Page:Buddhist Birth Stories, or, Jātaka Tales.djvu/416

300 it. But the greedy amorous fish went right into the mouth of the net.

When the fishermen felt his coming in they pulled up the net, seized the fish, and threw it alive on the sand, and began to prepare a fire and a spit, intending to cook and eat it.

Then the fish lamented, saying to himself;

"The heat of the fire would not hurt me, nor the torture of the spit, nor any other pain of that sort; but that my wife should sorrow over me, thinking I must have deserted her for another, that is indeed a dire affliction!"

And he uttered this stanza —

"'Tis not the heat, 'tis not the cold, 'Tis not the torture of the net; But that my wife should think of me, 'He's gone now to another for delight.'"

Now just then the chaplain came down, attended by his slaves, to bathe at the ford. And he understood the language of all animals. So on hearing the fish's lament, he thought to himself:

"This fish is lamenting the lament of sin. Should he die in this unhealthy state of mind, he will assuredly be reborn in hell. I will save him."

And he went to the fishermen, and said —

"My good men! don't you furnish a fish for us every day for our curry?"

"What is this you are saying, sir?" answered the fishermen. "Take away any fish you like!"

"We want no other: only give us this one."

"Take it, then, sir."

The Bodisat took it up in his hands, seated himself at