Reading Notes: Francis and Thomas. Jataka Tales Part D

Chameleon. Source: Flickr.

The Treacherous Chameleon

When Bradmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born a lizard
When he grew up he lived in river bank with a handful of other lizards
The Bodhisatta had a son, a young lizard, who was great friends with a chameleon
Their relationship was reported to the lizard king and the king said "that such friendship was misplaced, for chameleons were low creatures, and that if the intimacy was persisted in, calamity would befall the whole of the tribe of lizards
The young lizard continued his intimacy with the chameleon
As time went on, the young lizard grew of great size but the chameleon did not
One day in the summer, the ants came out after a thunder-storm and the lizards darted hither and thither catching them and eating them
lizard trapper came into the forest with spade and dogs to dig them out
The chameleon went up to the man and asked why he was in the forest
The lizard trapper told him he was there to catch some lizards
The chameleon told the trapper to follow him because he knew where the lizards were located
He brought the trapper to where the lizards were and end them
The end message: Bad company can never end in good. Through friend with with one sole chameleon the tribe of lizards met their end."

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