--- title: Opening, part 10 — The grateful elephant · full text with trees · page 2 description: Opening, part 10, «The grateful elephant» by Eugene Watson Burlingame: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: Having given him the little hatchet, Sakka went to the second ascetic and asked: “Reverend Sir, what do you need?” --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74064/10/page/2/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [The grateful elephant](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74064/) / Opening, part 10 # Opening, part 10 · page 2 [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74064/10/) **2** In the course of time the nimbs grew up.[79](../../79/ "tree and pragmatics") Roots with roots, branches with branches, were in contact, entangled, intertwined.[80](../../80/ "tree and pragmatics") Merely through this contact with the sour, unpalatable nimbs, the sweet fruit of the mango turned bitter, and its flavor became like the flavor of the leaves of the nimbs.[81](../../81/ "tree and pragmatics") The gardener, knowing that the fruit of the mango had turned bitter, fled.[82](../../82/ "tree and pragmatics") The king went to the garden and ate a mango fruit.[83](../../83/ "tree and pragmatics") As soon as he put the mango into his mouth, perceiving that the juice tasted like the vile juice of the nimb, he was unable to swallow it, and coughing it up, spat it out.[84](../../84/ "tree and pragmatics") Now at that time the Future Buddha was his counsellor in temporal and spiritual matters.[85](../../85/ "tree and pragmatics") The king addressed the Future Buddha: “Wise man, this tree is just as well cared for now as it was of old.[86](../../86/ "tree and pragmatics") But in spite of this, its fruit has turned bitter.[87](../../87/ "tree and pragmatics") What, pray, is the reason?”[88](../../88/ "tree and pragmatics") And by way of inquiry he uttered the first stanza:[89](../../89/ "tree and pragmatics") Color, fragrance, flavor, had this mango before.[90](../../90/ "tree and pragmatics") Receiving the same honor, why has the mango bitter fruit?[91](../../91/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the Future Buddha told him the reason by uttering the second stanza:[92](../../92/ "tree and pragmatics") Your mango, O king, is surrounded with nimbs, Root touches root, branches entwine about branches.[93](../../93/ "tree and pragmatics") Through contact with the bad, therefore your mango has bitter fruit.[94](../../94/ "tree and pragmatics") The king, hearing his words, had every one of the nimbs and pot-herbs chopped down, the roots pulled up, the sour earth round about removed, sweet earth put in its place, and the mango fed with milk and water, sweetened water, and perfumed water.[95](../../95/ "tree and pragmatics") Through contact with sweet juices the mango became perfectly sweet again.[96](../../96/ "tree and pragmatics") The king gave the regular gardener sole charge of the garden, and after living out his allotted term of life, passed away according to his deeds.[97](../../97/ "tree and pragmatics") 15.[98](../../98/ "tree and pragmatics") \_A Buddhist Henny-Penny.[99](../../99/ "tree and pragmatics") \_Much ado about nothing.[100](../../100/ "tree and pragmatics") Jātaka 322: iii.[101](../../101/ "tree and pragmatics") 74-78.[102](../../102/ "tree and pragmatics") On a certain occasion the Teacher, referring to the self-mortification of the Hindu ascetics, said to the monks: “Monks, there is no value, no merit, in their self-mortification.[103](../../103/ "tree and pragmatics") It is like the ‘rat-a-tat’ the little hare heard.”[104](../../104/ "tree and pragmatics") Said the monks: “We do not understand what you mean by saying that it is like the ‘rat-a-tat’ the little hare heard.[105](../../105/ "tree and pragmatics") Tell us about it, Reverend Sir.”[106](../../106/ "tree and pragmatics") So in response to their request the Teacher related the following Story of the Past:[107](../../107/ "tree and pragmatics") In times past, when Brahmadatta ruled at Benāres, the Future Buddha was reborn as a lion, and when he grew up, lived in a forest.[108](../../108/ "tree and pragmatics") At that time, near the Western Ocean, grew a grove of cocoanut trees intermingled with Vilva trees.[109](../../109/ "tree and pragmatics") There, at the foot of a Vilva tree, under a cocoanut sapling, lived a little hare.[110](../../110/ "tree and pragmatics") One day, returning with food, he lay down under a cocoanut leaf and thought: “If this earth should collapse, what would ever become of me?”[111](../../111/ "tree and pragmatics") At that very instant a Vilva fruit fell on top of the cocoanut leaf.[112](../../112/ "tree and pragmatics") At the sound of it the little hare thought: “This earth is certainly collapsing!”[113](../../113/ "tree and pragmatics") And springing to his feet, back he ran, without so much as taking a look.[114](../../114/ "tree and pragmatics") As he was running away as fast as he could in fear of death, another little hare saw him and asked: “Why, pray, are you running away in such a fright?”[115](../../115/ "tree and pragmatics") “Oh, don’t ask me!”[116](../../116/ "tree and pragmatics") And he kept right on running, in spite of the fact that the other little hare kept asking: “Oh! what is it?[117](../../117/ "tree and pragmatics") Oh! what is it?”[118](../../118/ "tree and pragmatics") The other little hare turned around, and without so much as taking a look, said: “The earth is collapsing here!”