they inculcate is elevated, sweet, sane, and possible of attainment by the struggling disciples. That part of the "Pitakas" which contains all this is called "The Book of the Five Hundred and Fifty Jatakas (or Births)." The stories were gathered in one collection by his disciples after Gautama's death. Some of the Birth-Stories are found in the collection called the "Hitopadesa," or "Book of Good Counsel," which is part of the more ancient book called the "Pancha Tantra."

Recent research carries us further still. Esop is familiarly known as a writer of stories and fables, and is supposed to have flourished in the sixth century B.C. He is quoted thus by Plato, Aristophanes, Aristotle, and Lucian. But the Greek fables which are now called Esop's are really not Æsopian; that collection was formed by Planudes, a learned monk of Constantinople, in the early part of the fifteenth century. He borrowed the name of the old fabulist and called his work "Esop's Fables." Two supplementary collections subsequently appeared. From these, and especially from the work of Planudes, all our so-called "Esop's Fables" are derived. Many of these are traced back to the Buddhist Jataka book, and almost the whole are probably derived from Indian sources; thus the children of the East and the children of the West, and older folk, have alike been instructed and amused by practically the same stories found in the "Pancha Tantra," "The Lights of Canopus," "The Kalilah and Dimnah," "The Bidpai Tales," "Esop's Fables," and the "Buddhist Birth Stories," "The Five Hundred and Fifty Jatakas of the Three Pitakas."

THE JUDGMENT OF BUDDHA.

THIS story which resembles the Biblical story of the Judgment of Solomon is of later date, but was probably not derived from it.

A woman, carrying her child, went to the future Buddha's tank to wash. And having first bathed the child, she put on her upper garment and descended into the water to bathe herself. Then a Yakshini [a cannibal witch], seeing the child, had a craving to eat it. And taking the form of a woman, she drew near, and asked the mother-" Friend, this is a very pretty child; is it one of yours?" And when she was told it

was, she asked if she might nurse it. And this being allowed, she nursed it a little and then carried it off. But when the mother saw this, she ran after her, and cried out, "Where are you taking my child to?" and caught hold of her.

The Yakshini boldly said, "Where did you get the child from? It is mine!" And so quarreling, they passed the door of the future Buddha's Judgment Hall. He heard the noise, sent for them, inquired into the matter, and asked them whether they would abide by his decision. And they agreed. Then he had a line drawn on the ground; and told the Yakshini to take hold of the child's arms, and the mother to take hold of its legs; and said, "The child shall be hers who drags him over the line." But as soon as they pulled at him, the mother, seeing how he suffered, grieved as if her heart would break; and letting him go, she stood there weeping.

Then the future Buddha asked the bystanders, "Whose hearts are tender to babes? those who have borne children, or those who have not?" And they answered, "O Sire! the hearts of mothers are tender." Then he said, “Who, think you, is the mother? she who has the child in her arms, or she who has let go?" And they answered, "She who has let go is the mother.”

And he said, "Then do you all think that the other was the thief?" And they answered, "Sire! we cannot tell." And he said, "Verily this is a Yakshini, who took the child to eat it." And they asked, "O Sire! how did you know it?" And he replied, "Because her eyes winked not, and were red, and she knew no fear, and had no pity, I knew it." And so saying, he demanded of the thief, "Who are you ?" And she said, "Lord! I am a Yakshini." And he asked, "Why did you take away this child?" And she said, "I thought to eat him, O my Lord!"

And he rebuked her, saying, "O foolish woman! For your former sins you have been born a Yakshini, and now do you still sin?" And he laid a vow upon her to keep the Five Commandments, and let her go. But the mother of the child exalted the future Buddha, and said, "O my Lord! O Great Physician! may thy life be long!" And she went away, with her babe clasped to her bosom.

TA

SAKKA'S PRESENTS.

THIS incongruous story is the most ancient Indian tale in which inanimate objects are endowed with magical properties. For still more ancient Egyptian tales of magic, see Volume I., p. 33.

Once upon a time, when Brahma-datta was reigning in Benares, four brothers, Brahmans, of that kingdom, devoted themselves to an ascetic life; and having built themselves huts at equal distances in the region of the Himalaya mountains, took up their residence there.

The eldest of them died, and was re-born as the god Sakka. When he became aware of this, he used to go and render help at intervals of seven or eight days to the others. And one day, having greeted the eldest hermit, and sat down beside him, he asked him, "Reverend Sir, what are you in need of?"

