Jathaka Stories :

Virtuous woodpecker and ungrateful lion

Retold by Risitha Deelaka Wickmal Subasinghe

Once upon a time there lived a virtuous woodpecker in the Himalayan mountain range. This woodpecker possessed only noble qualities. He never engaged in what's regarded as sins or wrongdoings. He was extremely generous and if an animal asks for his morsel of food out of hunger, how hungry the woodpecker would be he used to offer his morsel of food and stay hungry. Because of his exceptional qualities, the woodpecker was quite famous among the animals in the Himalayan range. Many sought help, when they were in need from the woodpecker. He also possessed a sharp level of intelligence which assisted him to solve problems and disputes among animals.

One day, when the woodpecker was on his way in search of food, he happened to hear a strange murmur. He waited a while, lent his ears to the direction where the painful murmur came out.

When the woodpecker flew to that direction, he saw a lion was lying on grass. The woodpecker landed on a branch of a small tree, near the lion and inspected the sick lion carefully and secretly. He saw that the lion's neck was swollen and to make sure the reason for the lion's painful murmur, the woodpecker asked the lion:

"O, king of animals! I can sense that you're stricken with some distress. But I do not exactly know what it is."

"Yes, woodpecker, I am in a very miserable plight. I did not have food for two days. When I was devouring a deer, one of its bones was blocked in my throat. No animal gets closer to me out of fear. Please help me woodpecker, I will die soon if I lie here for another day or more.

Please woodpecker if you do this favour to me I will never ever forget your help. I too will help you in your need." The lion begged his life from woodpecker.

"I may try my best to help you. But on a condition, if you agree with it I'll help you." The woodpecker said.

"Definitely! I will do whatever you ask me to." The lion assured.

"You have to keep your mouth open till I remove your bone from your throat. Under any circumstance you cannot close your mouth. Do you agree with that condition."

"Do not have a slightest doubt about it. I may do as I am requested." The lion tried to build confidence in the woodpecker.

Yet, the wise woodpecker did not wholly trust the lion. To be on the safe side, he placed a stick between the lion's upper and the lower jaws, so that it could not move its jaws.

Woodpecker fearlessly put his head inside the lion's mouth and removed the blocked bone. After removing the bone, the woodpecker threw the stick placed between the lion's jaws.

No sooner the woodpecker had done that great favour to the lion he flew away without even hearing a word of thanks from the lion.

One day when the lion was devouring another prey, the woodpecker was on a branch of a nearby tree.

The woodpecker recognised the lion, that he rescued. In order to check the lion's qualities, he inquired from the lion.

"O, lion! can you recognise me. I am the woodpecker who removed the bone blocked in your throat and rescued you while all the animals went away from you at your distress. And you promised me that you would in return do any favour to me. I do not ask from you a big help but a petty one would you share with me a small piece of meat from the bulk you're eating."

"Huh... huh... huh... you woodpecker... a small bird..... I am the king of animals. You better fly away without further rousing my ire. Foolish woodpecker. I have done a great favour to you, so do not ask any more." The lion roared. The woodpecker was looking amazingly at the lion.

"Do you not remember, foolish woodpecker, when all the other animals went away you're the only idiot who came to help me. You're the only foolish one who put your head inside my mouth. What if I closed my mouth? Isn't that a great favour that I did for you that I kept my mouth opened till you came out!"

The lion once again roared and started shaking the tree on which the woodpecker was sitting to chase the woodpecker.

The woodpecker flew from the lion. The woodpecker who was much more intelligent and virtuous than others in the jungle told the story to other animals and advised them.

"See, what an ungrateful beast? If someone does even a small help to you, you should be grateful to him.

That's a great and a noble quality. Everyone should keep that in mind and act upon it."

The wise woodpecker who had experiences of that noble nature in many of his previous lives continued to teach good things to the animals in the jungle.

Bodhisatva was born as a virtuous woodpecker in one of His 550 lives.