Buddhist Birth Stories

It is well known - amongst the Buddhist scriptures there is one book in which a large number of old stories, fables, and fairy tales lie enshrined in an edifying commentary: and have this been preserved for the study and amusement of later times. The Buddha, as occasion arose, was accustomed throughout his long career to explain and comment on the events happening around him by telling of similar events that had occurred in his called the book of the 550 Jatakas or Birthlets. The commentary to these gives for each Jataka, or Birth story, and account of the events in Gotama's life which led to his first telling that particular story.