Two Jataka tales
The Jataka tales are stories of the Buddha's earlier lives, when he was still a Bodhisattva. The main characters are often animals. Each story points to a quality such as generosity, patience or honesty. Here are two, briefly retold.
The hare
A hare lived in the forest with three friends: a monkey, a jackal and an otter. One day the hare told them it was a day for good deeds, to offer what they had.
The monkey gathered fruit, the jackal and the otter brought food they found. The hare had only grass, which is no meal for a guest. The hare decided to offer itself.
The visitor who had come to test them was a celestial being. Moved by the hare's heart, the being praised it and, so all would remember, drew the hare's image on the moon.
The story speaks of giving: offering from the heart, even when you have little.
The golden deer
A herd of deer lived in a forest, led by a golden deer. The king loved to hunt and many deer died. The golden deer asked the king to take just one a day, so the herd would not live in panic.
One day it was the turn of a doe who was with young. The golden deer felt pity and went in her place. Hearing this, the king was moved and stopped the hunting.
The story speaks of compassion and standing up for the weak.
Jataka tales exist in many versions, and details differ between books and places.