Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c8.1778

c8.1778

Then the male fowl said "I am the nearest relative responsible for your protection and welfare. If one does not heed the words of a relative one will fall into danger. I shall tell you the story of a tortoise which came to grief by not obeying the instructions of its friends. In olden times there lived on the banks of a pond a tortoise who had two swan-friends in the lake named Saṅkaṭa and Vikaṭa. Once the lake became empty of water and the swans decided to go to another lake with water. They never wanted to part with their friend the tortoise and so decided to take the tortoise also along with them. But the tortoise could not fly and so they found a plan to carry the tortoise to the other lake. They brought a stick and the tortoise was asked to hang at the middle of the stick clutching the stick tightly with its teeth. The swans then took the stick by its two ends each holding one end in its beak. The swans gave strict instructions that the tortoise should not open its mouth and then rose up into the air and flew towards the other lake. On the way some children saw the funny sight in the air and so hooted and howled. The tortoise got angry and abused the children. The moment it opened its mouth it lost hold on the stick and fell down to the ground This happened because the tortoise did not heed the words of its friends." The water fowl continued 'It is cowardice and foolishness to remain sad expecting dangers in future. Just hear this story' he said 'Once in a pond there were three fishes named Anāgata, Utpannamati and Yadbhaviṣya. Hearing that fishermen were coming to fish in that pond Anāgata warned them and suggested going to another pond to escape from the fishermen. But Utpannamati and Yadbhaviṣya did not care. They said that some plan could be found out when the danger came. But Anāgata felt diffident and so he went away to another pond. Soon the fishermen came and spread their nets. Utpannamati lay still pretending to be dead. The fishermen took it and deposited it on the shore and started to fish again. The moment the fishermen turned their heads Utpannamati slipped into a mud pit nearby and remained there till the departure of the fishermen. But poor Yadbhaviṣya could not think of any plan and was caught and carried away by the fishermen. So just like Utpannamati I will also come across some plan when the danger comes and so you do lay your eggs on the shore of the ocean itself."