In a forest lived three friends: an antelope, a woodpecker and a tortoise. One night the antelope was caught in a huntsman’s noose, and the tortoise set about biting through the thongs of the noose while the woodpecker, uttering cries of ill-omen, kept the huntsman in his hut. The antelope escaped, but the tortoise, exhausted by his labours, was caught by the huntsman. The antelope thereupon enticed the hunter into the forest and, eluding him, released the tortoise. The antelope was the Bodhisatta, Sāriputta the woodpecker, Mahā-Moggallāna the tortoise and Devadatta the hunter.

The story was told in reference to Devadatta’s wickedness (J.ii.152 ff; DhA.iii.152 f).

This Jātaka is figured on the Bharhut Stupa. Cunningham: p.67 and PL xxvii.9.