Once upon a time, when Brahmadatta was king of Benares, the Bodhisatta came to life as a young Vulture on the Vulture Hill, and had his mother and father to nourish.

Once there came a great cyclone. The Vultures could not withstand; half frozen, they flew to Benares, and there they sat near the wall and near the ditch, shivering with the cold.

A merchant of Benares was going from the city to bathe, when he saw these miserable Vultures. He collected them together and put them in a dry place, made a fire, brought them some cow flesh to eat and put some one to look after them.

When the storm receeded, Vultures were all right and flew off at once among the mountains. Without delay they met, and thus took counsel together. “A Benares merchant has helped us at our peril and we must do some good thing to him. When any of us finds a garment or an ornament it must be dropped in that merchant’s courtyard. “So then onwards if they ever noticed people drying their clothes in the sun, they snatch them and dropped them in the merchant’s yard. But he, whenever he observed that they were bringing him anything, used to keep it aside.

The people of the city told the king how vultures were plundering the city. The king said, “Just catch me one vulture and I will make them bring it all back.” So snares and gins were set everywhere; our dutiful Vulture was caught. They seized him with intent to bring him to the king. The Merchant when he was going to see the king saw these people walking along with the Vulture. He went with them so that no one hurt the Vulture.

They gave the Vulture to the king, who examined him. King said, “You rob our city, and carry off clothes and all sorts of things.”

“Yes, Sir!”

“Whom have they been given to?”

“A merchant of Benares.”

“Why?”

“Because he saved our lives, and they say one good turn deserves another; that is why we gave them to him.”

The king said, “Vultures, they say, can spy a corpse an hundred leagues away; and can’t you see a trap set ready for you?”

The Vulture replied: “when life is coming to an end, and death’s hour draws near, we will fall into traps.”

The king turned to our Merchant. “Have all these things really been brought to you, by the Vultures?”

“Yes, my lord”

“Where are they?”

“My lord, they are all kept seperately and I will return everything. Everybody can have theirs. Please let this Vulture go.”

The Vulture was set at liberty, and the Merchant returned all the property to its owners.