The White Elephant白象的赤子心

張玲

Once upon a time， there lived a herd of elephants at the bottom of the majestic Himalayas. Their leader was a magnificent and rare white elephant who was an extremely kind-hearted soul. He greatly loved his mother who had grown blind and feeble1） and could not look out for herself.

Each day this white elephant would go deep into the forest in search of food. He would look for the best wild fruit to send to his mother. But his mother never received any. This was because his messengers would always eat it up themselves. Each night， when he returned home he would be surprised to hear that his mother had been starving all day. He was absolutely disgusted with his herd.

Then one day， he decided to leave them all behind and disappeared in the middle of the night along with his dear mother. He took her to Mount Candorana to live in a cave beside a beautiful lake that was covered by gorgeous pink lotuses2）.

It so happened that one day， when the white elephant was feeding， he heard loud cries. A forester3） from Benaras had lost his way in the forest and was absolutely terrified. He had come to the area to visit relatives and could not find his way out.

On seeing this big white elephant he was even more terrified and ran as fast as he could. The elephant followed him and told him not to be afraid， as all he wanted to do was to help him. He asked the forester why he was crying so bitterly. The forester replied that he was crying because he had been roaming the forest for the past seven days and could not find his way out.

The elephant told him not to worry as he knew every inch of this forest and could take him to safety. He then lifted him on to his back and carried him to the edge of the forest from where the forester went on his merry way back to Benaras.

On reaching the city， he heard that King Brahmadutta's personal elephant had just died and the King was looking for a new elephant. His heralds4） were roaming the city， announcing that any man who had seen or heard of an elephant fit for a King should come forward with the information.

The forester was very excited and immediately went up to the King and told him about the white elephant that he had seen on Mount Candorana. He told him that he had marked the way and would require the help of the elephant trainers in order to catch this fantastic elephant.

The King was quite pleased with the information and immediately dispatched5） a number of soldiers and elephant trainers along with the forester. After travelling for many days， the group reached the lake besides which the elephants resided. They slowly moved down to the edge of the lake and hid behind the bushes. The white elephant was collecting lotus shoots6） for his mother's meal and could sense the presence of humans. When he looked up， he spotted the forester and realized that it was he who had led the King's men to him. He was very upset at the ingratitude7） but decided that if he put up a struggle many of the men would be killed. And he was just too kind to hurt anyone. So he decided to go along with them to Benaras and then request that the benevolent8） King set him free.

That night when the white elephant did not return home， his mother was very worried. She had heard all the commotion9） outside and had guessed that the King's men had taken away her son. She was scared that the King would ride him into battle and her son would definitely be killed. She was also worried that there would be no one to look after her or even feed her， as she could not see. She just lay down and cried bitterly.

Meanwhile her son was led into the beautiful city of Benaras where he was given a grand reception. The whole city was decorated and his own stable was gaily10） painted and covered with garlands11） of fragrant flowers. The trainers laid out12） a feast for their new state elephant who refused to touch a morsel13）. He did not respond to any kind of stimuli， be it the fragrant flowers or the beautiful and comfortable stable. He just sat there looking completely despondent14）.

The worried trainers went straight to report the situation to their King， as they were scared that the elephant would just waste away15） without any food or water. The King was extremely concerned when he heard what they had said and went to the stable himself. He offered the elephant food from the royal table and asked him why he grieved in this manner. He thought that the elephant should be proud and honored that he was chosen as the state elephant and would get the opportunity to serve his King.

But the white elephant replied that he would not eat a thing until he met his mother. So the King asked him where his mother was. The elephant replied that she was back home on Mount Candorana and must be worried and hungry as she was blind and had no one to feed her and take care of her. He was afraid that she would die.

