The Banyan Deer

Also known as Nigrodhamiga Jataka

• 4 minute read
• Ages 8-12
• Jataka Tales

In a royal park near Benares lived two herds of deer.

One was led by the Banyan Deer, whose coat was the colour of gold. The other was led by the Branch Deer, whose coat was the same. Five hundred deer followed each of them.

The King of Benares hunted in that park almost every day, and he was not a careful hunter. He would come out with his men and chase the herds until the deer scattered, and in a single morning twenty might be wounded and four killed, and the four were all he took away.

The bargain

The two leaders met and agreed that this could not continue.

So they went to the King and asked him to make an arrangement. Instead of a hunt, one deer would come to the block each day of its own accord, chosen by lot, and the King would take that one and no other. He would have his meat and the herds would stop losing twenty to gain four.

The King agreed. It suited him very well.

And after that a deer went every day, and the rest were left alone.

The doe

The lot went by turn, one day to the Branch herd and the next to the Banyan herd, and it was fair.

Then one morning it fell to a young doe in the Branch herd who had a fawn still feeding.

She went to the Branch Deer and asked for her turn to be moved. Not cancelled — moved. She asked to go later, once her fawn could eat grass, and for someone else to take the day.

"The lot has fallen on you," said the Branch Deer. "Nobody will take another's day. Go."

So she went to the Banyan Deer, who was not her leader and owed her nothing, and asked him the same thing.

The block

The Banyan Deer heard her out.

Then he said, "Go back to your fawn."

And he walked to the block himself and laid his head on it.

The King's cook came, and saw a golden deer with a leader's mark on him lying there, and did not touch him. He went for the King instead.

The King came out and stood over him.

"There is an agreement," he said. "You are not to be taken. What are you doing here?"

"A doe with a fawn drew the lot today," said the Banyan Deer. "If she goes, two die. I have come instead of her."

"Then I will spare her," said the King, "and you go back."

"Then tomorrow it falls on someone else," said the Banyan Deer, "and I will be standing here again. My lord, you must see that I cannot buy one life and leave the others."

The King was quiet for a while.

"Get up," he said at last. "I grant your life."

"And the doe?"

"And the doe."

"And the rest of the deer in this park?"

"And the rest of the deer."

The Banyan Deer got to his feet and did not move.

"And the deer outside the park?" he said. "And the birds? And the fish in the water?"

And the King of Benares, who had come out that morning expecting to collect one animal, went back into his palace having given his word on all of it.