The Trained Elephant
The king of Kashmir loves elephants above all other steeds, and has a loyal trainer whose sole job was to tame elephants for the king's service. One day, an enormous wild elephant is brought before the king, and the king commands the trainer to tame the beast. For three years, the trainer patiently works with the elephant until it understood all commands and obeyed the trainer's every order. Hearing the beast is completely tame, the king has the elephant saddled and personally mounts upon its back - only for the elephant to bolt. It races off into the wilds and the king, despairing of his life, prays for deliverance. At last, tired and hungry, the elephant returns to the king's palace, and the king is able to dismount. He has the elephant trainer bound and flung into the elephants' enclosure to be trampled to death, certain the man had wasted his time - but the trainer begs to be allowed to demonstrate the work he had done. Relenting, the king orders that he be released, whereupon the trainer puts the now-docile elephant through its paces. As the elephant obeys commands and performs tricks, the king realises that the one mistake was not an accurate reflection of either trainer or elephant.
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Nishimura notes that analogues to this narrative may be found in: Konponsetsu Issai Ubu Binaya Yakuji, 15 (Taishozo, 24, 72c~73a); Dai Shogon Ron-kyo, 9.53 (Taishozo, 4, 306c~307a); and Kengu-kyo (The Wise and Foolish Sutra), 21 (Taishozo, 4, 372a~c).
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| Elephantus appears in the following versions and secondary versions
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| Elephantus is narrated in the following occurrences
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| No recorded narrations available.
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| Elephantus appears in the following manuscripts
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| This inset story appears in no manuscripts of the database
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