana. See Cunningham, Plate lvii. Lower left: Magnolia. See Cunningham, Plate xxv. 1 (above archer).
The illustration to Story 7, Antelope, woodpecker, tortoise, and hunter, is taken from Cunningham, Plate xxvii. 9. As the hunter approaches, the tortoise releases the antelope from the trap, and the antelope springs to a place of safety. In drawing the trap, the artist has followed the sculptured model, rather than the description in the text. The tree in the background is the Sirīsa-tree, Acacia Sirisa, more properly, Albizzia Lebbek, the Bo-tree of the Buddha Kakusandha. See Cunningham, Plate xxix. 3.
The illustration to Story 9, A Buddhist Tar-baby, represents the Future Buddha in the person of Prince Five-weapons casting a spear at the giant ogre Sticky-hair. The drawing of the ogre follows closely the description given in the text. The tree in the background is the Fan-palm, represented in Cunningham, Plate xxx. 4. The trees to the right and left are specimens of the Banyan-tree, the Nyagrodha, Ficus Indica, the Bo-tree of the Buddha Kassapa. Note the down-growing roots. See Cunningham, Plates xv. 3, xxvi. 6, xxx. 1 and 2.
The illustration to Story 11, The anger-eating ogre, represents the ogre seated on the Yellowstone throne of Sakka (Indra), king of the gods, in the heaven of the Thirty-three gods, thereby arousing the indignation and anger of the gods, of whom two are shown in the drawing. The tree in the background is probably the Sāl-tree. See note on illustration to Story 3.
The illustration to Story 14, King and boar, represents the boar flying through the air by the magical power of the gem which he has just bitten. The power of flying through the air is mentioned in the oldest texts as one of the several varieties of magical power which may be acquired by the Practice of Meditation.
The illustration to Story 15, A Buddhist Henny-Penny, shows the Future Buddha, in the form of a lion, setting out with the little hare on his back to discover the cause of the flight of the animals. The artist has introduced representatives of the various animals mentioned in the story, and a few monkeys for good measure. Trees.—Left: Magnolia. See Cunningham, Plate xxv. 1 (above archer). Centre: Jack-tree. See Cunningham, Plate xiv. 1 (extreme left), xli. 4, xlii. 8, and xliii. 1. Top: Udumbara-tree, Ficus Glomerata, the Bo-tree of the Buddha Kanakamuni. See Cunningham, Plate xxix. 4. Right middle: Sirīsa-tree, Acacia Sirisa, more properly, Albizzia Lebbek, the Bo-tree of the Buddha Kakusandha. See Cunningham, Plate xiv. 3. In the illustration to Story 7, the tree is represented in flower. Compare Cunningham, Plate xxix. 3. Lower right: Rose-apple, Jambu-tree. See Cunningham, Plate xliv. 8. India is frequently called the Land of the Rose-apple.
The illustration to Story 17, Dragon Jewel-neck, represents the king of the dragons encircling the ascetic with his coils. The ascetic is seated at the door of his leaf-hut on the bank of the Ganges. The tree in the background is the Sacred Fig-tree, the Pipphala, Ficus Religiosa. It was under a tree of this species that Gotama sat on the night of his Enlightenment. Accordingly, this tree has a symbolic value for Buddhists corresponding to that which the Cross has for Christians, and is frequently sculptured on the monuments. See Cunningham, Plates xiii. 1, xxx. 3. The tree to the right of the hut may be a Sandalwood-tree. See note on illustration to Story 3.
The illustration to Story 22, Monkey-gardeners, is taken from Cunningham, Plate xlv. 5. The monkeys, in obedience to the instructions of their leader, are pulling up the young fig-trees by the roots, examining the roots, watering plentifully the trees with long roots, but sparingly the trees with short roots, and planting them again. In drawing the water-pots, the artist has followed the Bharahat sculpture rather than the description given in the text.