No. 236.

BAKA-JATAKA.

"See that twice-born bird," etc.--This story the Master told while staying in Jetavana, about a hypocrite. When he was brought before the Master, the Master said, "Brethren, he was a hypocrite of old just as he is now," and told the following story.

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[234] Once on a time, when Brahmadatta was king of Benares, the Bodhisatta became a Fish in a certain pond in the Himalaya region, and a great shoal went with him. Now a Crane desired to eat the fish. So in a place near the pond he drooped his head, and spread out his wings, and looked vacantly, vacantly at the fish, waiting till they were off their guard . At the same moment the Bodhisatta with his shoal came to that place in search of food. And the shoal of fish on seeing the crane uttered the first stanza:--

"See that twice-born bird, how white--
Like a water-lily seeming;
Wings outspread to left and right--
Oh, how pious! dreaming, dreaming!"

Then the Bodhisatta looked, and uttered the second stanza:

"What he is ye do not know,
Or you would not sing his praises.
He is our most treacherous foe;
That is why no wing he raises."

Thereupon the fish splashed in the water and drove the crane away.

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When this discourse was ended, the Master identified the Birth:--"This hypocrite was the Crane, and I was the chief of the shoal of fish."

Footnotes

^162:1 A crane's sleep" is an Indian proverb for trickery.

^162:2 dijo is used of a bird as born in the egg and from the egg. It is also applied to Brahmins, and so conveys an additional notion of piety.

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