--- title: Opening, part 14 — The grateful elephant · full text with trees · page 2 description: Opening, part 14, «The grateful elephant» by Eugene Watson Burlingame: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: Said the Teacher: “Not only in his present state of existence has that village boy spoiled a garden; in a previous state of existence also he d --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74064/14/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 14 # Opening, part 14 · page 2 [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74064/14/) **2** \_24.[91](../../91/ "tree and pragmatics") Two Caravan-Leaders.[92](../../92/ "tree and pragmatics") \_Be prudent\![93](../../93/ "tree and pragmatics") \_A. Canonical version.[94](../../94/ "tree and pragmatics") Dīgha ii.[95](../../95/ "tree and pragmatics") 342-346.[96](../../96/ "tree and pragmatics") In olden times a great caravan of a thousand carts went from the eastern country to the western country.[97](../../97/ "tree and pragmatics") Wherever it went, very quickly were consumed grass, sticks, water, and pot-herbs.[98](../../98/ "tree and pragmatics") Now over that caravan were two caravan-leaders, one over five hundred carts, one over five hundred carts.[99](../../99/ "tree and pragmatics") And to these caravan-leaders occurred the following thought: “This is a great caravan of a thousand carts.[100](../../100/ "tree and pragmatics") Wherever we go, very quickly are consumed grass, sticks, water, and pot-herbs.[101](../../101/ "tree and pragmatics") Suppose we were to divide this caravan into two caravans of five hundred carts each!”[102](../../102/ "tree and pragmatics") They divided that caravan into two caravans, one of five hundred carts, one of five hundred carts.[103](../../103/ "tree and pragmatics") One caravan-leader only loaded his carts with abundant grass and sticks and water, and started his caravan forward.[104](../../104/ "tree and pragmatics") Now when he had proceeded a journey of two or three days, that caravan-leader saw coming in the opposite direction in a chariot drawn by asses, a black man with bloodshot eyes, with ungirt quiver, wearing a garland of lilies, his garments wet, the hair of his head wet, the wheels of his chariot smeared with mud.[105](../../105/ "tree and pragmatics") Seeing, he said this: “Whence, sir, do you come?”[106](../../106/ "tree and pragmatics") “From such-and-such a country.”[107](../../107/ "tree and pragmatics") “Whither do you intend to go?”[108](../../108/ "tree and pragmatics") “To such-and-such a country.”[109](../../109/ "tree and pragmatics") “Evidently, sir, farther on in the wilderness a heavy rain has been in progress.”[110](../../110/ "tree and pragmatics") “Yes, indeed, sir.[111](../../111/ "tree and pragmatics") Farther on in the wilderness a heavy rain has been in progress.[112](../../112/ "tree and pragmatics") The roads are drenched with water; abundant are grass and sticks and water.[113](../../113/ "tree and pragmatics") Throw away, sir, the old grass, sticks, and water; with lightly burdened carts go ever so quickly; do not overburden the conveyances.”[114](../../114/ "tree and pragmatics") Now that caravan-leader told his drivers what that man had said, and gave orders as follows: “Throw away the old grass, sticks, and water; with lightly burdened carts start the caravan forward.”[115](../../115/ "tree and pragmatics") “Yes, sir,” said those drivers to that caravan-leader.[116](../../116/ "tree and pragmatics") And in obedience to his command they threw away the old grass, sticks, and water, and with lightly burdened carts started the caravan forward.[117](../../117/ "tree and pragmatics") Neither in the first stage of the journey, nor in the second, nor in the third, nor in the fourth, nor in the fifth, nor in the sixth, nor in the seventh, did they see grass or sticks or water; they all met destruction and death.[118](../../118/ "tree and pragmatics") And all that were in that caravan, whether men or beasts, did that ogre, that demon, devour, leaving only the bare bones.[119](../../119/ "tree and pragmatics") When the second caravan-leader knew, “It is now a long time since that caravan started out,” he loaded his carts with abundant grass and sticks and water, and started his caravan forward.[120](../../120/ "tree and pragmatics") Now when he had proceeded a journey of two or three days, this caravan-leader saw coming in the opposite direction in a chariot drawn by asses, a black man with bloodshot eyes, with ungirt quiver, wearing a garland of lilies, his garments wet, the hair of his head wet, the wheels of his chariot smeared with mud.[121](../../121/ "tree and pragmatics") Seeing, he said this: “Whence, sir, do you come?”[122](../../122/ "tree and pragmatics") “From such-and-such a country.”[123](../../123/ "tree and pragmatics") “Whither do you intend to go?”[124](../../124/ "tree and pragmatics") “To such-and-such a country.”[125](../../125/ "tree and pragmatics") “Evidently, sir, farther on in the wilderness a heavy rain has been in progress.”[126](../../126/ "tree and pragmatics") “Yes, indeed, sir.[127](../../127/ "tree and pragmatics") Farther on in the wilderness a heavy rain has been in progress.[128](../../128/ "tree and pragmatics") The roads are drenched with water; abundant are grass and sticks and water.