九色鹿本生故事画【英】

Story Painting of Buddha's Past Life as the Golden Deer

定义

佛教本生故事画，现存莫高窟北魏第257窟一例。主要以连环画的形式描绘：溺人呼救、九色鹿经过水边、鹿救溺人、溺人向鹿跪谢发誓、鹿酣梦中、王后说梦，国王悬赏、溺人告密、溺人向导捕鹿、九色鹿控告溺人的情节。

A painting about the story of the Buddha's past life as the Golden Deer (or Ruru Deer), currently preserved in Cave 257 of the Northern Wei Dynasty in Dunhuang Grottoes. It mainly depict the story in serial scenes. In the story, when passing by a river, the deer heard a drowning man calling for help and rescued the man who expressed his gratitude to the deer and promised never to let others know the existence of the deer. Later the queen saw the deer in her dream and requested to king to catch the deer for her by offering rich rewards to whoever helped find the deer. Lured by that, the man formerly rescued by the deer told the king about the whereabouts of the deer and led the king and his men to hunt the deer. At the end, the deer told the king about how the man was rescued, and the king was deeply moved.