Page:Buddhist Birth Stories, or, Jātaka Tales.djvu/353

 No. 21.

KURUNGA-MIGA JĀTAKA.

The Wily Antelope.

"The Kurunga knows full well," etc. — This the teacher told while at Jetavana about Devadatta.

For once when the monks had assembled in the lecture hall, they sat talking of Devadatta's wickedness, saying, "Brother Devadatta has suborned archers, and hurled down a rock, and sent forth Dhanapālaka the elephant; in every possible way he goes about to slay the Sage."

The Teacher came, and sat down on the seat reserved for him, and asked, "What is it, then, Mendicants, you are sitting here talking about?"

"Lord! we were talking about the wickedness of Devadatta in going about to slay you."

The Teacher answered, "Not now only, O mendicants, has Devadatta gone about to slay me; formerly, too, he did the same, and was unsuccessful in his endeavour."

And he told a tale.

Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodisat became a and lived in his forest home, feeding on fruits. And at one