[119](../../119/ "tree and pragmatics") He also ran away, following the first.[120](../../120/ "tree and pragmatics") In the same way a third little hare saw the second, and a fourth the third, until finally there were a hundred thousand little hares running away together.[121](../../121/ "tree and pragmatics") A deer saw them,--also a boar, an elk, a buffalo, an ox, a rhinoceros, a tiger, a lion, and an elephant.[122](../../122/ "tree and pragmatics") Seeing, each asked: “What’s this?”[123](../../123/ "tree and pragmatics") “The earth is collapsing here!”[124](../../124/ "tree and pragmatics") Each ran away.[125](../../125/ "tree and pragmatics") Thus, in the course of time, there was an army of animals a league in size.[126](../../126/ "tree and pragmatics") At that time the Future Buddha, seeing that army running away, asked: “What’s this?”[127](../../127/ "tree and pragmatics") “The earth is collapsing here!”[128](../../128/ "tree and pragmatics") When the Future Buddha heard this, he thought: “No such thing\![129](../../129/ "tree and pragmatics") The earth is collapsing nowhere\![130](../../130/ "tree and pragmatics") It must certainly be that they failed to understand something they heard.[131](../../131/ "tree and pragmatics") But if I do not put forth effort, they will all perish.[132](../../132/ "tree and pragmatics") I will grant them their lives.”[133](../../133/ "tree and pragmatics") With the speed of a lion he preceded them to the foot of a mountain and thrice roared the roar of a lion.[134](../../134/ "tree and pragmatics") Terrified with fear of the lion, they turned around and stood all huddled together.[135](../../135/ "tree and pragmatics") The lion made his way in among them and asked: “Why are you running away?”[136](../../136/ "tree and pragmatics") “The earth is collapsing!”[137](../../137/ "tree and pragmatics") “Who saw it collapsing?”[138](../../138/ "tree and pragmatics") “The elephants know.”[139](../../139/ "tree and pragmatics") He asked the elephants.[140](../../140/ "tree and pragmatics") Said the elephants: “We don’t know; the lions know.”[141](../../141/ "tree and pragmatics") Said the lions: “We don’t know; the tigers know.”[142](../../142/ "tree and pragmatics") The tigers: “The rhinoceroses know.”[143](../../143/ "tree and pragmatics") The rhinoceroses: “The oxen know.”[144](../../144/ "tree and pragmatics") The oxen: “The buffaloes.”[145](../../145/ "tree and pragmatics") The buffaloes: “The elks.”[146](../../146/ "tree and pragmatics") The elks: “The boars.”[147](../../147/ "tree and pragmatics") The boars: “The deer.”[148](../../148/ "tree and pragmatics") The deer: “We don’t know; the little hares know.”[149](../../149/ "tree and pragmatics") When the little hares were asked, they pointed out that little hare and said: “He’s the one that told us.”[150](../../150/ "tree and pragmatics") So the lion asked the little hare: “Friend, is it true, as you say, that the earth is collapsing?”[151](../../151/ "tree and pragmatics") “Yes, master, I saw it.”[152](../../152/ "tree and pragmatics") “Where were you living when you saw it?” asked the lion.[153](../../153/ "tree and pragmatics") “Near the Western Ocean, in a grove of cocoanut trees mingled with Vilva trees.[154](../../154/ "tree and pragmatics") For there, at the foot of a Vilva tree, under a cocoanut sapling, beneath a cocoanut leaf, I lay and thought: ‘If the earth collapses, where shall I go?’[155](../../155/ "tree and pragmatics") That very instant I heard the sound of the earth collapsing.[156](../../156/ "tree and pragmatics") So I ran away.”[157](../../157/ "tree and pragmatics") The lion thought: “Evidently a Vilva fruit fell on top of that cocoanut leaf and made a ‘rat-a-tat,’ and this hare here, hearing that sound, came to the conclusion: ‘The earth is collapsing!’[158](../../158/ "tree and pragmatics") I will find out for a fact.”[159](../../159/ "tree and pragmatics") So the lion, taking the little hare with him, reassured the throng, saying: “I am going to find out for a fact whether or not the earth collapsed at the spot where the little hare saw what he saw; having so done, I will return.[160](../../160/ "tree and pragmatics") Until I return, all of you remain right here.”[161](../../161/ "tree and pragmatics") So taking the little hare on his back, he sprang forward with the speed of a lion.[162](../../162/ "tree and pragmatics") And setting the little hare down in the cocoanut grove, he said: “Come, show me the spot where you saw what you saw.”[163](../../163/ "tree and pragmatics") “I don’t dare, master.”[164](../../164/ "tree and pragmatics") “Come, don’t be afraid.”[165](../../165/ "tree and pragmatics") The little hare, not daring to approach the Vilva tree, stood no great distance off and said: “That, master, is the spot where it went ‘rat-a-tat.’”[166](../../166/ "tree and pragmatics") So saying, he uttered the first stanza:[167](../../167/ "tree and pragmatics") “Rat-a-tat” it went,--I wish you luck,-- In the region where I dwell.[168](../../168/ "tree and pragmatics") But as for me, I do not know What made that “rat-a-tat.”[169](../../169/ "tree and pragmatics") [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74064/10/) **2** - ← previous: [page 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74064/10/) - next →: [Opening, part 11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74064/11/) - ↑ back to [The grateful elephant](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74064/)