--- title: Opening, part 16 — The grateful elephant · full text with trees · page 2 description: Opening, part 16, «The grateful elephant» by Eugene Watson Burlingame: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: Now at that moment the wise boar awoke, and hearing the words of the lioness, was delighted, and thought to himself: “This is the fruit of the --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74064/16/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 16 # Opening, part 16 · page 2 [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74064/16/) **2** When the griffin, the son of Vinatā, heard of that, he came and tried to induce Kadrū to release Vinatā from slavery.[61](../../61/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the snakes, the sons of Kadrū, said to the griffin, the son of Vinatā: “O griffin, the gods have begun to churn the sea of milk.[62](../../62/ "tree and pragmatics") Fetch thence the drink of immortality and give it to us as a substitute, and then take your mother away with you.”[63](../../63/ "tree and pragmatics") When the griffin heard these words, he went to the sea of milk and displayed his mighty prowess in order to obtain the drink of immortality.[64](../../64/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the god Vishnu, pleased with his mighty prowess, condescended to say to him: “I am pleased with thee; choose some boon.”[65](../../65/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the griffin, angry because his mother had been made a slave, asked the following boon of Vishnu: “May the snakes become my food!”[66](../../66/ "tree and pragmatics") Vishnu granted him this boon.[67](../../67/ "tree and pragmatics") Now Indra, king of the gods, listened to the conversation, and when the griffin, by his mighty prowess, had obtained the drink of immortality, he said to him: “O griffin, take steps to prevent the foolish snakes from consuming the drink of immortality, and to enable me to take it away from them again.”[68](../../68/ "tree and pragmatics") The griffin agreed, and elated by the boon of Vishnu, he went to the snakes with the vessel containing the drink of immortality.[69](../../69/ "tree and pragmatics") And he called out from afar to the snakes: “To you have I brought the drink of immortality.[70](../../70/ "tree and pragmatics") Take it, and release my mother.[71](../../71/ "tree and pragmatics") But if you are afraid, I will put it on a bed of darbha-grass.[72](../../72/ "tree and pragmatics") So soon as my mother is released, I will go; therefore take the drink of immortality thence.”[73](../../73/ "tree and pragmatics") Now the snakes were terrified by reason of the boon which Vishnu had granted to the griffin, and at once agreed to the bargain.[74](../../74/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the griffin set on a bed of darbha-grass the vessel containing the drink of immortality, and the snakes released his mother from slavery, and the griffin departed with her.[75](../../75/ "tree and pragmatics") But while the snakes, not suspicious of a ruse, were in the very act of taking the drink of immortality, Indra, king of the gods, suddenly swooped down, and confounding them with his mighty prowess, carried off the vessel containing the drink of immortality.[76](../../76/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the snakes in despair licked the bed of darbha-grass with their tongues, thinking that there might be so much as a drop of the drink of immortality spilt thereon; whereupon--wonderful to relate--their tongues became split, and they became double-tongued for nothing.[77](../../77/ "tree and pragmatics") Thus did the snakes fail to obtain the drink of immortality.[78](../../78/ "tree and pragmatics") And straightway their enemy the griffin, relying on the boon which he had obtained from Vishnu, swooped down on them and began to devour them.[79](../../79/ "tree and pragmatics") And this he did again and again.[80](../../80/ "tree and pragmatics") And he wrought such havoc among them that the snakes in Pātāla were nigh unto death from sheer fright, and their females miscarried, and the whole race of the snakes was nigh unto utter destruction.[81](../../81/ "tree and pragmatics") Then Vāsuki, king of the snakes, fearing that the whole race of the snakes would be rooted out, begged the griffin to relent, and made the following agreement with him: “O king of birds, every day, on the hill that rises out of the sand of the sea, I will send you a single snake to eat.[82](../../82/ "tree and pragmatics") But you must not commit the folly of entering Pātāla, for by destroying utterly the whole race of the snakes, you will only defeat your own purpose.”[83](../../83/ "tree and pragmatics") The griffin consented.[84](../../84/ "tree and pragmatics") So every day, on the hill that rises out of the sand of the sea, Vāsuki, king of the snakes, sends to the griffin, the king of the birds, a single snake to eat.[85](../../85/ "tree and pragmatics") And the griffin, the king of the birds, devours each day the snake which Vāsuki, king of the birds, sends to him to eat.[86](../../86/ "tree and pragmatics") These heaps of bones are the bones of the snakes which the griffin has eaten, and which, gradually accumulating, have come to look like the peak of a mountain.