Once upon a time, in the days when Kassapa was Supreme Buddha, a disciple, who had entered on the Paths, took passage on board ship in company with a barber of some considerable property. The barber’s wife had given him in charge of our friend, to look after him in better and in worse.

A week later, the ship was wrecked in mid ocean. These two persons clinging to one plank were cast up on an island. There the barber killed some birds, and cooked them, offering a share of his meal to Kassapa. Kassapa said, “No! Thank you. I have had enough.” He was thinking to himself, “In this place there is no help for us except the Three Jewels,” and so he pondered upon the blessings of the Three Jewels. As he pondered and pondered, a Serpent king who had been born in that isle changed his own body to the shape of a great ship. The ship was filled with the seven kinds of precious things. A Spirit of the Sea was the helmsman. The three masts were made of sapphire, the anchor of gold, the ropes of silver, and the planks were golden.

The Sea spirit stood on board, crying “Any passengers for India?” Kassapa said, “Yes! That’s where we are bound for.” The helmsman said, “Come on!”

Kassapa went aboard, and wanted to call his friend the barber. The helmsman said, “You may come. but not he.”

Kassapa asked, “Why not?”

The helmsman said, “He is not a man of holy life; that’s why. I brought this ship for you, not for him.”

Kassapa said, “Very well! the gifts I have given, the virtues I have practiced, the powers I have developed I give him the fruit of all of them!”

The barber said, “I thank you, master!” Then the barber also went aboard and they sailed for Benares. There, by his power, he created a store of wealth for both of them, and told them: “Keep company with the wise and good. If this barber had not been in company with this pious Kassapa, he would have perished in the island.”

Spirit of the Sea hold flew away. Finally Kassapa went to his own abode, taking the Serpent king along with him.