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The smoke annoyed the young birds, and they uttered a cry. The men said : " 'Tis the cry of birds — we will make a fire and eat their flesh." They made the fire blaze and built it up. But the Mother- Bird heard the sound, and thought : " These men will eat our young ones. I will send my mate to the Great Osprey." This she did, and the bird promised to help. He sat upon a tree-top near that in which the Hawks had built their nests, and no THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP 27 sooner did the men begin to climb up the tree than the Osprey dived into the lake, and from wings and back sprinkled water upon the brands and put the tire out. Down came the men and made another fire, but again the Osprey put it out, and this went on until midnight. And the bird was tired out and his eyes were bloodshot. And the Mother - Bird whispered to her mate : " My lord, the Osprey is worn out ! Go and tell the Tortoise, that this weary bird may have a rest." But the Osprey in a loud voice said he would gladly give his life to guard the tree. And the grateful Hawk said : "I pray thee, friend Osprey, rest awhile." Then he went for help to the Tortoise, who said he would gladly help, but his son said : " I would not have my old father troubled, but I will gladly go in his stead." And the Tortoise collected mud and quenched the flame. Then said the men : " Let us kill the Tortoise : he will be enough for all." But when they plucked creepers to bind him and tried to turn him over, he dragged them into the water. And they 28 THE BUDDHA (TO BE) AS OSPREY said : " What strange things have happened to us ! Half the night the Osprey has put out our fire, and now the Tortoise has dragged us in after him and made us swallow water. Let us light another fire, and at sunrise we will eat these young Hawks." The Hen-Bird heard the noise and said : " My husband — sooner or later these men will devour our young and depart. You go and tell our friend the Lion." At once the Hawk went to the Lion, who asked him why he came at such an unreasonable hour. But when the whole matter was put before him, he said : " Go and comfort your young ones, for I will save them." And then he came forth with a mighty tread, and the men were terrified. " Alas ! " they cried. " The Osprey hath put out our fire. The Tortoise dragged us into the water. But now we are done for : the Lion will destroy us at once." They ran this way and that, and when the noble beast stood at the foot of the tree, no trace could be found of the frightened men. Then the Osprey, the Hawk, the She- Hawk, and the Tortoise came up to greet THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP 29 him, and they discoursed for a long time on the value of friendship. And this company of friends lived all their lives without breaking their bond. And they passed away according to their deeds. THE TRUE MEANING OF GIVING THE BUDDHA (TO BE) AS KING I ILLUSTRATING THE TRUE MEANING OF GIVING Long, long ago the Wisdom Child that should in time become the Buddha was born a King. He was kind and generous, dis- tributing all sorts of alms to the poor ; nor did he leave the work to those under him : he took a personal part in the giving of the gifts — and nearly every day came himself to the Alms Hall to see that none went away empty-handed. But one morning, as he lay meditating on what he still might do for his people, he began to feel that, after all, he had done no very great thing, and he said : "I have given to my people only outside things— the mere gold and silver and raiment and food that I can well spare, and lo ! this giving 33 c 34 THE BUDDHA (TO BE) AS KING brings me no joy. If I could only give my people part of myself — some precious thing which would show my love for them — what- ever it might cost me ! And if to-day, when I go down to the Alms Hall, one should say, * Give me thy heart,' then, in truth, I will cut open my breast with a spear, and, as though I were drawing up a water-lily from a calm lake, I will pull forth my heart. If he asks my flesh and blood, behold I will give it to him. If he complain that there is no other to do his work, then I will leave my royal throne, and, proclaiming myself a slave, I will do the work of a slave — and, indeed, should any man ask for my eyes, the most precious gift of the gods, then will I tear them out as one might tear the pith from the palm-tree." Then he bathed himself, and, mounted upon a richly caparisoned elephant, he rode down to the Alms Hall, his heart filled with love for his people. Now Sakka, the King of the Gods, heard the resolve of the King, and he thought to test him, whether his words were vain ; whether it were a sudden mood which would THE TRUE MEANING OF GIVING 35 pass away when the moment came to carry out his stern resolution. So, when the King came down to the Alms Hall, Sakka stood before him, in the guise of an old blind Brahmin, who, stretching out his hands, cried out : " Long live the King ! " And the King made sign for him to say what was in his heart. " O great King," said the blind Brahmin — " in all the inhabited world there is no spot where the fame of thy great heart has not spread. I am blind, but thou, O King, hast two eyes — I therefore beseech thee, give me one, that 1 too may behold the glories of the Earth ! " Then did the King rejoice greatly that this opportunity should have come to him so quickly, but not wishing to show at once the joy he felt in his heart, he said : " O Brahmin, I pray thee tell me, who bade thee wend thy way to this alms-house ? Thou askest of me the most precious thing that a man possesses, and lo ! it is very hard to give ! " And the Brahmin made answer : " Behold, a god has sent me hither, and has told me to ask this boon." S6 THE BUDDHA (TO BE) AS KING And the King said : " Thy prayer is granted : thou didst ask for one eye, behold I will give thee both eyes." And then the news spread quickly through the town that the King was about to give his eyes to a blind Brahmin, and the Com- mander-in-Chief and all the officials gathered together that they might turn the King from his purpose. And they said : " O great King, are there not other gifts which thou canst bestow upon this sightless Brahmin — money, jewels, elephants with cloth of gold ? Why shouldst thou give to him that most precious of gifts, thy royal eyes ? " And the King said : " Behold, I have taken this vow, and I should be sinful if I were to break it." And the courtiers said : " O King, why doest thou this thing ? Is it for Life, or Beauty or Strength ? " The King answered : " It is for none of these things : it is for the joy of giving." Then the King bid the Surgeon do his work. And when one of his eyes was taken out, he gave it to the Brahmin, and it remained THE TRUE MEANING OF GIVING 37 fixed in his socket like a blue lotus flower in bloom. And the King said : " The eye that sees all things is greater than this eye," and, being filled with ecstasy of joy, he gave the second eye. And after many days and much suffering, the King's sight was restored to him — not the natural eyes which see the things around — but the eyes which see perfect and absolute Truth. And he reigned in righteousness and justice, and the people learnt of him pure wisdom, FILIAL PIETY THE BUDDHA (TO Be) AS PARROT I ILLUSTRATING FILIAL PIETY Now it came to pass that the Buddha was re - born in the shape of a Parrot, and he greatly excelled all other parrots in his strength and beauty. And when he was full grown his father, who had long been the leader of the flock in their nights to other climes, said to him : " My son, behold my strength is spent ! Do thou lead the flock, for I am no longer able." And the Buddha said : " Behold, thou shaft rest. I will lead the birds." And the Parrots rejoiced in the strength of their new leader, and willingly did they follow him. Now from that day on, the Buddha undertook to feed his parents, and would not consent that they should do any more work. Each day he led his flock 41 42 THE BUDDHA (TO BE) AS PARROT to the Himalaya Hills, and when he had eaten his fill of the clumps of rice that grew there, he filled his beak with food for the dear parents who were waiting his return.