Page:Buddhist Birth Stories, or, Jātaka Tales.djvu/397

Rh young Brāhman has determined to have the Commandments kept, and permits none to take life or to do anything else that is wrong. I'll make them keep the Commandments with a vengeance!"

And he went in a rage to the king, and said, "O king! there are a number of robbers going about sacking the villages!"

"Go, and bring them up!" said the king in reply.

And he went, and brought back all those men as prisoners, and had it announced to the king that the robbers were brought up. And the king, without inquiring what they had done, gave orders to have them all trampled to death by elephants!

Then they made them all lie down in the court-yard, and fetched the elephant. And the Bodisat exhorted them, saying, "Keep the Commandments in mind. Regard them all — the slanderer, and the king, and the elephant — with feelings as kind as you harbour towards yourselves!"

And they did so.

Then men led up the elephant; but though they brought him to the spot, he would not begin his work, but trumpeted forth a mighty cry, and took to flight. And they brought up another and another, but they all ran away.

"There must be some drug in their possession," said the king; and gave orders to have them searched. So they searched, but found nothing, and told the king so.

"Then they must be repeating some spell. Ask them if they have any spell to utter."

The officials asked them, and the Bodisat said there was. And they told the king, and he had them all called before him, and said, "Tell me that spell you know!"