The golden-crested bird’s story.
There is on the Himálayas a king of the Vidyádharas, named Vajradanshṭra. His queen gave birth to five daughters in succession. And then the king propitiated Śiva with austerities and obtained a son, named Rajatadanshṭra, whom he valued more than life. His father, out of affection, bestowed the knowledge of the sciences upon him when he was still a child, and he grew up, a feast to the eyes of his relations.
One day he saw his eldest sister, by name Somaprabhá, playing upon a pinjara. In his childishness he kept begging for the pinjara, saying, “Give it me, I too want to play on it.” And when she would not give it him, in his flightiness he seized the pinjara, and flew up to heaven with it in the form of a bird. Then his sister cursed him, saying;—“Since you have taken my pinjara from me by force, and flown away with it, you shall become a bird with a golden crest.” When Rajatadanshṭra heard this, he fell at his sister’s feet, and entreated her to fix a time for his curse to end, and she said, “When, foolish boy, you fall, in your bird-form, into a blind well, and a certain merciful person draws you out, and you do him a service in return, then you shall be released from this curse.” When she had said this to her brother, he was born as a bird with a golden crest.
“I am that same golden-crested bird, that fell into this pit in the night, and have now been drawn out by you, so now I will depart. Remember me when you fall into calamity, for by doing you a service in return I shall be released from my curse.” When the bird had said this, he departed. Then the snake, being questioned by that Bodhisattva, told his story to that great-souled one.