In a deep forest lived a mighty deer, strong as a horse and wise as a sage. One day the King of Benares rode out hunting with his men. They formed a great circle around the forest, and it was agreed that whichever hunter let a deer escape past him would pay for it with a forfeit. As luck would have it, the great deer bounded straight toward the spot where the king himself stood.
The king shot his arrow, but the clever deer dropped flat as though struck, and when the king ran forward shouting in triumph, the deer sprang up and raced away untouched. The courtiers hid their smiles: their proud king had been outwitted. Stung with shame, the king leapt on his horse and chased the deer alone, deep into the forest, far beyond his companions.
The deer ran with ease, but the king would not give up. Suddenly, hidden by leaves and branches, a great pit opened in the earth before the galloping horse. The horse swerved — and the king was thrown headlong into the deep hole. The deer, no longer hearing hoofbeats, stopped and looked back. He saw the horse standing alone, and he understood. "My hunter has fallen," he thought. "He came to harm me — but he is a man in trouble, and I am strong. Shall I leave him to cry in the dark?"
The deer returned to the pit, braced his feet, and called gently, "Do not fear, O king. Take hold of me." Then, with the king clinging to his powerful back, he climbed and heaved until they were both on firm ground. The amazed king said, "I hunted you, and you saved my life. Come to Benares — my kingdom is yours." The deer answered kindly, "I do not want a kingdom, great king. I ask only this: rule your people with mercy, and let every creature in your realm — on land, in air, and in water — live without fear." The king promised with all his heart, and kept his word until the end of his days.
When the Buddha finished this tale, he said, "In that life, the king of Benares was Ananda, and the great deer who saved him was I myself."