Once upon a time, while Brahmadatta reigned as king in Benares, the Bodhisatta became a marsh crow, and lived by a pool. His name was Viraka, the Strong.

There arose a famine in Kasi. Men could not spare food for the crows, nor make offering to goblins and snakes. One by one the crows left the famine stricken land, and went into the woods.

A crow named Savitthaka, who lived at Benares, took with him his lady crow and went to the place where Viraka lived, making his nest beside the same pool.

One day, this crow was seeking food about the pool. He saw how Viraka went down into it, and made a meal off some fish, and after wards came up out of the water again, and stood drying his feathers. He thought, “If I make him as my friend, I can get lot of fishes.” So he went near Viraka.

“What is it, Sir?” asked Viraka.

“I want to be your servant, my lord!” was the reply.

Viraka agreed. And from that time, Viraka used to eat enough fish to keep him alive, and the rest he gave to Savitthaka as soon as he had caught them; and when Savitthaka had eaten enough to keep him alive, he gave what was left over to his wife.

After a while pride came into his heart of Savitthaka. He thought, “I am also a crow like Viraka. There is no difference between us. I don’t want his fish I will catch my own!” So he told Viraka that for the future he intended to go down to the water and catch fish for himself. Then Viraka said, “Good friend! you do not belong to a tribe of such crows as are born to go into water and catch fish. Don’t destroy yourself!”

But Savitthaka did not take the warning to heart. He dived into the water; but he could not make his way through the weeds and come out; he was entangled in the weeds, with only the tip of his beak appearing above the water. Unable to breathe, he perished beneath the water.

His mate went to Viraka and asked him, “My lord! Savitthaka is not to be seen; where is he?”

When Viraka heard it, he replied, “Yes, I know where he is gone,” and said:-

“He was not born to dive beneath the wave,

But what he could not do he needs must try;

So the poor bird has found a watery grave,

Entangled in the weeds, and left to die.”

When the lady crow heard it, weeping, she returned to Benares.