Once in Bārāṇasī was a famous teacher who retired into the forest. Men came from all parts to learn from him and brought him many presents. He had in his house a tame partridge, who, by listening to the teacher’s exposition, learnt the three Vedas by heart. A tame lizard and a cow were given as presents to the teacher. When the teacher died, his students were in despair, but were reassured by the partridge who taught them what he knew. One day a wicked ascetic came to the hermitage and, in the absence of the students, killed the partridge, the young lizard and the cow. The partridge had two friends, a lion and a tiger, who killed the murderer.

The ascetic was Devadatta, the lizard Kisāgotamī, the tiger Mahā-Moggallāna, the lion Sāriputta, the teacher Mahā-Kassapa, and the partridge the Bodhisatta.

The story was related in reference to Devadatta’s attempts to kill the Buddha. J.iii.536 f.