Reading Notes: Jataka Tales

The Ox Who Won the Forfeit

- A man owned a very strong Ox and was very proud of him
- One day he went into town and made a bet with some men that his ox could pull 100 wagons
- The men laughed but agreed
- The next day they had everything set up, and when everything was ready to go, the man whipped the ox and called him a wretch and a rascal
- The ox didn't move, so the man lost and had to pay the village men the money
- The man was so upset that his ox didn't move because he had seen him move heavier things before
- when he asked the ox about it, he said he didn't move because the man had whipped him and called him mean names
- The man apologized, and the ox said he would move the wagons the next day
- The man made the bet with the village men again
- This time, the man called him a good ox and encouraged him
- The ox moved all 100 wagons
- The man won the bet

Bibliography: "The Ox Who Won the Forfeit" Ellen C. Babbitt

Ox