Siddhartha was very kind to animals. Often he prefered to play alone rather than join his friends in cruel games. One day, he was out in the woods with his cousin, Devadatta, who shot a bird flying over-head. The bird fell down. Siddartha ran to it first and gently pulled the arrow out. He then picked some medicinal herbs and squeezed the juice on to the wound to stop the bleeding and calmed the frightened bird. Devadatta said that the bird belonged to him. "It is mine. I shot it," He said. "Had you killed it, it would have been yours. It is only wounded and I saved its life, so it is mine," said Siddhartha. They finally decided to go to a court of wise men to settle the matter. The court decided that a life belongs to the one who saves it and not to the one who tries to destroy it. So Siddhartha had the right to take the bird. Devadatta was very angry. Siddhartha's compaaion and contemplative natur gratly disturbed the King, who often pondered over the prophecy of the wise men. He decided to make absolutely certain that his son did not see the four Special Signs that would one day make him give up his royal pleasures.