And Well-born still continued in righteousness to the end of that life; and when she changed her existence, she became the daughter of a Titan named ‘The Son of Misunderstanding;’ but in consequence of her virtue she became exceeding beautiful.
When she was grown up, her father assembled the Titans together that his daughter might choose for a husband the one she liked best. Sakka was looking about as before to find out where she was; and when he discovered it, he took the form of a Titan, and went to the place,—thinking that when choosing a husband, she might take him.
Then they led Well-born in fine array to the meeting place, and told her to choose whomsoever she liked as her husband. And when she began to look at them, she saw Sakka, and by reason of her love to him in the former birth, she was moved to say, “This one is my husband,” and so chose him.
And he led her away to the heavenly city, and gave her the post of honour among great multitudes of houris; and at the end of his allotted time, he passed away according to his deeds.
When the Teacher had finished this discourse, he reproved the monk, saying, “Thus, O monk, formerly wise men, though they held rule in heaven, offered up their lives rather than destroy life; but you, though you have taken the vows according to so saving a faith, have drunk unstrained water with living creatures in it!” And he made the connexion, and summed up the Jātaka, by saying, “He who at that time was Mātali the charioteer was Ānanda, but Sakka was I myself.”
END OF THE STORY ON MERCY TO ANIMALS.[323]
No. 32.
NACCA JĀTAKA.
The Dancing Peacock.
“Pleasant is your cry.”—This the Master told when at Jetavana, about the luxurious monk. The occasion is as above in the Story on True Divinity.[324]