20. The Hawk.
Walk not in forbidden ground.
A. Canonical version.
Saṁyutta v. 146-148.
Thus have I heard: Once upon a time the Exalted One was in residence at Jetavana. At that time the Exalted One addressed the monks: “Monks!” “Reverend Sir!” replied those monks to the Exalted One. The Exalted One said this:
In olden times, monks, a hawk attacked a quail with violence and caught it. Now, monks, as the hawk was carrying off the quail, the quail thus lamented: “I am indeed unfortunate, I possess little merit,—I who walked in forbidden ground, in a foreign region. If to-day I had walked in my own ground, in the region of my fathers, this hawk would not have been equal to a combat with me.”
“But, quail, what is your feeding-ground? What is the region of your fathers?”
“A field of clods, turned up by the plow.”
Then, monks, the hawk, not exerting his strength, not asserting his strength, released the quail. “Go, quail! Even there you will not escape from me.” Then, monks, the quail went to the field of clods, turned up by the plow, and mounting a big clod, stood and called the hawk: “Come now, hawk, I dare you! Come now, hawk, I dare you!”
Then, monks, the hawk, exerting his strength, asserting his strength, flapped both his wings and attacked the quail with violence. When, monks, the quail knew: “This hawk is coming for me with a vengeance!” he entered a crack in that very clod. And, monks, the hawk struck his breast against that very clod.