The compassionate King was touched by the elephant's story and asked him to return to his blind， old mother and take care of her as he had been doing all along. He set him free in love and kindness. The happy elephant went running home as fast as he could. And he was relieved to find that his mother was still alive. He filled his trunk with water and poured it over his sick mother who thought that it was raining. The white elephant gently bent over his blind mother and stroked her lovingly. She immediately recognized his touch and was overjoyed. Her son lifted her up and told her that the kind and compassionate King of Benaras had set him free and he was here to love and look after his mother forever.

His mother was absolutely thrilled and blessed the kind King with peace， prosperity and joy till the end of his days. She was so thankful to him for sending her son back home. The white elephant took care of his mother till the day she died. Then he went to Benaras to serve the King. And when he himself died， the King erected a statue of him by the side of the lake and held an annual elephant festival there in memory of such a caring and noble soul.

從前，在雄偉的喜馬拉雅山腳下生活著一群大象。它們的頭領(lǐng)是一頭罕見的美麗白象，心地非常善良。它的媽媽已經(jīng)老得雙目失明、身體虛弱，自己都不能照顧自己，它很愛媽媽。

每天，這頭白象都會(huì)到森林深處覓食。它總是尋找最鮮美的野果讓其他大象帶給它的媽媽，但它的媽媽卻從未收到過任何果子。這是因?yàn)閹退凸拥哪切┐笙罂偸仟?dú)吞所有果子。每天晚上回到家時(shí)，它都會(huì)意外地聽到媽媽已經(jīng)餓了一整天了。它徹底厭倦了它的象群。

于是有一天，它決定永遠(yuǎn)離開它們。那天午夜，它和它親愛的媽媽一起消失了。它帶媽媽去了坎多拉納山，住在一個(gè)山洞里，旁邊有一個(gè)美麗的湖，湖面上開滿了絢爛的粉色荷花。

碰巧有一天，白象正在吃東西時(shí)聽到有人大聲哭喊。一位從貝拿勒斯來的護(hù)林人在森林里迷了路，完全嚇壞了。他是來這里走親戚的，結(jié)果找不到回去的路了。

看見這頭巨大的白象，護(hù)林人更害怕了，拼了命地跑。白象跟上他，告訴他不要害怕，因?yàn)樗皇窍胍獛椭选Ｋ鼏栠@個(gè)護(hù)林人為什么哭得如此悲傷。護(hù)林人回答說，他哭是因?yàn)樗呀?jīng)在這片森林里漫無目的地走了七天了，卻還是找不到回去的路。

白象告訴他不要擔(dān)心，因?yàn)樗煜み@片森林的每一寸土地，可以把他帶到安全的地方。然后白象把他舉起放在背上，駝著他到了森林邊緣，護(hù)林人從這里愉快地踏上了回貝拿勒斯的路。

他一到貝拿勒斯城就聽說梵施王的御用大象剛剛死去，國王正在尋找一頭新的大象。國王的傳令官們正在城里四處奔走，向全城宣布：任何人只要見過或聽說過適合國王的大象，都應(yīng)該前來稟報(bào)。

護(hù)林人非常興奮，立刻跑到國王那兒，稟告關(guān)于他在坎多拉納山看到的那頭白色大象的事兒。他告訴國王，他已經(jīng)在路上做了記號(hào)，要想抓住這頭神奇的大象，他還需要馴象師的幫助。

國王聽到這個(gè)消息非常高興，立刻派出許多士兵和馴象師隨同這位護(hù)林人一同前往。經(jīng)過好幾天的跋涉，這一隊(duì)人終于到達(dá)了白象和媽媽生活的湖畔。他們慢慢地走到湖岸邊，藏在灌木叢后。白象正在摘荷花的新芽作為媽媽的一餐，它能夠覺察到人類的存在。它抬起頭，發(fā)現(xiàn)了那個(gè)護(hù)林人，意識(shí)到是他帶國王的人過來抓它的。它對(duì)這個(gè)忘恩負(fù)義的人非常失望，但斷定，如果它反抗，他們當(dāng)中的很多人都會(huì)被它殺死。它太善良了，不想傷害任何人。所以它決定和他們一起去貝拿勒斯，然后再請(qǐng)求仁慈的國王放了它。

