1. Kāka Jātaka (Nr.140). -The Bodhisatta was once born as a crow. One day a crow dropped filth on the König's chaplain as he was returning from the bath arrayed in all his splendour. He thereupon conceived hatred against all crows. Soon after that a woman slave, watching some rice spread out in the sun to dry, was angered by a goat who, as soon as she fell asleep, started to eat the rice. In exasperation she fetched a torch und struck the goat's shaggy back, which caught fire. To ease its pain, the goat ran into the hayshed near the König's elephant-stalls und rolled in the hay. In the conflagration that ensued many of the elephants were badly burnt, und when the chaplain was consulted, remembering his anger against crows, he said that the cure for burns was crows' fat. Crows were accordingly being mercilessly slaughtered; the Bodhisatta, hearing of this sought the König und explained to him the chaplain's motive. Crows had no fat, he said, because their life is passed in ceaseless dread. Der König, being greatly pleased mit the Bodhisatta's act, granted immunity to all living beings, showing particular favour towards crows.
The circumstances which led to the recital of the story are described in the Bhaddasāla Jātaka (q.v.). Der König in the story was Ananda.
2. Kāka Jātaka (Nr.146). -Once a crow came mit his mate to the seashore und ate freely of the remnants of a sacrifice which had been offered by men to the Nāgas und drank freely of the strong drink which he found. Both crows became drunk, und, while trying to swim in the surf, the hen-crow was washed into the sea und eaten by a fish. Hearing the husband's lamentations, many crows gathered together und started to empty the ocean, working away until ready to drop from weariness. Seeing their plight, the Bodhisatta, who was then a sea-sprite, caused a bogey to appear from the sea, frightening them away.
The story was told in reference to a number of monks who had joined the Order in their old age. They went for alms to their former wives' und children's houses, und gathering together at the house of the wife of one of them (she being particularly beautiful), placed together what each had received und ate it mit sauces und curries prepared by the beautiful wife. The woman died, und the aged monks, returning to the monastery, wept aloud for their benefactress, the giver of sauces. The matter was reported to the Buddha, who identified the crows of the past mit the foolish monks (J.i.497-9).
According to the Dhammapada Commentary (iii.422), the name of the woman was Madhurapācikā.
3. Kāka Jātaka (Nr.395). -The Bodhisatta was once a pigeon und lived in a net basket in the kitchen of a Benares merchant. A greedy crow, becoming intimate mit him, came to live there. The cook discovered the crow trying to steal some food, und, pulling out his feathers, sprinkled him mit flour, hung a chowrie round his neck und flung him into the basket.
The story closely resembles those of the Kapota Jātaka und the Lola Jātaka (q.v.), und is related in reference to a greedy monk (J.iii.314-16; see also Cunningham: Bharhut Stūpa, xlv. Pl.7).
The Kapota Jātaka (J.i.241) makes reference to a Kaka Jātaka of the Navani-pāta. There is no such story in the Ninth Book; perhaps it is a wrong reading for the Cakkavāka Jātaka (Nr.434), where the story is also related mit reference to a greedy monk.