Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was a Tree Sprite near the Himalayas. And in those days the king put his state elephant in the elephant trainers hands to train it. They tied the elephant tightly to a post, and with goads in their hands set about training the animal. Unable to bear the pain while he was being trained, the elephant broke the post down, tossed the trainers in the air and ran to the Himalayas. And the trainers, unable to catch it, had to come back empty handed. The elephant lived in the Himalayas in constant fear of death.

A breath of wind is enough to fill him with fear and to make him run at full speed, shaking his trunk to and fro. The elephant was still thinking that it was tied to the post. All happiness of mind and body gone, he wandered up and down in constant dread. The Tree Spirite consoled the elephant. Hearing the the Tree Sprite’s cheering words, the elephant then onwards feared no more.