Once there lived a boy named Krishna. He lived in a village with his poor mother. His father had died when he was very young. When Krishna was five years old his mother sent him to school.

The boy and his mother both had a lot of faith in Bhagawān Shrīkrushṇa. He had so much faith in Bhagawān Shrīkrushṇa that, every day when crossing the dense forest to go to school, he would be accompanied by the child Bhagawān Shrīkrushṇa Himself. The boy considered child Bhagawān Shrīkrushṇa to be his brother and did not know of His Divine nature.

One day the school master said, "Tomorrow I want to give a feast. All of you, my boys, must bring presents."

So Krishna said to his mother that night, "Mother, our noble teacher is going to give a feast tomorrow. What should I take for him?"

His words made her very sad, as she knew that she would not be able to give him anything due to their poverty. But at the same time she did not want her son to go without a present to his master.

So she said, "My boy, I am too poor to give you anything for your teacher. But, while going to school in the morning, ask your Brother (that is,Bhagawān Shrīkrushṇa) to give you something." She knew that the child Bhagawān Shrīkrushṇa would help them.

So in the morning the boy said to Bhagawān Shrīkrushṇa: "O Brother, my teacher is going to give a feast today. All the boys will be bringing presents. It will look so bad on my part if I do not give him a present. I am too poor to give anything. Will you give me something for my master?"

"What can I give you, O brother? I am a poor Cowherd. Here is a little bowl of milk, that's all I can give you, Krishna. It is only a poor Cowherd's present, but you must give it to your teacher," said the child Bhagawān Shrīkrushṇa.

Krishna went to his master's house with the present. He waited behind a crowd of boys who were handing over their presents.

Krishna waited for a long time, but he was not seen. He became very sad. At last the teacher happened to look upon him. The master took the small bowl of milk from the boy's hands and went to empty it into a big pan. But, to the teacher's surprise, the little bowl filled up again. Again he tried to empty it, and again the little bowl was full. And so he went on emptying it again and again, but still the little bowl was full.

All of those present at the feast wondered what this meant. Krishna also wondered. Then he understood for the first time that the Cowherd Brother was none other than the Bhagawān Shrīkrushṇa Himself!

The teacher asked him, "From where did you get this milk?"

Krishna replied, "From my Brother, the Cowherd, Who lives in the woods."

"Who is He?" asked the teacher.

"One who comes and plays with me on my way to school," replied Krishna.

"Can you show me your Brother in the woods?"

"Yes, if you come along with me, Sir."

So in the evening the teacher and Krishna went together to the forest. When they got there, Krishna called out: "Cowherd Brother! Brother Cowherd! Won't you come?" But, child Bhagawān Shrīkrushṇa did not appear. Krishna did not know what to do. He called several times, but there was no reply.

At last the boy was in grief and cried out, "O Brother Cowherd, if You do not appear, they will think I do not tell the truth."

Then came a sound, as if it were from the deep woods, which said, "No, my little brother, I cannot show My face to your master. He still has a long time to wait."