Rucira Jātaka

“Who is this pretty Crane,” etc.—This story the Master told at Jetavana about some greedy Brother. The two stories are just the same as the last. And these are the verses—


“Who is this pretty Crane, and why
Does he in my Crow’s basket lie?
An angry bird, my friend the Crow!
This is his nest, I’d have you know!”
“Do you not know me, friend, indeed?
Together we were used to feed!
I would not do as I was told,
So now I’m plucked, as you behold.”
“You’ll come to grief again, I know—
It is your nature to do so.
When people make a dish of meat
’Tis not for little birds to eat.”

As before, the Bodhisatta said—“I can’t live here any more,” and flew away some whither.

When this discourse was ended, the Master declared the Truths and identified the Birth—at the conclusion of the Truths, the greedy Brother attained the Fruit of the Third Path—“The greedy Brother was the Crow, and I was the Pigeon.”