The Jãtaka: "The Cheating Merchant", "The Monkey's Heroic Self-Sacrifice", and "The Hare's Self-Sacrifice" The three jãtakas in our literature book are: "The Cheating Merchant," "The Hare's Self-Sacrifice" and "The Monkey's Heroic Self- Sacrifice." The jãtakas are stories about the lives of the Bodhisatta, who in each life moves closer to being an enlightened being or a Buddha. In "The Cheating Merchant," the Bodhisatta is a merchant named Wise whose partner is named Wisest. Wisest says he must have a double share of the profits because ....