A golden goose once paired with a crow and they had a son of blue black hue, whom they called Vinīlaka. The goose had two sons, and they, noticing that their father often went to Mithilā to see Vinīlaka, offered to go and fetch him. They perched Vinīlaka on a stick and flew with the ends of the stick in their beaks. As they flew over Mithilā, Vinīlaka saw King Videha (the Bodhisatta) riding in his state chariot and boasted that Videha was no better off than he himself, since he was being carried by a pair of golden geese. The geese, in their anger, wished to drop him, but took him on to their father and told him of his son’s words. The goose was very angry on hearing this and sent Vinīlaka home to his mother.

The story was related in reference to an attempt by Devadatta, at Gayāsīsa, to imitate the Buddha when he was visited by Sāriputta and Mahā-Moggallāna.

Vinīlaka is identified with Devadatta. J.ii.38 f.