經律異相 47.21

47.21

時師子王竟不報恩。捨之而去。木雀自念。吾恩極重反見輕賤。今當追逐要伺子便。不報恩者終不行世。在在處處終不相離。時師子王復殺群獸恣意食之。飽便睡眠無所畏懼。時彼木雀飛趣師子。當立額上盡其力勢啄一眼壞。師子驚起左右顧視不見餘獸。唯見木雀獨在樹上。時師子王語木雀曰。汝今何為乃壞吾目。時彼木雀以偈報之。

At that time, the lion king never repaid the kindness, but abandoned him and walked away. The woodpecker thought to himself: 'My kindness was immense, yet I am conversely held in contempt. I will now follow him and wait for his moment of vulnerability. One who does not repay kindness should never prosper in the world; wherever he goes, I will never part from him.' Later, the lion king again killed herds of beasts and ate his fill; being satiated, he fell asleep without any fear. At that time, the woodpecker flew toward the lion, perched squarely upon his brow, and with all his strength pecked out one of his eyes, destroying it. The lion started up in alarm and looked to the left and right, but saw no other beast; he saw only the woodpecker alone in a tree. The lion king then said to the woodpecker, 'Why have you now destroyed my eye?' At that time, the woodpecker replied to him with a verse: