Once upon a time, while Brahmadatta was king of Benares, the Bodhisatta came into this world as the son of one in the king’s court. When he grew up he was made a Lord Justice.

At that time, two traders, one from a village and one from the town, were friends together. The villager deposited with the townsman five hundred plough-shares. The other sold these, and kept the price, and in the place where they were he scattered mouse dung. By and by came the villager, and asked for his plough-share. The cheat said, “The mice have eaten them up!” and pointed out the mouse dung to him.

The other replied, “Well! Well! so be it. What can be done with things which the mice have eaten?”

Now at the time of bathing he took the other trader’s son, and set him in a friend’s house, in an inner chamber, asking them not suffer him to go out anywhere. And having washed himself he went to his friend’s house.

“Where is my son?” asked the cheat.

He replied, “Dear friend! I took him with me and left him on the river side; and when I was gone down into the water, there came a hawk, and seized your son in his claws, and flew up into the air. I beat the water, shouted, struggled but could not make him let go.”

The cheat cried, “Lies! No hawk could carry off a boy!”

The village merchant said, “If things that should not happen, how can I help it? Your son has been carried off by a hawk.”

The other reviled him. “Ah, you scoundrel! You murderer! Now I will go to the judge for Justice.” The village merchant said, “As you please,” and went to the court of justice. The rogue addressed the Bodhisatta thus.

“My lord, this fellow took my son with him to bathe, and when I asked where he was, he answered, that a hawk had carried him off. Judge my cause!”

“Tell the truth,” said Bodhisatta, asking the other.

“Indeed, my lord,” he answered, “I took him with me, and a falcon has carried him off.”

Justice asked, “How can hawk carry off boys?”

The village merchant asked, “My lord! I have a question to ask you. If hawks cannot carry off boys into the air, can mice eat iron ploughshares?”

Justice asked, “What do you mean by that?”

The village merchant replied, “My lord! I deposited in this man’s house five hundred ploughshares. The man told me that the mice had eaten them, and showed me the droppings of the mice that had done it. My lord, if mice eat ploughshares, then hawks carry off boys; but if mice cannot do this, neither will hawks carry the boy off. This man says the mice ate my ploughshares. Give sentence whether they are eaten or not. Judge my cause!”

The Bodhisatta thought,”He must have meant it. I will fight the trickster with his own weapons- Well devised!” and he said:

“Give back the plough, and after that

Perhaps the man who lost the plough

May give your son back to you now!”

Thus village merchant got the proceeds of ploughshares and retured the town merchant’s son. And afterwards both passed away to fare according to their deeds.