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Short Stories with Peter From Your English Toolbox
Today, The Banyan Deer, a tale of compassion fromthe Indian Jataka tradition.
This is an original, abridged adaptation forEnglish learners
based on the story retold by Ellen C. Babbitt in1912.
It includes a thread to animals, but no graphicscene.
Listen for the moment when one character decidesthat another life matters as much as his own.
Long ago, two herds of deer lived in a greenforest beside a city.
One herd followed a beautiful golden deer known asthe Banyan Deer.
The other herd followed a different leader.
But the human king of the city loved to hunt.
They built a large park with grass and water, thendrove both herds through its gate.
The gate closed behind the deer.
We cannot go back to the forest?
Stay close to the young ones.
When the human king came to see the park, thegolden deer caught his eye.
That deer is extraordinary.
No one is to harm either herd leader.
The two leaders were safe, but the rest of thedeer were not.
Whenever hunters entered, frightened animals ranin every direction.
03:02
The Banyan Deer looked for a way to reduce theirsuffering.
He spoke to the leader of the other herd.
If one deer goes forward each day, the others willnot be injured in the chase.
Each day, one herd and then the other took a turn.
The sound of the gate became a sound every deerfeared.
Then the turn fell to a mother from the otherherd.
Her little one was still too young to live withouther.
Please let someone take my turn until my child isolder.
Her own leader refused.
He said the rule had to be the same for everyone.
The mother crossed the park and found the goldenBanyan Deer beside the river.
I know you cannot change the rule, but my littleone needs me.
The Banyan Deer listened without speaking.
He also could not turn away from her fear.
Go back to your child.
I will go in your place.
At sunrise, the golden deer walked alone acrossthe wet grass.
He waited where the chosen deer was expected.
When the royal cook arrived, he stopped insurprise.
The cook ran to the palace and the human king cameat once.
Why are you here?
I promised to protect you.
A mother was chosen today.
Her child cannot survive without her.
I could not ask another deer to take her place, soI came myself.
For a moment, the king said nothing.
He looked at the golden deer, then at the motherwaiting far away with her child.
Stand up.
You and the mother are safe.
The golden deer did not move.
And what about the other deer?
06:01
The king lowered his eyes.
You are right.
I will stop hunting them in the park and in theforest.
The gate opened and the deer went back among thetrees.
The mother walked beside her child.
The Banyan Deer stayed close enough to see themreach the river.
His courage had saved more than one life becausehe had asked the king to see every life.
At the end of the story, we dive into the languageand break down some of the key vocabulary from the
story.
First, take someone's place means to do somethinginstead of that person.
The Banyan Deer took the mother's place when herturn came.
At work, you might say,
I can take your place at the meeting.
Turn away from can mean to refuse to help or facesomething difficult.
The deer could not turn away from the mother'sfear.
You might say,
She did not turn away from a friend in trouble.
For someone means to defend a person who needssupport.
The golden deer stood up for a mother and then forboth herds.
Notice that this phrase describes a choice.
Not just a feeling, try a sentence of your own.
Who stood up for you at a difficult moment?
Might you take someone's place to help them?
The story asks what leadership looks like when theperson with power is safe, but others are not.
Compassion can begin with one person.
Then widen to everyone affected.
09:01
You can find the full transcript, vocabulary, andpractice at your English toolbox.
Thank you for listening, and I will see you in thenext story.
