Carpenters help an elephant with an injured foot. After recovering, it helps them carry timber.
It later brings its young one into this relationship of mutual care. The tale continues with the white elephant joining the king and remembering its companions.
Adapted from Ellen C. Babbitt, Jataka Tales (1912), chapter XIV · Source text & illustration
Fables use imaginary events to invite reflection; interpretations vary.
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The Ox Who Envied the Pig
Look beyond a small visible part of someone else’s circumstances.