Page:Buddhist Birth Stories, or, Jātaka Tales.djvu/356

 No. 22.

KUKKURA JĀTAKA.

The Dog who turned Preacher.

"The dogs brought up in the king's house," etc. — This the Teacher told, while at Jetavana, about benefiting one's relations. This will be explained in the Bhadda-sāla Jātaka in the Twelfth Book. In confirmation of what is there related, he told a tale.

Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodisat, in consequence of an act which would have that effect, came to life as a dog, and lived in a great cemetery attended by a troop of several hundred dogs.

Now, one day the king mounted his state-chariot, drawn by milk-white steeds, went to his park, amused himself there the rest of the day, and after sunset returned to the city. And they put the carriage harness, just as it had been used, in the courtyard.

There was rain in the night, and the harness got wet. The royal dogs, too, came down from the flat roof of the palace, and gnawed at the leather work and straps. The