Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was born an iguana. When he grew up he lived in a big burrow in the river bank with a following of many hundreds of other iguanas. Now the Bodhisatta had a son, a young iguana, who was in friendship with a chameleon, whom he used to clip and embrace. This intimacy being reported to the iguana king.

He sent for his young son and advised him not to be in friendhip with chameleons, as the were low creatures. If the intimacy was persisted in, calamity would occur to whole of the tribe of iguanas. And he warned his son to have no more friendship with the chameleon. But the son continued in his intimacy. Again and again, the Bodhisatta warned his son, but in vain. Foreseeing danger to the iguanas from the chameleon, he had an outlet cut on one side of their burrow, so that there might be a means of escape in time of need.

Now as time went on, the young iguana grew to a great size, whilst the chameleon never grew any bigger. Seeing this, chameleon was afraid of death at the hands of iguana, he decided to combine with a hunter to destroy the whole tribe of iguanas.

One day when the ants came out, the iguanas darted here and there catching them and eating them. Now there came into the forest an iguana trapper with spade and dogs to dig out iguanas. The chameleon went to him and asked why he came to the forest.

“To catch iguanas,” was the reply. “Well, I know where there’s burrow of hundreds of them,” said the chameleon and guided him to the place where the iguanas live. The chameleon said, “Now! put your fuel in there and smoke the iguanas out. Meantime let your dogs be all round; take a big stick in your hand. Then as the iguanas dash out, strike them down and kill them all.” So the treacherous chameleon withdrew to a spot nearby, said to himself, “This day I shall see the rout of my enemy.”

The trapper set to work to smoke the iguanas out. Fear od death drove them here and there. As they came out of the burrow, the trapper knocked them on the head, and if he missed them, they fell a prey to his dogs. And so there was great slaughter among the iguanas. Realising that this was the chameleon’s doing, the Bodhisatta cried, “One should never make friends of the wicked, for such bring sorrow in their train. A single wicked chameleon has proved the bane of all these iguanas.” So saying, he escaped by the outlet he had provided:-

Bad company can never end in good.

Through friendship with one sole chameleon

The tribe of iguanas met their end.