Jataka 236: Baka-jātaka

"See that twice-born bird," etc.—This story the Master told while staying in Jetavana, about a hypocrite. When he was brought before the Master, the Master said, "Brethren, he was a hypocrite of old just as he is now," and told the following story.

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[234] Once on a time, when Brahmadatta was king of Benares, the Bodhisatta became a Fish in a certain pond in the Himalaya region, and a great shoal went with him. Now a Crane desired to eat the fish. So in a place near the pond he drooped his head, and spread out his wings, and looked vacantly, vacantly at the fish, waiting till they were off their guard^[1]. At the same moment the Bodhisatta with his shoal came to that place in search of food. And the shoal of fish on seeing the crane uttered the first stanza:—

"See that twice-born^[2] bird, how white--
  Like a water-lily seeming;
Wings outspread to left and right--
  Oh, how pious! dreaming, dreaming!"

Then the Bodhisatta looked, and uttered the second stanza:

"What he is ye do not know,
  Or you would not sing his praises.
He is our most treacherous foe;
  That is why no wing he raises."

Thereupon the fish splashed in the water and drove the crane away.

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When this discourse was ended, the Master identified the Birth:—"This hypocrite was the Crane, and I was the chief of the shoal of fish."

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

A crane's sleep" is an Indian proverb for trickery.

[2]:

dijo is used of a bird as born in the egg and from the egg. It is also applied to Brahmins, and so conveys an additional notion of piety.