The grateful elephant : And other stories translated from the Pāli by Burlingame
QR code
"The Grateful Elephant" by Eugene Watson Burlingame is a collection of translated Buddhist parables written in the early 20th century. This volume includes twenty-six stories drawn from the Pāli texts, aimed at conveying moral and religious lessons, primarily emphasizing themes of gratitude, compassion, and the consequences of gratitude and ingratitude. The central character, the elephant, appears in multiple stories, portraying the virtues of loyalty and goodwill despite facing ungratefulness. At the start
of the collection, the first story introduces the Grateful Elephant, who, after receiving help from a group of carpenters, dedicates his life to aiding them in return. The narrative unfolds to illustrate the elephant's selflessness and loyalty, which ultimately leads to a dramatic encounter with a king who seeks to claim the elephant for his own. As the tale progresses, themes arise around the cycles of life, trust, and the nature of gratitude, setting a tone that is not only reflective but also resonant with deeper philosophical queries about kindness and recognition of good deeds across interactions in both human and animal forms. Each story serves to enhance the moral teachings attributed to the Buddha, grounding the narrative in rich cultural and ethical insights. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Download for free
For your e-reader or reading app — Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, Calibre etc.
Kindle → Use Send-to-Kindle
- Download the EPUB3 file above
- Upload it on the Amazon site your Kindle is registered with: amazon.com/sendtokindle for the US, amazon.co.uk/sendtokindle for the UK etc.
- It appears on your Kindle and in the Kindle app
Kobo, Nook etc. → Transfer via USB
- Download the EPUB3 file on your computer
- Connect your e-reader by USB and tap "Connect" on its screen
- Drag the file onto the e-reader drive
Phone, Tablet or Computer → Online or Reading App
Easiest: read online in your browser. Nothing to install.
Or use a reading app:
- Find and install one you like, for example Apple Books, ReadEra or Thorium Reader
- Download the EPUB3 file above
- Open it in the app
More help: iPhone / iPad · Android · Computer
Other formats & older devices
There may be more files related to this item.
About this eBook
| Author | Burlingame, Eugene Watson, 1876-1932 |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Lathrop, Dorothy Pulis, 1891-1980 |
| LoC No. | 23016075 |
| Title | The grateful elephant : And other stories translated from the Pāli |
| Original Publication | New Haven: Yale University Press, 1923. |
| Note | "Twenty-six stories selected from the author's larger work, Buddhist parables." |
| Credits | Susan E., David E. Brown, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from images made available by the HathiTrust Digital Library.) |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 79.6 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PZ: Language and Literatures: Juvenile belles lettres |
| Subject | Buddhist legends |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 74064 |
| ISBN (HTML) | 979-8-238-74064-5 |
| Release Date | Jul 18, 2024 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 531 downloads in the last 30 days. |
Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free!