Gautama was born a prince, over 2500 yeaago in Lumbini, in the northern part of India. He left the comfortable life of the palace, his young wife and infant son, to go in search of true knowledge. After a life of wander, austerities and meditation, he became Buddha ('the Enlightened one'). Buddha taught compassion, non-violence and the need for right conduct in life. His teachings spread far and wide even outside India, in China and Southeast Asia. The 'Jataka' (Birth-cycle) tales narrate the stories related to the 'seekeof truth' - those who wish to follow the path of Buddha. The 550 Jatakas that form the canon, many are about both animals and humans. The stories were originally were compiled in the Pali language. Of the three Jataka tales here, the fit tells of an elephant who helped a lost traveler in a forest find his way to the city and even gave him his tusks to be sold for money. In the second the kind elephant protects a young quail. The elephant in the third story helps wood-workeby lifting and carrying logs.