法苑珠林 82.87

82.87

如五分律云。佛告諸比丘。過去世時。阿練若池水邊有二雁。與一龜共結親友。後時池水涸竭。二雁作是議言。今此池水涸竭。親友必受大苦。議已語龜言。此池水涸竭。汝無濟理。可銜一木。我等各銜一頭。將汝著大水處。銜木之時慎不可語。即便銜之。經過聚落。諸小兒見皆言。雁銜龜去。龜即瞋言。何預汝事。即便失木。墮地而死。爾時世尊因此說偈言。

As the Mahīśāsaka Vinaya says: The Buddha told the monks, "In a past age, by the edge of an araṇya pond, there were two wild geese who became close friends with a turtle. Later, the pond dried up. The two geese conferred, saying: 'Now this pond has dried up, and our friend will surely suffer great hardship.' Having conferred, they said to the turtle: 'This pond has dried up, and you have no way to survive. You may bite onto a stick of wood, and we will each hold an end in our beaks to carry you to a large body of water. While holding the stick in your mouth, be very careful not to speak.' The turtle then bit onto it. As they passed over a village, the young children saw them and all said, 'The geese are carrying off a turtle!' The turtle became angry and said, 'What business is it of yours?!' Thereupon he lost hold of the stick, fell to the ground, and died. At that time, on this account, the World-Honoured One spoke a verse:"