कश्चन चातकशिशुः पिपासया पीडितः मातुः समीपं गत्वा अवदत् 'अम्ब ! अहं तटाकजलं पातुम् इच्छामि" ।  माता तम् अबोधयत् यत् तटाकजलं न पातव्यम्, केवलं मेघजलम् एव पातव्यम् इति अस्माकं कुलस्य आचारः' । चातकशिशुः पिपासां सोढुम् अशक्नुवन् गङ्गाजलं पातुम् गङ्गां प्रति गच्छन् रात्रियापनाय कस्यचित् कृषिकस्य गृहे उशितवान् । तत्र कृषकपुत्रयोः सम्भाषणेन ज्ञातं यत् पुत्रेण कुलस्य आचारः रक्षितः इति ।  मेघजलम् एव पातव्यम् इत्येषः आचारः मया धिक्कृतः इति चिन्तयन् नीडं प्रत्यागत्य मातरं प्रवृत्तं सर्वम् अवदत् ।
(“केन्द्रीयसंस्कृतविश्वविद्यालयस्य अष्टादशीयोजनान्तर्गततया एतासां कथानां ध्वनिप्रक्षेपणं क्रियते”)

A thirsty young chataka bird went to its mother and said, ‘Mother! I want to drink water from the pond’. The mother explained to him that drinking pond water was not allowed and that only rainwater should be consumed, as it was a tradition of their family. Unable to bear his thirst, the young chataka bird went to the Ganges to drink its water. On the way, he stayed overnight at a farmer's house. Through a conversation with the farmer's son, it was revealed that the son followed the family's tradition. Reflecting on how the tradition of only drinking rainwater was ridiculed by him, the young bird returned to the nest and narrated the entire incident to his mother.