Reading Notes: Francis and Thomas Jataka Tales

The Treacherous Chameleon

- Once when Brahmadatta was reigning in Bernares, the Bodhisatta was born a lizard

- When he grew up he lived in a big burrow in the river bank with hundreds of other lizards

- He had a son who made friends with a chameleon

- He believed chameleons were bad creatures and forbid his son from seeing the chameleon

- His son kept seeing the chameleon despite his wishes, so eventually the king had an outlet cut for emergencies, so they could escape if need be

- The lizards grew larger but the chameleon didn't, and he became scared that the lizards would kill him one day

- One day after a thunderstorm, a hunter came looking for lizards

- The chameleon told him to smoke the lizards out of their burrow so they would come running out

- He said that once they come out, he could hit them with a stick and whoever escapes his dogs would catch

- The lizards did exactly as the chameleon said, and nearly all of the lizards died

- The Bodhisatta cried "one should never make friends of the wicked, for such bring sorrow in their train. a single wicked chameleon has proved the bane of all these lizards."

- he escaped through the outlet he created, saying:

bad company can never end in good

through friendship with the one sole chameleon

the tribe of lizards met their end

Bibliography: "The Treacherous Chameleon" Jataka Tales, by H.T Francis and E.J. Thomas

chameleon