Once the Bodhisatta was born as a pigeon and lived in a straw basket hung in the kitchen of the treasurer (seṭṭhi) of Bārāṇasī. A crow, sniffing the savour of the food being cooked in the kitchen and longing to taste it, struck up a friendship with the pigeon in order to gain admission. In the evening, having searched for his food in the pigeon’s company, he accompanied him home, and the treasurer’s cook, on seeing him, provided a basket for him. One day, seeing some fish being prepared, the crow feigned illness and stayed behind in his basket, in spite of the warnings of the pigeon, who suspected his real reason. The cook caught the crow stealing a piece of fish and, in order to punish him, plucked his feathers and soused him in a pickle of ginger and salt and cumin mixed with sour butter-milk. The pigeon, on his return, found him in this state and, having learnt his story, flew away, not wishing to live there any more. The crow died and was flung on the dust heap.

The story was related in reference to a greedy monk who was identified with the crow. J.i.241 ff.