白象沒有回家的這天晚上，它的媽媽非常擔(dān)心。外面的騷動(dòng)她早已全都聽到了，她猜到國王的人已經(jīng)把她的兒子帶走了。她害怕國王會(huì)騎著她的兒子去打仗，那樣她的兒子肯定會(huì)戰(zhàn)死沙場(chǎng)的。她還擔(dān)心沒人照顧她，更沒人給她找吃的，因?yàn)樗裁炊伎床坏?。她只好躺下來，傷心地哭泣?/p>

與此同時(shí)，她的兒子被領(lǐng)進(jìn)了美麗的貝拿勒斯城，并受到了隆重接待。整座城市都裝飾一新，專屬于它的象廄也涂飾得十分華美，上面還掛滿了用芳香的鮮花做成的花環(huán)。馴象師為他們的新國象擺了一桌盛宴，可它卻一口也不吃。它對(duì)任何刺激都不做回應(yīng)，無論是芳香的鮮花，還是漂亮又舒適的象廄。它只是坐在那兒，看上去一副失望透頂?shù)臉幼印?/p>

憂心忡忡的馴象師直接向國王報(bào)告了情況，因?yàn)樗麄兒ε掳紫筮@么不吃不喝下去會(huì)日益衰弱。國王聽到馴象師們的匯報(bào)后也非常擔(dān)心，于是親自去象廄看望。他拿起皇家餐桌上的食物給白象吃，問它為什么如此悲傷。他認(rèn)為白象當(dāng)選為國象并能有機(jī)會(huì)為國王服務(wù)，理應(yīng)感到自豪和榮幸。

但白象回答道，除非讓它見到媽媽，否則它什么也不會(huì)吃。于是國王問它，它的媽媽在哪里。白象回答說她還在坎多拉納山的家里，她現(xiàn)在一定又餓又擔(dān)心，因?yàn)樗p目失明，而且還沒有人給她找吃的，也沒有人照顧她。它很害怕她會(huì)死掉。

慈悲的國王被白象的故事感動(dòng)了，讓它回到失明的老母親身邊，一如既往地照顧她。他出于愛心和善意釋放了白象。開心的白象用最快的速度一路跑回家?？匆妺寢屵€活著，它感到很寬慰。它用象鼻吸滿水，噴到生病的媽媽身上，它的媽媽還以為是下雨了呢。白象溫柔地俯身靠著失明的媽媽，充滿愛意地輕撫她。媽媽立刻辨別出是她的兒子在撫摸她，喜出望外。她的兒子扶她起來，告訴她善良仁慈的貝拿勒斯國王把它放了，它會(huì)在這兒永遠(yuǎn)地愛護(hù)、照顧媽媽。

它的媽媽非常高興，并祝福這位仁慈的國王有生之年平安、富有、快樂。她十分感謝國王能夠放她兒子回家。白象一直照顧著母親，直到她去世的那一天。后來，白象去了貝拿勒斯城為國王服務(wù)。它死后，國王在湖邊立起了一尊白象的雕像，并每年在那兒舉辦大象節(jié)，以紀(jì)念這樣一個(gè)善良、高尚的靈魂。

1. feeble [?fi?bl] adj. 虛弱的

2. lotus [?l??t?s] n. 荷花

3. forester [?f?r?st?（r）] n. 護(hù)林員

4. herald [?her?ld] n. （古時(shí)的）傳令官

5. dispatch [d??sp?t?] vt. 派遣

6. shoot [?u?t] n. 嫩芽

7. ingratitude [?n?ɡr?t?tju?d] n. 忘恩負(fù)義

8. benevolent [b??nev?l?nt] adj. 仁慈的

9. commotion [k??m???n] n. 騷動(dòng)

10. gaily [?ɡe?li] adv. 華麗地