Jataka tales

The Jātaka tales are a voluminous body of literature native to India concerning the previous births of Gautama Buddha in both human and animal form. The future Buddha may appear as a king, an outcast, a god, an elephant—but, in whatever form, he exhibits some virtue that the tale thereby inculcates.The Jataka tales are a huge body of literature native to India. These stories are associated with previous births of Gautama Buddha, and are moralistic in nature.