When the king heard what he said, he asked what was now to be done.
“Have a proclamation made, O king, to this effect: ’A man is said to have taken away a dog of whom our state elephant was fond. In whose house soever that dog shall be found, he shall be fined so much!’”
The king did so; and as soon as he heard of it, the man turned the dog loose. The dog hastened back, and went close up to the elephant. The elephant took him up in his trunk, and placed him on his forehead, and wept and cried, and took him down again, and watched him as he fed. And then he took his own food.
Then the king paid great honour to the Bodisat for knowing the motives even of animals.
When the Teacher had finished this discourse, and had enlarged upon the Four Truths,[313] he made the connexion and summed up the Jātaka, “He who at that time was the dog was the lay convert, the elephant was the old monk, but the minister Paṇḍit was I myself.”
END OF THE STORY ON CONSTANCY.
No. 28.
NANDI-VISĀLA JĀTAKA.
The Bull who Won the Bet.
“Speak kindly.”—This the Master told when at Jetavana concerning the abusive language of the Six.[314]