Once upon a time Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares. He had a son named Prince Wicked. He was Fierce and cruel, like a scotched snake; he spoke to nobody without abuse or blows. This prince was like grit in the eye to all folk both within and without the palace. He was considered a dreaded ogre.

One day, wishing to bathe in the river, he went with a large servants to the water side. And a great storm came, and utter darkness set in. He cried he to his servants: “Take me into mid stream, bathe me there, and then bring me back again.”

The servants took counsel together and decided to leave him with the river. So they took him into mid stream and they flung him into the water. When they came ashore, they were asked where the prince was; they replied,”We thought that the Prince must have come out of the river earlier and gone home ahead of us.”

The courtiers went into the king’s presence, and the king asked where his son was. They said, “We do not know, sir. A storm came on, and we came away in the belief that he must have gone on ahead.” At once the king ordered a search. They couldn’t find the Prince. In the darkness of the storm, the Prince had been swept away by the current, and coming across a tree trunk, had climbed on to it, and so floated down stream, crying lustily in the agony of his fear of drowning.

Now there had been a rich merchant living in those days at Benares, who had died, leaving forty crores buried in the banks of that same river. And because of his craving for riches, he was reborn as a snake at the spot under which lay his treasure. And also in the selfsame spot another man had hidden thirty crores, and because of his craving for riches was re-born as a rat at the same spot. The water rushed into their dwelling place; and the two creatures, escaping by the way by which the water rushed in, saw the tree trunk to which the prince was clinging. The snake climbed up at one end, and the rat at the other; and so both got a footing with the prince on the trunk.

A Silk cotton tree also grew on the river’s bank, in which lived a young parrot; and this tree, being uprooted by the swollen waters, fell into the river. The heavy rain beat down the parrot when it tried to fly, and it fell upon this same tree trunk. And so all these four floating down stream together upon the tree.

Now the Bodhisatta had been re-born in those days as a Brahmin. Renouncing the world for the hermit’s life on reaching manhood, he had built himself a hermitage by a bend of the river; and there he was now living. At midnight, he heard the loud cries of the prince, and thought thus within himself:- “This fellow creature must not die before the eyes of so merciful and compassionate a hermit. I will rescue him from the water, and save his life.” And plunging across stream, seized hold of the tree by one end, drew it in to the bank with one long pull, and set the prince safe. Then becoming aware of the snake and the rat and the parrot, he carried them to his hermitage, and there lighting a fire, warmed the animals first, as being the weaker, and afterwards the prince. This done, he brought fruits of various kinds and set them before his guests, looking after the animals first and the prince afterwards. This enraged the young prince, who said within himself, “This rascally hermit pays no respect to my royal birth, but actually gives brute beasts precedence over me.” And he conceived hatred against the Bodhisatta!

A few days later, when all four had recovered their strength and the waters had subsided, the snake bade farewell to the hermit with these words, “Father, you have done me a great service. I am not poor, for I have forty crores of gold hidden at a secret spot. Should you ever want money, all my hoard shall be yours. You have only to come to the spot and call Snake.” Next the rat took his leave with a like promise to the hermit as to his treasure, bidding the hermit come and call out ‘Rat’. Then the parrot bade farewell, saying, “Father, I don’t have silver and gold; but should you ever want rice, come to where I live and call out ‘parrot’ and I with the aid of my kinsfolk will give you many wagon loads of rice.” Last came the prince. His heart was filled with base ingratitude and with a determination to put the Bodhisatta to death. But, concealing his intent, he said, “Come, father, to me when I am king, and I will bestow on you the Four Requisites.” So saying, he took his departure, and not long after succeeded to the throne.

The Bodhisatta decided to put their professions to the test and first of all he went to the snake and standing hard by its abode, called out ‘Snake.’ At the word the snake darted forth and with every mark of respect said, “Father, in this place there are forty crores in gold. Dig them up and take them all.” The Bodhisatta said, “when I need them, I will not forget.” Then he went to the place where the rat lived, and called out ‘Rat’. And the rat did as the snake had done. Going next to the parrot, and calling out ‘Parrot’ the bird at once flew down at his call from the tree top, and respectfully asked whether the Bodhisatta want rice. The Bodhisatta dismissed the parrot also with a promise that, if need arises, he would not forget the bird’s offer. Last of all being minded to test the king in his turn, the Bodhisatta came to the city. He walked asking alms. Just at that moment, the ungrateful king, seated in all his royal splendour on his elephant of state, was passing in solemn procession round the city. Seeing the Bodhisatta from afar he thought to himself, “Here’s that rascally hermit comes. Before he can publish to the world the service he rendered me, I will kill him.” With this intent, he ordered his men,”I think that hermit is here to importune me. See that the pest does not come near me, but seize and bind him; flog him at every street corner and then chase him out of the city, chop off his head at the place of execution and set fire to his body on a stake.”

Obedient to their king’s command, the attendants laid the Bodhisatta in bonds and flogged him at every street corner on the way to the place of execution. But all these things failed to move the Bodhisatta. All he did was to repeat this:-

They knew the world, who framed this proverb true

‘A log pays better salvage than some men.’

These lines he repeated wherever he was flogged, till at last the wise among the crowd asked the hermit what service he had rendered to their king. Then the Bodhisatta told the whole story, ending with the words, “So it comes to pass that by rescuing him from the torrent I brought all this woe upon myself. And when I think how I have left unheeded the words of the wise of old, I exclaim as you have heard.”

Filled with indignation at the recital, the nobles and Brahmins and all classes with one accord cried out, “This ungrateful king does not recognise even the goodness of this good man who saved his life. How can we have any profit from this king? Seize the tyrant!” And in their anger they rushed upon the king from every side, and slew him then and there. The corpse they dragged by the heels to a ditch and flung it in. Then they anointed the Bodhisatta king and set him to rule over them.

As he was ruling in righteousness, one day the desire came on him again to try the snake and the rat and the parrot and he came to where the snake lived. At the call of ‘Snake’ out came the snake from his hole and with every mark of respect said, “Here, my lord, is your treasure take it.” Then the king delivered the forty crores of gold to his attendants, and proceeding to where the rat lived, called, ‘Rat.’ Out came the rat, and saluted the king, and gave up its thirty crores. Placing this treasure too in the hands of his attendants, the king went on to where the parrot lived, and called ‘Parrot.’ And in like manner the bird came, and bowing down at the king’s feet asked whether it should collect rice for his majesty. “We will not trouble you,” said the king, “till rice is needed. Now let us be going.”

So with the seventy crores of gold, and with the rat, the snake, and the parrot as well, the king journeyed back to the city. Here, in a noble palace, he ordered the treasure to be lodged and guarded; he had a golden tube made for the snake to live in, a crystal casket to house the rat, and a cage of gold for the parrot. Every day too by the king’s command food was served to the three creatures in vessels of gold, sweet parched corn for the parrot and snake, and scented rice for the rat. And the king abounded in charity and all good works. Thus in harmony and goodwill one with another, these four lived their lives; and when their end came, they passed away to fare according to their deserts.