Thangka of Buddha with the One Hundred Jataka Tales: Wikimedia
A king meets a forester who introduces him to the mango. The king enjoys them and wants more. They collect mango and camp under the trees. The king then wants to eat the monkeys in the area. The king of the monkeys becomes a bridge for his troop to escape.
The Hawks and their Friends
The hawks request that a kingfisher help stop hunters from killing their young. The kingfisher repeatedly put out the hunters fire. Then the turtle did the same. Finally the hawk requested the help of a lion. The lion roared and scared away the hunters.
The Brave Little Bowman
The king would not let a small bowman join his army. The bowman recuits a large man to join the army. The man tells the king that the small bowman is his page. Then the man starts getting greedy and tells the bowman he is not needed. The bowman returns to save the man, who ended up running away in fear. The king reward the brave little bowman.
The Foolhardy Wolf
A wolf became the servant of a great lion. The wolf would tell the lion of animals he could kill and share. The wolf increased in size and ego. The lion told the wolf that he could not kill an elephant. The wolf did not believe him. The wolf was killed trying to kill an elephant.
The Stolen Plow
A village trader is tricked by a town trader. The town trader is tricked by the village trader. Both got what was lost to them.
The Lion in Bad Company
A wolf convince a lion to eat the kings ponies. The lion kept eating them and got killed. The wolf ran away.
The Wise Goat and the Wolf
Two wolves failed to eat a wise goat after trying to trick him.
Prince Wicked and the Grateful Animals
A mean prince was swept away in a storm. A poor man saved not only the prince, but a few animals as well. The prince was agreed that the man had treated him last. The animals and the prince told the man that they would reward him when needed. The prince, now king, saw the man and tried to have him killed. When the people heard he had saved the king, the people killed the king. The once poor man was now king.
Beauty and the Brownie
A deer went against the warnings of his father. The deer did not learn from his mistakes and lost more of his herd.
The Elephant and the Dog
The king's elephant and a dog became friends. The elephants keeper did not care for the dogs and sold him. The elephant became depressed and the king worried. The king bought back the dog. The elephant and the dog lived happy ever after.
More Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt
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