--- title: Opening, part 2 — The grateful elephant · full text with trees description: Opening, part 2, «The grateful elephant» by Eugene Watson Burlingame: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: The approximate date of these old canonical texts is now well established. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74064/2/) [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 2 # Opening, part 2 Opening, part 2 of «The grateful elephant» by Eugene Watson Burlingame: the whole text, 162 sentences and 2634 words. The small number after every sentence leads to its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. **1** [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74064/2/page/2/) The approximate date of these old canonical texts is now well established.[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") Numerous references to the Buddhist Scriptures in the Bhābrā edict of Asoka, about 250 B.C., and in the canonical work \_Kathāvatthu\_, of about the same date, amply justify the statement that the texts from which these eleven stories are taken are, in their present form, at least three or four centuries anterior to the Christian era.[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") It may interest the reader to know that these texts, originating in North India in the lifetime of Gotama, were handed down by oral tradition for many generations, were reduced to canonical form within a century or two of the death of Gotama, were carried to Ceylon in the third century B.C., were written down for the first time in the first century B.C., and were copied and recopied on palm-leaves by successive generations of scribes until comparatively recent times.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") The rest of the stories (except 25 and 26) are taken from the \_Book of the Buddha’s Previous Existences\_ or \_Jātaka Book\_.[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") This remarkable work, which also originated in North India, relates in mixed prose and verse the experiences of the Future Buddha in each of 550 states of existence previous to his rebirth as Gotama.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") The received text of this work represents a recension made in Ceylon early in the fifth century A.D., but much of the material is demonstrably many centuries older.[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") For example, the stanzas rank as canonical Scripture, older versions of some of the stories occur in the canonical texts, and many of the stories (including 4 and 7 and 22) are illustrated by Bharahat sculptures of the third century B.C.[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") Stories 25 and 26 are also \_Jātaka\_ tales, adapted from C. H. Tawney’s translation of the \_Kathāsaritsāgara\_.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") For the most part, the \_Jātaka\_ stories purport to relate incidents in Gotama’s previous states of existence as a human being.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") For example, as Prince Noble-heart (1), he triumphs over his enemies and succeeds to the throne of his father through the kindly offices of a grateful elephant.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") As a Brahman’s son (2), he befriends in turn a pampered prince, a snake, a rat, and a parrot, with the result that he is basely betrayed by the prince, but treated with profound gratitude by the three animals.[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") As King Brahmadatta (8), he overcomes anger with kindness, evil with good, the stingy with gifts, and the liar with truth.[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") As Prince Five-weapons (9), he overcomes the giant ogre Sticky-hair with the Weapon of Knowledge.[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") As a Brahman’s son (17 \_b\_), he frees his younger brother from the power of Jewel-neck, the dragon-king.[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") As a Brahman’s son (18 \_b\_), he teaches friendliness for all living beings.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") As a caravan-leader (24 \_b\_), he protects his companions from a troop of man-eating ogres.[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") As Jīmūta-vāhana, prince of the fairies (26), he offers the sacrifice of his body and blood for the welfare of all living beings.[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") Several of the stories purport to relate incidents in Gotama’s previous states of existence as an animal.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") For example, as a generous elephant (3), he gives his tusks to an ungrateful forester who has betrayed him.[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") As a merciful elephant (4), he spares the life of a tiny quail.[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") As a wise quail (5), he avoids the snares of a fowler.[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") As a brave lion (15), he averts the destruction of a host of frightened animals.[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") As a wise partridge (19 \_b\_), he serves as the preceptor of a monkey and an elephant.[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") As a wise quail (20 \_b\_), he outwits a hawk.[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") As a wise boar (25), he offers the sacrifice of his body and blood.[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") How did the Future Buddha come to be identified with the hero of each of these stories?[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") The stories themselves give us the answer.[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") For example, in the story of \_Brahmadatta and the prince\_ (6), we read that a high-minded prince generously forgave the murderer of his father and mother, returning good for evil and love for hatred.