[129](../../129/ "tree and pragmatics") Throw away, sir, the old grass, sticks, and water; with lightly burdened carts go ever so quickly; do not overburden the conveyances.”[130](../../130/ "tree and pragmatics") Now that caravan-leader told his drivers what that man had said, adding: “This man surely is no friend of ours, no kinsman or blood-relative.[131](../../131/ "tree and pragmatics") How can we trust him on our journey?[132](../../132/ "tree and pragmatics") On no account must the old grass, sticks, and water, be thrown away.[133](../../133/ "tree and pragmatics") Start the caravan forward, leaving the things just as they are.[134](../../134/ "tree and pragmatics") I will not permit you to throw away the old.”[135](../../135/ "tree and pragmatics") “Yes, sir,” said those drivers to that caravan-leader.[136](../../136/ "tree and pragmatics") And in obedience to his command they started the caravan forward, leaving the things just as they were.[137](../../137/ "tree and pragmatics") Neither in the first stage of the journey, nor in the second, nor in the third, nor in the fourth, nor in the fifth, nor in the sixth, nor in the seventh, did they see grass or sticks or water; but they saw that caravan in destruction and ruin.[138](../../138/ "tree and pragmatics") And of those that were in that caravan, whether men or beasts, they saw only the bare bones, for they had been eaten by that ogre, by that demon.[139](../../139/ "tree and pragmatics") Thereupon that caravan-leader addressed his drivers: “This caravan here met destruction and ruin solely through the folly of that foolish caravan-leader who acted as its guide.[140](../../140/ "tree and pragmatics") Now then, throw away those wares in our own caravan which are of little worth, and take those wares in this other caravan which are of great worth.”[141](../../141/ "tree and pragmatics") “Yes, sir,” said those drivers to that caravan-leader.[142](../../142/ "tree and pragmatics") And in obedience to his command they threw away all those wares in their own caravan which were of little worth, and took those wares in that other caravan which were of great worth.[143](../../143/ "tree and pragmatics") And they passed in safety through that wilderness solely through the wisdom of that wise caravan-leader who acted as their guide.[144](../../144/ "tree and pragmatics") \_B. Uncanonical version.[145](../../145/ "tree and pragmatics") Jātaka 1: i. 95-106.[146](../../146/ "tree and pragmatics") One day a wealthy merchant, accompanied by five hundred disciples of heretical teachers, went to Jetavana monastery, saluted the Exalted One, presented offerings, and sat down.[147](../../147/ "tree and pragmatics") Likewise did those disciples of heretical teachers salute the Teacher and sit down, close beside the merchant.[148](../../148/ "tree and pragmatics") And they gazed at the countenance of the Teacher, resplendent with the glory of the full moon; at his form, a form like that of Great Brahmā, adorned with the greater and lesser marks of beauty, encircled with a radiance a fathom deep; at the solid rays of a Buddha which issued from his body, forming, as it were, garland after garland and pair after pair.[149](../../149/ "tree and pragmatics") And to them the Teacher, as it were a young lion roaring the lion’s roar on a table-land in the Himālaya mountains, as it were a cloud thundering in the rainy season, as it were bringing down the Heavenly Ganges, as it were weaving a rope of jewels, with a voice like that of Great Brahmā, endowed with the Eight Excellences, captivating the ear, delighting the heart, preached a pleasing discourse on the Doctrine, diversified in divers ways.[150](../../150/ "tree and pragmatics") The heretics, after listening to the discourse of the Teacher, believed in their hearts, and rising from their seats, burst asunder the refuge of the heretical teachers and sought refuge in the Buddha.[151](../../151/ "tree and pragmatics") From that time on they regularly accompanied the merchant to the monastery with offerings, listened to the Doctrine, gave alms, kept the Precepts, observed Fast-day.[152](../../152/ "tree and pragmatics") Now the Exalted One departed from Sāvatthi and went back again to Rājagaha.[153](../../153/ "tree and pragmatics") When the Teacher departed, the heretics burst that refuge asunder, sought refuge once more in the heretical teachers, lapsed once more into their former position.[154](../../154/ "tree and pragmatics") When the Exalted One returned to Sāvatthi and learned what had happened, he said to those backsliders: “Laymen, in former times also men mistook for a refuge what was no refuge at all, grasped with the grasp of reason, with the grasp of contradiction, and in a wilderness haunted by demons came to a sorry end, becoming the food of ogres.[155](../../155/ "tree and pragmatics") But men who laid hold of Truth absolute, certain, consistent, obtained safety in that very wilderness.”[156](../../156/ "tree and pragmatics") Having so said, he became silent.[157](../../157/ "tree and pragmatics") [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74064/14/) **2** - ← previous: [page 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74064/14/) - next →: [Opening, part 15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74064/15/) - ↑ back to [The grateful elephant](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74064/)