The hermit, who suffered from jaundice, answered, "1 want fire!" So he gave him a double-edged hatchet. But the hermit said, "Who is to take this and bring me firewood?" Then Sakka spake thus to him, "Whenever, reverend Sir, you want firewood, you should let go the hatchet from your hand, and say, 'Please fetch me firewood: make me fire!' And it will do so."

So he gave him the hatchet; and went to the second her mit and asked, "Reverend Sir, what are you in need of?" Now the elephants had made a track for themselves close to his hut. And he was annoyed by those elephants, and said, "I am much troubled by elephants; drive them away." Sakka, handing him a drum, said, "Reverend Sir, if you strike on this side of it, your enemies will take to flight; but if you strike on the other side, they will become friendly, and surround you on all sides with an army in fourfold array, infantry, cavalry, chariots and elephants."

So he gave him the drum; and went to the third hermit, and asked, "Reverend Sir, what are you in need of?" He was also affected with jaundice, and said, therefore, "I want sour milk." Sakka gave him a milk-bowl, and said, "If you wish for anything, and turn this bowl over, it will become

a great river, and pour out such a torrent, that it will be able to take a kingdom and give it to you."

And Sakka went away. But thenceforward the hatchet made fire for the eldest hermit; when the second struck one side of his drum, the elephants ran away; and the third enjoyed his curds.

Now at that time a wild boar, straying in a forsaken village, saw a gem of magical power. When he seized this in his mouth, he rose by its magic into the air, and went to an island in the midst of the ocean. Then thinking, "Here now I ought to live," he descended, and took up his abode in a convenient spot under an Udumbara-tree. And one day, placing the gem before him, he fell asleep at the foot of the

tree.

Now a certain man of the land of Kasi had been expelled from home by his parents, who said, "This fellow is of no use to us." So he went to a seaport, and embarked in a ship as a servant to the sailors. And the ship was wrecked; but by the help of a plank he reached that very island. And while he was looking about for fruits, he saw the boar asleep; and going softly up, he took hold of the gem.

Then by its magical power he straightway rose right up into the air! So, taking a seat on the Udumbara-tree, he said to himself, "Methinks this boar must have become a sky-walker through the magic power of this gem. That's how he came to be living here! It's plain enough what I ought to do; first of all I'll kill and eat him, and then I can get away!"

So he broke a twig off the tree and dropped it on his head. The boar woke up, and not seeing the gem, ran about, trembling, this way and that way. The man seated on the tree laughed. The boar, looking up, saw him, and dashing his head against the tree, died on the spot. But the man descended, cooked his flesh, ate it and rose into the air.

As he passed along the summit of the Himalaya range, he saw a hermitage; and descending at the hut of the eldest hermit, he stayed there two or three days and waited on the hermit; and thus became aware of the magic power of the hatchet.

SAKKA'S PRESENTS.

THIS incongruous story is the most ancient Indian tale in which inanimate objects are endowed with magical properties. For still more ancient Egyptian tales of magic, see Volume I., p. 33.

Once upon a time, when Brahma-datta was reigning in Benares, four brothers, Brahmans, of that kingdom, devoted themselves to an ascetic life; and having built themselves huts at equal distances in the region of the Himalaya mountains, took up their residence there.

The eldest of them died, and was re-born as the god Sakka. When he became aware of this, he used to go and render help at intervals of seven or eight days to the others. And one day, having greeted the eldest hermit, and sat down beside him, he asked him, "Reverend Sir, what are you in need of?"

The hermit, who suffered from jaundice, answered, "I want fire!" So he gave him a double-edged hatchet. But the hermit said, "Who is to take this and bring me firewood?" Then Sakka spake thus to him, "Whenever, reverend Sir, you want firewood, you should let go the hatchet from your hand, and say, 'Please fetch me firewood: make me fire!' And it will do so."

So he gave him the hatchet; and went to the second hermit and asked, "Reverend Sir, what are you in need of?” Now the elephants had made a track for themselves close to his hut. And he was annoyed by those elephants, and said, "I am much troubled by elephants; drive them away." Sakka, handing him a drum, said, "Reverend Sir, if you strike on this side of it, your enemies will take to flight; but if you strike on the other side, they will become friendly, and surround you on all sides with an army in fourfold array, infantry, cavalry, chariots and elephants."

So he gave him the drum; and went to the third hermit, and asked, "Reverend Sir, what are you in need of?" He was also affected with jaundice, and said, therefore, "I want sour milk." Sakka gave him a milk-bowl, and said, "If wish for anything, and turn this bowl over, it will become

you