法苑珠林 78.20

78.20

Furthermore, the Chizuiwu yu jing says: In the past, there was a crow named Kaukkā (in the language of Liang, 'red-billed crow') that roamed in the forest trees, nesting and rearing its fledglings upon a tree. At that time, this crow was on close terms with a monkey. Then, among the dense trees there was a venomous snake that watched for the crow's absence and devoured its chicks, leaving none behind. Having lost its young, the crow cried and wailed in grief, not knowing where they were. Thinking it through carefully, it realized they had been eaten by the snake. When the monkey returned and saw it, he asked what had happened. It replied, 'The snake devoured my young, utterly and completely.' The monkey said, 'I shall avenge them.' At that time, as the venomous snake was crawling, the monkey went forward and provoked it. Enraged, the snake coiled around the monkey. The monkey seized its head, dragged it onto a rock, and ground it until it died, then cast it aside and returned. The crow leaped with joy. Even beasts seek vengeance for one another; how much more so humans!