Reading Notes: Jataka Tales Part B

Elephant lifting logs for the carpenters. Source: Wikimedia.

The Kings White Elephant, from Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt

There were some carpenters that lived near the forrest and would go in daily by boat to harvest wood.  One day an elephant came to them limping and showed the carpenters it's swollen foot.  The carpenters saw that there was a large splinter in the foot of the elephant.  The carpenters removed the splinter and washed the foot so that it would heal.  The elephant was so grateful to the carpenters that he took it upon himself to become their helper.  He would deliver tools to them, help take down trees, and eve roll felled trees down to the river.  He had a white elephant son that he would eventually train to help the carpenters as he had.  The white elephant learned to help and enjoyed playing with the carpenters children in the river.  One day, the king walked down to the river and saw the elephant playing with the children.  He bought the elephant from the carpenters for a large fee and took care of it for the rest of its days.