been watered here just before him; and offended at that, he must have refused to enter the water."

So he asked the horsekeepers whether anything had been watered at the ford just before.

"A certain hack, my Lord!" said they.

Then the Bodisat saw it was his vanity that made him wish not to be bathed there, and that he ought to be taken to some other pond. So he said, "Look you, horsekeeper, even if a man gets the finest milky rice with the most delicious curry to eat, he will tire of it sooner or later. This horse has been bathed often enough at the ford here, take him to some other ford to rub him down and feed him." And so saying, he uttered the verse

"Feed the horse, then, O charioteer,

Now at one ford, now at another.
If one but eat it oft enough,

The finest rice surfeits a man!"

When they heard what he said, they took the horse to another ford, and there bathed and fed him. And as they were rubbing down the horse after watering him, the Bodisat went back to the king.

The king said, "Well, friend! has the horse had his bath and his drink?"

"It has, my Lord!"

'Why, then, did it refuse at first?"

"Just in this way," said he; and told him all.

The king gave the Bodisat much honour, saying, "He understands the motives even of such an animal as this. How wise he is!" And at the end of this life he passed away according to his deeds. And the Bodisat too passed away according to his deeds.

When the Master had finished this discourse in illustration of his saying ("Not now only, O mendicants, have I known this man's motive; formerly also I did so "), he made the connexion, and summed up the Jātaka, by saying, "The state charger of that time was this monk, the King was Ananda, but the wise minister was I myself."

END OF THE STORY OF THE FORD.

No. 26.

MAHILA-MUKHA JĀTAKA.

Evil communications corrupt good manners.

"By listening first to robbers" talk," etc.1-This the Master told when at Jetavana, about Devadatta. Devadatta became well-pleasing to Prince Ajāta-sattu, and had great gain and honour. The Prince had a monastery built for him at Gayā-sīsa, and five hundred vessels-full of food made of the finest old fragment-rice provided for him daily. Through this patronage Devadatta's following increased greatly, and he lived with his disciples in that monastery.

At that time there were two friends living at Rājagaha ; and one of them took the vows under the Teacher, the other under Devadatta. And they used to meet in different places, or go to the monasteries to see one another.

Now one day Devadatta's adherent said to the other, "Brother! why do you go daily with toil and trouble to beg your food? Ever since Devadatta was settled at the Gaya-sisa Monastery he is provided with the best of things to eat. That's the best way to manage. Why do you make labour for yourself? Wouldn't it be much

1 This Introductory Story is also told as the introduction to Jātakas Nos. 141 and 184.

VOL. I.

17

better for you to come in the morning to Gaya-sisa and enjoy really good food-drinking our excellent gruel, and eating from the eighteen kinds of dishes we get?"

When he had been pressed again and again, he became willing to go; and thenceforward he used to go to Gayāsīsa and take his meal, and return early to the Bambu Grove. But it was impossible to keep it secret for ever; and before long it was noised abroad that he went to Gaya-sisa and partook of the food provided for Devadatta. So his friends asked him if that were true. "Who has said such a thing?" said he. "Such and such a one," was the reply.

"Well, it is true, brethren, that I go and take my meals at Gaya-sīsa; but it is not Devadatta, it is the others who give me to eat."

"Brother! Devadatta is a bitter enemy of the Buddhas. The wicked fellow has curried favour with Ajāta-sattu, and won over his patronage by his wickedness. Yet you, who took the vows under a system so well able to lead you to Nirvana, now partake of food procured for Devadatta by his wickedness. Come! we must take you before the Master!" So saying, they brought him to the Lecture Hall.

The Master saw them, and asked, "What, then! are you come here, O mendicants! bringing this brother with you against his will?"

"Yes, Lord," said they. "This brother took the vows under you, and yet he partakes of the food which Devadatta's wickedness has earned for him."

The Teacher asked him whether this was true what they said.

"Lord!" replied he, "it is not Devadatta, but the others who give me food: that I do eat."

Then said the Teacher, "O monk, make no excuse for it. Devadatta is a sinful, wicked man. How then can you, who took the vows here, eat Devadatta's bread, even

while devoting yourself to my religion? Yet you always, even when right in those whom you honoured, used to follow also any one you met." And he told a tale.

Long ago, when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodisat became his minister. At that time the king had a state elephant, named 'Girly-face,' who was good and gentle, and would hurt nobody.

Now one day, robbers came at night-time to a place near his stall, and sat down not far from him, and consulted about their plans, saying, "Thus should a tunnel be broken through; thus should housebreaking be carried out; goods should be carried off only after the tunnel or the breach has been made clear and open as a road or a ford; the taker should carry off the things, even with murder, thus no one will be able to stand up against him; robbery must never be united with scruples of conduct, but with harshness, violence, and cruelty." Thus advising and instructing one another, they separated.

And the next day likewise, and so for many days they assembled there, and consulted together. When the elephant heard what they said, he thought, "It is me they are teaching. I am in future to be harsh, violent, and cruel." And he really became so.

Early in the morning an elephant keeper came there. Him he seized with his trunk, dashed to the ground, and slew. So, likewise, he treated a second and a third, slaying every one who came near him.

So they told the king that 'Girly-face' had gone mad, and killed every one he caught sight of. The King sent