Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta came to life again as a monkey. He was full-grown and enormously strong. He lived alone on the banks of a river. In the middle of the river was an island where all fruit-trees like mangoe and bread-fruit grew. And in mid-stream, half way between the island and the river bank, a solitary rock rose out of the water. The Bodhisatta used to leap from the bank on to this rock and then on to the island. He would eat the fruits that grew on the island, and return at evening by the way he came. And such was his life from day to day.

In that river a crocodile and his mate were living; and she, being with young, was led by the sight of the Bodhisatta leaping to and fro. She has a desire to eat the monkey’s heart. So she begged her husband to catch the monkey for her. Promising that she should have her fancy, the crocodile went off and took his stand on the rock, meaning to catch the monkey on his evening journey home.

The Bodhisatta always marked the exact height of the water in the river, and of the rock in the water. So, when he saw that, though the water stood at the same level the rock seemed to stand higher out of the water, he suspected that a crocodile might be lurking there to catch him.

After ranging about the island all day, the Bodhisatta looked out at evening towards the rock and wondered why the rock stood so high out of the water. In order to find out the facts of the case, he shouted, as if addressing the rock, “Hi! Rock!” And, as no reply came back. He shouted three times, “Hi! Rock!” And as the rock still kept silence, the monkey called out, “How comes it, friend rock, that you won’t answer me to-day?”

The crocodile thought; “Oh! So the rock’s in the habit of answering the monkey. I must answer for the rock to-day.” Accordingly, he shouted, “Yes, monkey; what is it?”

“Who are you?” said the Bodhisatta.

“I’m a crocodile.”

“Why are you sitting on that rock?”

“To catch you and eat your heart.”

As there was no other way back, the only thing to be done was to outwit the crocodile. So the Bodhisatta cried out, “There’s no help for me; I have to give myself up to you. Open your mouth and catch me when I jump.”

Now you must know that when crocodiles open their mouths, their eyes shut. So, when this crocodile unsuspiciously opened his mouth, his eyes shut. And there he waited with closed eyes and open jaws! Seeing this, the Bodhisatta made a jump on to the crocodile’s head, and then, with a spring like lightning, jumped to the bank. When the cleverness of this feat dawned on the crocodile, he said, “Monkey, he that in this world possesses the four virtues overcomes his foes. And you, me thinks, possess all four.”

And with this praise of the Bodhisatta, the crocodile betook himself to his own dwelling place.