[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") In this, the oldest form of the story, the Future Buddha is not even mentioned.[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") But in a later form of the story, \_Jātaka\_ 371, we are expressly told that the generous prince was none other than the Future Buddha.[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") Stories 17, 18, 19, 20, 23, and 24 illustrate the same process in a very striking way.[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") Of each of these stories we have two versions, an earlier version from a canonical source, and a later version from an uncanonical source.[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") It will be observed that in the older versions the Future Buddha is not mentioned at all.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") But in the later versions he is identified in turn with a wise ascetic (17 \_b\_, 18 \_b\_), a wise partridge (19 \_b\_), a wise quail (20 \_b\_), an honest dicer (23 \_b\_), and a wise caravan-leader (24 \_b\_).[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") Originally a simple folk-tale, each of these stories has been converted into a birth-story by the simple literary device of identifying the highest and noblest character in the story with the Future Buddha.[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") This, of course, was a comparatively easy matter, for the Future Buddha, in his previous states of existence, was believed to have exhibited the qualities of wisdom, courage, and generosity, and there are few of the stories in which at least one of the characters does not exhibit one or another of these qualities.[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") The attempt to introduce the Future Buddha into the stories is not always carried out in a way to satisfy or convince the reader.[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") Thus, as an honest dicer (23 \_b\_), he violates Buddhist teaching by administering deadly poison to his companion, a dishonest dicer.[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") The latter must not, of course, be allowed to die.[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") The honest dicer is therefore made to administer an emetic to his companion and to admonish him.[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") As a wise quail (20 \_b\_), he again violates Buddhist teaching by saving his own life at the expense of his enemy’s life.[41](41/ "tree and pragmatics") Here the inconsistency is allowed to stand, and the story is used to illustrate the folly of walking in forbidden ground.[42](42/ "tree and pragmatics") In the case of some of the stories, the figure of the Future Buddha is, so to speak, lugged in by the heels.[43](43/ "tree and pragmatics") For example, little or nothing is gained by identifying the antelope caught in a trap (7) with the Future Buddha.[44](44/ "tree and pragmatics") As a Brahman’s pupil (10), and as a king’s counsellor (14), the Future Buddha offers only a word of advice.[45](45/ "tree and pragmatics") As a trader (21), and as a wise man (22), he is merely a spectator, and contents himself with remarking on the folly of misdirected effort.[46](46/ "tree and pragmatics") It is quite clear that in the case of these stories also we are dealing with simple folk-tales which have undergone only slight modification.[47](47/ "tree and pragmatics") Some of the stories have traveled all over the world.[48](48/ "tree and pragmatics") In the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth centuries, many of them found their way into the highways and byways of European literature.[49](49/ "tree and pragmatics") With Story 1, \_The grateful elephant\_, compare the story of Androclus and the lion, Aesop’s fable of the Lion and the Shepherd, and Gesta Romanorum 104.[50](50/ "tree and pragmatics") With Story 2, \_Grateful animals and ungrateful man\_, compare R. Schmidt, Panchatantra i. 9; C. H. Tawney, Kathāsaritsāgara ii.[51](51/ "tree and pragmatics") 103; E. Chavannes, Cinq Cents Contes 25; A. Schiefner, Tibetan Tales 26; Gesta Romanorum 119; and the following stories in Grimm, Kinder- und Hausmärchen: 17 Die weisse Schlange, 60 Die zwei Brüder, 62 Die Bienenkönigin, 85 Die Goldkinder, 107 Die beiden Wanderer, 126 Ferenand getrü und Ferenand ungetrü, 191 Das Meerhäschen.[52](52/ "tree and pragmatics") For additional parallels, see J. Bolte und G. Polivka, Anmerkungen zu den Kinder- und Hausmärchen der Brüder Grimm, Märchen 17, 62, 191.[53](53/ "tree and pragmatics") With Story 3, \_Elephant and ungrateful forester\_, compare E. Chavannes, Cinq Cents Contes 28.[54](54/ "tree and pragmatics") With Story 4, \_Quail, crow, fly, frog, and elephants\_, compare R. Schmidt, Panchatantra i. 18.[55](55/ "tree and pragmatics") Variants of Stories 5 and 7 form the frame-story of Panchatantra ii.[56](56/ "tree and pragmatics") With Story 5, \_Quails and fowler\_, compare C. H. Tawney, Kathāsaritsāgara ii.[57](57/ "tree and pragmatics") 48; J. Hertel, Tantrākhyāyika iii.[58](58/ "tree and pragmatics") 11; also Aesop’s fable of the Falconer and the Birds.[59](59/ "tree and pragmatics") With Story 7, \_Antelope, woodpecker, tortoise, and hunter\_, compare Mahābhārata xii.[60](60/ "tree and pragmatics") 138; C. H. Tawney, Kathāsaritsāgara i. 296; also Aesop’s fable of the Lion and the Mouse.[61](61/ "tree and pragmatics") With Story 6, \_Brahmadatta and the prince\_, compare E. Chavannes, Cinq Cents Contes 10; also Jātaka 371.[62](62/ "tree and pragmatics") With Story 8, \_Brahmadatta and Mallika\_, compare Mahābhārata iii.[63](63/ "tree and pragmatics") 194.[64](64/ "tree and pragmatics") **1** [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74064/2/page/2/) - ← previous: [Opening, part 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74064/1/) - next →: [page 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74064/2/page/2/) - ↑ back to [The grateful elephant](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74064/)