The Bodhisatta was once king of Bārāṇasī. His mother was a passionate woman, harsh and ill-tongued, and the Bodhisatta waited for an opportunity of admonishing her. One day, as he accompanied her to the park, a blue jay screeched, and the courtiers stopped their ears, saying: “What a scream! Stop it!” On another day they heard a cuckoo singing and stood listening eagerly. The Bodhisatta pointed this out to his mother and left her to draw her own inference. She understood and reformed herself.

The story was related to Anāthapiṇḍika’s daughter-in-law, Sujātā, who was identified with the queen mother. J.ii.347-51.