Once upon a time there were seven brothers the youngest of whom bore the name of Lita.  The six elder brothers were all married but Lita refused to marry and when questioned he said that he would not marry any one but the Belbati Princess.  His sisters-in-law laughed very much at the idea that he would marry a princess and worried him so much that at length he decided to set out in search of the Belbati princess.  So one day he started off and after some time came to a jungle in which was sitting a holy muni.  Lita went to him and asked if he knew where he would find the Belbati-princess.  The muni said that he did not know but that a day’s journey farther on was another muni who might be able to tell him.  So Lita travelled on for a day and found another muni who was in the midst of performing a three month’s spell of fasting and meditation.  Lita had to wait till the muni returned to thoughts of this world and then made his enquiry.  The muni said that he did not know but that three days’ journey farther on was another muni who might be able to help him.  So Lita went on and found the third muni who was in the midst of a six months’ fast.  When this muni came to himself and heard what Lita wanted he said that he would be very glad to help him.  The Belbati princess was at the time imprisoned in the biggest bel fruit growing on a bel tree which was guarded by Rakshasas.  If he went and plucked this fruit he would secure the princess, but if he took any but the biggest fruit he would be ruined.

Lita promised to bear this in mind and then the muni changed him into a biti bird and told him the direction in which to fly.  Lita flew off and soon came to the tree, which was covered with fruit; he was very frightened when he saw the Rakshasas there, so in a great hurry he went and bit off the first fruit that he came to; but this was not the biggest on the tree and the Rakshasas immediately fell upon him and ate him up.  The muni, when Lita did not come back, knew that something must have happened to him so he sent a crow to see what was the matter.  The crow came back and said that one bel fruit had been picked but that he could not see Lita.  Then the muni sent the crow to bring him the droppings of the Rakshasas.  The crow did so and from the droppings the muni restored Lita to life.  The muni reproved Lita for his failure and told him that if he wished to make a second attempt he must remember his behest to pick only the biggest bel fruit.  Lita promised and the muni turned him into a parroquet.  In this form Lita again flew to the bel tree and picked the biggest fruit on the tree.  When the Rakshasas saw the parrot making off with the fruit they pursued him in fury; but the muni turned the parrot into a fly so small that the Rakshasas could not see it, so they had to give up the chase.