King Kusha is talented but ugly. His beautiful wife, thevain Prabhavati, leaves him when she sees his face. Kusha decides to win her back.

Vasavadatta is the princess of Ujjaini. Her father captures King Udayana of Kaushambi and asks Vasavadatta to learn the secret of taming elephants from him.

Ugrasena leaves his home and family and become an acrobat. Though he becomes skilful, his mind is not at peace.

The stories in this collection are Buddhist classic from ancient India. They echo the teaching of the Buddha, showing that true peace comes from leading a life of detachment and compassion.