“The one who should shelter me from suffering.” [1.244] {1.411} This story was told by the Teacher while at Jetavana, about a lay brother who was a greengrocer in Sāvatthi and made a living by the sale of various roots and vegetables, and pumpkins and the like. Now he had a pretty daughter who was as good and virtuous as she was pretty, but was always laughing. And when she was asked in marriage by a family of his own station in life, he thought: “She ought to be married, but she’s always laughing; and a bad girl married into a strange family is her parents’ shame. I must find out for certain whether she is a good girl or not.”

So one day he made his daughter take a basket and come with him to the forest to gather herbs. Then to try her, he took her by the hand with whispered words of love. Straightaway the girl burst into tears and began to cry out that such a thing would be as monstrous as fire rising out of water, and she besought him to forbear. Then he told her that his only intent was to try her, and asked whether she was virtuous. And she declared that she was and that she had never looked on any man with eyes of love. Calming her fears and taking her back home, he made a feast and gave her in marriage. Then feeling that he ought to go and pay his respects to the Teacher, he took perfumes and garlands in his hand and went to Jetavana. His salutations done and offerings made, he seated himself near the Teacher, who observed that it was a long time since his last coming. Then the man told the Fortunate One the whole story.

“She has always been a good girl,” said the Teacher. “You have put her to the test now just as you did in days gone by.” Then at the greengrocer’s request he told this story of the past.

His story ended, the Teacher preached the Four Truths, at the close whereof the greengrocer was established in the First Path. Then the Teacher identified the Jātaka by saying: “The father and daughter of today were the father and daughter in the story, and I the Tree Devatā who witnessed the scene.”