Once on a time, while Brahmadatta was king of Benares, the Bodhisatta was born of a rich man’s family. When he came of age, he lived as a householder, and was blessed with sons and daughters, and for his son’s wife he chose the daughter of a richman of Benares, and marriage was celebrated.

Now the girl saw in her home honour and reverence offered to a bull. She asked of her nurse, “What is that?” “A right royal bull,” said she. And afterward the girl saw a hunchback going through the street. “That must be a right royal man!” thought she; and taking with her the best of her belongings in a bundle, she went off with him.

The Bodhisatta also, having a mind to fetch the girl home, set out for Benares with a great company; and he traveled by the same road.

The pair went along the road all night long. The hunch back was thirsty; and at the sunrise, he was attacked by colic, and great pain came upon him. So he went off the road, dizzy with pain, and fell down. The girl too sat down at his feet. The Bodhisatta observed her sitting at the hunch back’s feet, and recognized her. Approaching, he told her, “Your own idea! This foolish man can’t move without a guide and you are sitting by the side of his legs.”

And hearing his voice, the girl answered:

“I thought the hunchback king of men, and loved him for his worth,

Who, like a lute with broken strings, lies huddled on the earth.”

And when the Bodhisatta perceived that she had only followed him in disguise, he asked her to bathe, and adorned her, and took her into his carriage and went to his home.