[87](../../87/ "tree and pragmatics") \_Fairy-prince and griffin.[88](../../88/ "tree and pragmatics") When Jīmūta-vāhana, the fairy-prince, embodiment of generosity and compassion towards all living beings, heard this story from the lips of his companion, he was pricked to the heart.[89](../../89/ "tree and pragmatics") And he said to his companion: “Of a truth, Vāsuki, king of the snakes, is to be pitied, for that, like a coward, he delivers with his own hand into the hands of his most bitter enemy the snakes that are his subjects.[90](../../90/ "tree and pragmatics") Since he has a thousand faces and a thousand mouths, why can he not say with one of his mouths to the griffin who is his enemy: ‘Eat me first, O griffin!’”[91](../../91/ "tree and pragmatics") Then did the noble-hearted Jīmūta-vāhana make the following Earnest Wish: “May I, by the sacrifice of my own body and blood, obtain Supreme Enlightenment!”[92](../../92/ "tree and pragmatics") At that moment a servant summoned Jīmūta-vāhana’s companion to return home, and Jīmūta-vāhana, embodiment of generosity and compassion towards all living beings, was left alone.[93](../../93/ "tree and pragmatics") And Jīmūta-vāhana roamed about alone, intent on carrying out the resolution which he had formed.[94](../../94/ "tree and pragmatics") And as he roamed about, he heard afar off a piteous sound of weeping.[95](../../95/ "tree and pragmatics") And drawing near, he beheld on a lofty slab of rock a youth of handsome appearance plunged in bitter grief.[96](../../96/ "tree and pragmatics") And by his side stood an officer of some monarch, as if he had brought him and left him there.[97](../../97/ "tree and pragmatics") And the youth was seeking to persuade an old woman who was weeping, to cease her weeping and return whence she had come.[98](../../98/ "tree and pragmatics") And Jīmūta-vāhana stood and listened, melted with pity, eager to know who he might be, and she.[99](../../99/ "tree and pragmatics") And the old woman, overwhelmed with the burden of her grief, began to look again and again at the youth, and to lament her misfortune in the following words: “Alas, my son! thou that wast obtained by me at the cost of a hundred bitter pangs\![100](../../100/ "tree and pragmatics") Alas, virtuous youth\![101](../../101/ "tree and pragmatics") Alas, only scion of our family, where shall I behold thee again?[102](../../102/ "tree and pragmatics") Bereft of thee, thy father will be plunged into the darkness of sorrow, and will not for long endure to live.[103](../../103/ "tree and pragmatics") That body of thine, which would suffer even from the torch of the sun’s rays,--how can it endure the agony of being devoured by the griffin?[104](../../104/ "tree and pragmatics") How comes it that Fate and the king of the snakes were able to discover thee, the only son of ill-starred me, though the world of the snakes is wide?”[105](../../105/ "tree and pragmatics") Thereupon the youth said: “Mother, I am afflicted enough as it is.[106](../../106/ "tree and pragmatics") Why do you afflict me more?[107](../../107/ "tree and pragmatics") Return to your home, I beg you.[108](../../108/ "tree and pragmatics") This is my last reverence to you.[109](../../109/ "tree and pragmatics") The griffin will soon be here.”[110](../../110/ "tree and pragmatics") When the old woman heard those words, she cast her sorrowful eyes all around the horizon, and cried aloud: “Alas, I am undone\![111](../../111/ "tree and pragmatics") Who will deliver my son from death?”[112](../../112/ "tree and pragmatics") Then Jīmūta-vāhana with joy and delight went up to the old woman and said: “Mother, I will deliver your son!”[113](../../113/ "tree and pragmatics") When the old woman heard those words, she was frightened and terrified, for she thought that the griffin had come.[114](../../114/ "tree and pragmatics") And straightway she cried out: “Eat me, O griffin! eat me!”[115](../../115/ "tree and pragmatics") Then said the youth her son: “Mother, be not afraid, for this is no griffin!”[116](../../116/ "tree and pragmatics") Then said Jīmūta-vāhana: “Mother, I am the prince of the fairies, disguised in the garb of a man.[117](../../117/ "tree and pragmatics") I am come to deliver your son from death.[118](../../118/ "tree and pragmatics") I will give my own body and blood to the hungry griffin.[119](../../119/ "tree and pragmatics") Therefore return to your home, and take your son with you.”[120](../../120/ "tree and pragmatics") But the old woman said: “By no means! for in a still higher sense you yourself are my very own son, since you have shown such a measure of compassion to me and my son at this time.”[121](../../121/ "tree and pragmatics") Then said Jīmūta-vāhana: “I have formed a resolution, and you must not defeat my purpose.”[122](../../122/ "tree and pragmatics") [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74064/16/) **2** - ← previous: [page 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74064/16/) - next →: [Opening, part 17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74064/17/) - ↑ back to [The grateful elephant](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74064/)