Once on a time, when Brahmadatta was king of Benares, the Bodhisatta was a Lion in the Himalayas, and he had a cub by a she jackal who mated with him. The cub was just like his father in toes, claws, mane, colour, figure all these; but in voice he was like his mother.

One day, after a shower of rain, all the Lions were gamboling together and roaring; the cub thought he would like to roar too, and yelped like a jackal. On hearing which all the Lions fell silent at once! Another cub of the lion, own brother of this one asked, “Father, lion cub is like us in colour and everything except in voice. Who’s he?”

In answer the Bodhisatta said, “It’s your brother, the Jackal’s cub; like me in form, but in voice like his mother.”

Then he gave a word of advice to the jackal’s cub “My dear son, as long as you live here keep a quiet tongue. If you yelp again, they’ll all find out that you are a Jackal.”

After this advice the creature never tried to roar.