[paragraph continues] And the lion resting his mouth upon the Elephant's temple, roared thrice, without any manner of doubt. The elephants were terrified and dropped the Jackal down at their feet; they trampled upon his head and crushed it to atoms. Then and there Sabbadatha perished. And the elephants, hearing the roar of the lion, were frightened to death, and wounding one another, they all perished there. The rest of the creatures, deer and swine, down to the hares and cats, perished then and there, all except the lions; and these ran off and took to the woods. There was a heap of carcases covering the ground for twelve leagues.

The Bodhisatta came down from the tower, and had the gates of the city thrown open. By beat of drum he caused proclamation to be made throughout the city: "Let all the people take the flour from out of their ears, and they that desire meat, meat let them take!" The people all ate what meat they could fresh, and the rest they dried and preserved.

It was at this time, according to tradition, that people first began to dry meat.

_____________________________

The Master having finished this discourse, identified the Birth by the following verses, full of divine wisdom:

"Even as the Jackal, stiff with pride,
Craved for a mighty host on every side,
And all toothed creatures came
Flocking around, until he won great fame:

"Even so the man who is supplied
With a great host of men on every side,
As great renown has he
As had the Jackal in his sovranty."

[246] "In those days Devadatta was the Jackal, Ananda was the king, and I was the chaplain."

Footnotes

^168:1 Folk-Lore Journal, iv. 60.

^168:2 A great elephant was let loose for the purpose of destroying the Buddha, but only did him reverence: Cullavagga, vii. 3. 11 (S. B. E., Vinaya Texts, iii. 247); Hardy, Manual of Buddhism, p. 320; Milinda-panha iv. 4. 30 (trans. in S. B. E., i. 288).

^168:3 Perhaps ajanami "I do know you."

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