The Foolhaedy Crow

Once upon a time, while Brahmadatta reigned as king
in Benares, the Bodhisatta became a marsh crow, and
dwelt by a certain pool. His name was Viraka, the
Strong.

There arose a famine in Kasi. Men could not spare
food for the crows, nor make offering to goblins and
nagas. One by one the crows left the famine-stricken
land, and betook them to the woods.

1 I.e. in the introductory story, in which Buddha is consulted by a brahmin whose
daughters are wooed by four suitors, one handsome, one old, one of good family, and
one good.

A certain crow named Savitthaka, who lived at Benares,
took with him his lady crow and went to the place where
Viraka lived, making his abode beside the same pool.

One day, this crow was seeking food about the pool.
He saw how Viraka went down into it, and made a meal
off some fish; and afterwards came up out of the water
again, and stood drying his feathers. "Under the wing
of that crow," thought he, " plenty of fish are to be got.
I will become his servant." So he drew near.

" What is it, Sir ? " asked Viraka.

" I want to be your servant, my lord ! " was the reply.

Viraka agreed, and from that time the other served
him. And from that time, Viraka used to eat enough fish
to keep him alive, and the rest he gave to Savitthaka as
soon as he had caught them; and when Savitthaka had
eaten enough to keep him alive, he gave what was over to
his wife.

After a while pride came into his heart. " This crow,"
said he, " is black, and so am I : in eyes and beak and feet,
too, there is no difference between us. I don't want his
fish; I will catch my own!" So he told Viraka that for
the future he intended to go down to the water and catch
fish himself. Then Viraka said, " Good friend, you do not
belong to a tribe of such crows as are born to go into
water and catch fish. Don't destroy yourself!"

But in spite of this attempt to dissuade him, Savitthaka
did not take the warning to heart. Down he went to the
pool, down into the water; but he could not make his
way through the weeds and come out again there he
was, entangled in the weeds, with only the tip of his beak
appearing above the water. So not being able to breathe
he perished there beneath the water.

His mate noticed that he did not return, and went to
Viraka to ask news of him. " My lord," she asked, " Savit-
thaka is not to be seen: where is he?" And as she asked
him this, she repeated the first stanza:

have you seen Savitthaka, Viraka, have you seen

My sweet-voiced mate whose neck is like the peacock in its sheen ?

When Viraka heard it, he replied, " Yes, I know where
he is gone," and recited the second stanza :

He was not horn to dive beneath the wave,
But what he could not do he needs must try;

So the poor bird has found a watery grave,
Entangled in the weeds, and left to die.

When the lady-crow heard it, weeping, she returned to
Benares.