The Bodhisatta was once king of Benares, and, one day, while dallying near a lake in his park, he noticed that fishes and tortoises flocked to him. He learnt, on enquiry, that these animals were attracted by his music, and ordered that they should be fed regularly. On finding that some of them failed to appear, he made arrangements for a drum to be sounded at the feeding time. Later, finding that a crocodile came and ate some of the fish, the king ordered him to be harpooned. The crocodile escaped capture, but died soon after.
The story was related to a backsliding monk. Desire always leads to suffering, said the Buddha; it was desire that caused the death of the crocodile. J.ii.227f.