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.

Once upon a time when Brahmadatta was reigning in Benares, the Bodhisatta was a Tree sprite dwelling in a castor oil plant. And the villagers of those days were superstitious about gods. A festival came round and the villagers offered sacrifices to their respective Tree sprites. Seeing this a poor man showed worship to the castor oil tree. All the others had come with garlands, odours, perfumes, and cakes; but the poor man had only a cake of husk powder and water in a coconut shell for his tree. Standing before it, he thought within himself, “Tree sprites are used to heavenly food, and my Tree sprite will not eat this cake of husk powder. Why then should I lose it outright? I will eat it myself.” And he turned to go away, when the Bodhisatta from the fork of his tree exclaimed, “My good man! if you were a wealthy man, you would bring me dainty manchets; but as you are a poor man, what shall I have to eat if not that cake? Rob me not of my portion.”