Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta came to life as a young hare and lived in a wood. On one side of this wood was the foot of a mountain, on another side a river, and on the third side a border-village. The hare had three friends–a monkey, a jackal and an otter. These four wise creatures lived together and each of them got his food on his own hunting-ground, and in the evening they again came together. The hare in his wisdom by way of admonition preached the Truth to his three companions, teaching that alms are to be given, the moral law to be observed, and holy days to be kept. They accepted his admonition and went each to his own part of the jungle and lived there.

The Bodhisatta one day observing the sky, and looking at the moon knew that the next day would be a fast-day. Let all three of you take upon you the moral precepts, and observe the holy day. To one that stands fast in moral practice, alms-giving brings a great reward. Therefore feed any beggars that come to you by giving them food from your own table.” They readily accepted, and abode each in his own place of living.

Early in the morning, the otter sallied forth to seek his prey and went down to the bank of the Ganges. Now it came to pass that a fisherman had landed seven red fish, and stringing them together on a withe, he had taken and buried them in the sand on the river’s bank. And then he dropped down the stream, catching more fish. The otter scenting the buried fish, dug up them and cried aloud thrice, ”Does any one own these fish? And not seeing any owner he took the fishes into the jungle where he lived, intending to eat them at a fitting time. And then he lay down, thinking how virtuous he was!

The jackal went in search of food and found two spits, a lizard and a pot of milk-curd in a hut of a field-watcher. And after thrice crying aloud, “To whom do these belong? And not finding an owner, he put on his neck the rope for lifting the pot, and grasping the spits and the lizard with his teeth, he brought and laid them in his own lair, thinking, “I will eat them on some other day, and so lay down reflecting how virtuous he had been.

The monkey also entered the clump of trees, and gathering a bunch of mangoes laid them up in his part of the jungle, meaning to eat them on some other day, and then lay down, thinking how virtuous he was.

But the Bodhisatta in due time came out, intending to browse on the kuca grass; and as he lay in the jungle, the thought occurred to him, “It is impossible for me to offer grass to any beggars; and I have no oil or rice and any such things. If any beggar shall appeal to me, I shall have to give him my own flesh to eat.”

At this splendid display of virtue, Sakka’s white marble throne manifested signs of heat. Sakka on reflection discovered the cause and resolved to put this royal hare to the test. First of all he went and stood by the otter’s dwelling-place, disguised as a brahmin asked for some food; The otter offered the seven fishes and the brahmin said, “Let it be here. I will come to-morrow.” Next he went to the jackal, and asked for some food; The jackal offered two spits, a lizard and a jar of curds. The brahmin said, “Let it be here. I will come to-morrow.” Then he went to the monkey, and for some food; The monkey offered a mango ripe, nice shade and icy water. The brahmin said, “Let it be here. I will come to-morrow.” And he went to the wise hare, and asked for some food; The hare said, “Brahmin, I have no sesame, nor beans, nor rice. Brahmin will not kill living beings. So make a fire with logs and I will sacrifice myself by falling into the midst of the flames; and when my body is roasted, you shall eat my flesh.”

Sakka, on hearing what he said, by his miraculous power caused a heap of burning coals to appear, and came and told the Bodhisatta. Rising from his bed of kuca grass and coming to the place, he thrice shook himself that if there were any insects within his coat, they might escape death. Then fell on the heap of live coals. But the flame failed even to heat the pores of the hair on the body of the Bodhisatta, and it was as if he had entered a region of frost. Then the Bodhisatta addressed Sakka in these words: “Brahmin, the fire you have kindled is icy-cold; it fails to heat even the pores of the hair on my body. What is the meaning of this?” Sakka replied, “Wise sir! I am no brahmin. I am Sakka, and I have come to put your virtue to the test.” The Bodhisatta said, “If not only you, Sakka, but all the inhabitants of the world were to try me in this matter of alms-giving, they would not find in me any unwillingness to give.”

And Sakka took the hare from the fire and placed it on a bed of young kuca grass, in the same wooded part of the jungle. Sakka returned to his own place in heaven. And these four wise creatures dwelt happily and harmoniously together, fulfilling the moral law and observing holy days, till they departed to fare according to their deeds.

The Master, when he had ended his lesson, revealed the Truths and identified the Birth:– At the conclusion of the Truths the householder, who gave as a free-gift all the Buddhist requisites, attained fruition of the First Path:– “At that time Ananda was the otter, Moggallana was the jackal, Sariputta the monkey, and I myself was the wise hare.”