The woman said, "I want a suckling woman and an [infant] child. How
about the maintenance of those two?"
The King said, "Up to the time when you catch the Crow I will give
their maintenance."
Afterwards the King caused a suckling woman and an [infant] child
to be brought to her. With these two that woman went to her village,
and having gone there began to give food to the crows every day. Many
crows collected together there for it. She caused that child to be near
the crows at the place where the crows were eating the food. During
the time while it was there, that little one was playing in the midst
of the party of crows, the crows surrounding it. [At last it came to
understand their language.]
Afterwards she taught the child, "When the crows are quarrelling, on
hearing a crow say, 'It was thou who droppedst excreta in Gaja-Bahu's
mouth,' seize that very Crow [which did it]."
When the crows came to eat the food they quarrelled. At the time
when they were quarrelling the child stayed in that very party
of crows. Then a crow which was quarrelling said to another crow,
"Wilt thou be [quiet], without quarrelling with me? It was thou who
droppedst excreta in Gaja-Bahu's mouth." As it was saying the words
the child seized that Crow. The woman having come, caught the Crow
and imprisoned it, without allowing it to go.
On the following day she took the Crow to the King. The King asked
at the hand of that woman, "How didst thou recognise this Crow, so
as to catch it?" The woman told him the manner in which it was caught.
Then the King asked the Crow, "Why didst thou drop excreta in my
mouth?" At the time when he was asking it there was a jewelled ring
on his finger.
The Crow replied, "You said, 'There is not a greater King than
I.' I saw that there is a greater King than that; on that account I
did this."