Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was king of Benares, the Bodhisatta was born a quail, and lived in the forest. He was the head of many thousands of quails. In those days a fowler who caught quails came to that place; and he used to imitate the note of a quail till he saw that the birds had been drawn together; when he flung his net over them, and whipped the sides of the net together, so as to get them all huddled up in a heap. Then he crammed them into his basket, go home and sold his prey for his living.

Now one day the Bodhisatta said to those quails, “This fowler is making havoc among our kinsfolk. I have an idea where by he will be unable to catch us. Hence, the very moment he throws the net over you, let each one put his head through a mesh and then all of you together must fly away with the net to the place where thorn-brake is, and there let the net down on the thorn-brake; if this is done, we will all escape form the fowler.” All the quails agreed.

The next morning, when the net was cast over them, they did just as the Bodhisatta had told them:- they lifted up the net and let it down on a thorn-brake, escaping themselves form underneath. The fowler went home empty-handed. The next morning also the same thing happened and continued day-by-day.

His wife grew angry and said, “Day by day you return empty-handed; I suppose you’ve got a second wife and you are giving everything to her.”

The fowler said: “No, my dear! I’ve no second wife to keep up. The moment my net is over the quails, they fly with it and escape, leaving my net on a thorn-brake. They live in unity. Don’t worry; as soon as they start bickering among themselves, I shall catch the lot, and that will bring a smile to your face to see.”

And so saying, he repeated:

While concord reigns, the birds bear off the net.

When quarrels rise, they’ll fall a prey to me.

Not long after this, one of the quails trod by accident on another’s head.

“Who trod on my head?” angrily cried this latter.

“I did; but I didn’t mean to. Don’t be angry,” said the first quail. But notwithstanding this answer, the other remained as angry as before. Continuing to answer one another, they began to quarrel with each other. Watchin this The Bodhisatta thought to himself, “There’s no safety with one who is quarrelsome. The time has come to great destruction. The fowler will get his opportunity. I can stay here no longer.” And with his followers He went elsewhere.

A few days later, the fowler came back again and first collecting them together by imitating the note of a quail, flung his net over them. Because of the quarrel, no quail lifted the net.

While they were each inviting the other to lift the net, the fowler himself lifted the net, dumped them in his basket and took them home, so that his wife’s face was wreathed with smiles.