Once on a time a certain king of Magadha was reigning in Rajagaha : and in those days the Bodhisatta having been born a stage was living in the forest at the head of a herd of deer. Now his sister brought her son to him saying ‘’Brother, teach your nephew here the ruses of deer. Certainly said the Bodhisatta go away now my boy and com back at such and such a time to be taught. Punctually at the time his uncle mentioned the young stage was there and received instruction in the ruses of deer.
One day as he was ranging the woods he was caught in a snare and uttered the plaintive
Cry of a captive. A way fled the herd and told the mother of her son’s capture. She came
to her brother and asked him whether his nephew had been taught the ruses of deer. Fear not your son is not at fault said the Bodhisatta He has learnt thoroughly deer’s ruses and will com back straightway to your great rejoicing And so saying he repeated this stanza
In all three postures on his back or sides
Your son is versed he’s trained to use eight hoofs
And save at midnight never slakes his thirst
As he lies couched on earth he lifeless seems
And only with his under nostril breathes
Six tricks my nephew knows to cheat his foes
This did the Bodhisatta console his sister by shewing her how thoroughly her son had mastered the ruses of deer. Meantime the young stage on being caught in the snare did not struggle but lay down at full length on his said with his legs stretched out taut and rigid. He pawed up the ground round his hoofs so as to shower the grass and earth about
Relived nature let his head fall lolled out his tongue be slavered his body all over swelled himself out by drawing in the wind turned up his eyes breathed only with the lower nostril
Holding his breath with the upper one and made himself generally so rigid and so stiff as to look like a corpse. Even the blue bottles swarmed round him and her and there crows settled.
The hunter came up and smacked the stage on the belly with his hand remarking. He must have been caught early this morning he’s going bad already. So saying the man loosed the stag from his bonds saying to himself I’ll cut him up here where he lies and take the flesh home with me. But as the man guilelessly set to work to gather sticks and leaves (to make a fire with ) the young stag rose to his feet shook himself stretched out his neck and like a little cloud scudding before a mighty wind sped out his neck and like a little cloud scudding before a mighty wind sped swiftly back to his mother.
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