228- Evil Company

Roseanne noticed that her dad was very upset. "Why are you upset Dad?" she asked him.

Her dad explained, "I’ve planted wheat, which cost me a lot of time and hard work but the sparrows came and ate it. There is nothing that you or I could do about it. I’ll get my gun and shoot those birds."

"But Dad, won’t you be sorry afterwards about the dead sparrows?" asked Roseanne.

"I might kill a sparrow or two but I’ll save my crop."

The father got his gun and started to shoot. He noticed that all the sparrows flew away except one bird that was unable to fly. After getting a closer view, he realized that it was his beautiful canary, which he loved very much. It had fled from the cage and joined the sparrows that came to eat the crops. The canary alone was hurt. All the sparrows had managed to escape.

The father was very sad for his beloved canary. He carried it kindly, covered it with his coat and returned to his house to take care of its wound.

As Roseanne beheld her father entering his house sad, she asked him, "Dad, why are you sad?"

He replied, "Our dear canary is hurt."

As Roseanne was in grief, her dad showed her the canary, which was covered by his coat. He said, "The poor canary was hurt because he was in evil company."

The sparrows that destroyed the crops escaped and the poor canary was hurt, although it wasn’t in need of food.”

"Evil company corrupts good habits" (1 Cor. 15.33).

→ English translation of the story here at St-Takla.org: أصدقاء السوء!

Lord, open my eyes to see heaven.

Let me find good friends to love and be loved by them.

You are my dearest Friend.

Let me always be in Your Company.

Do We Know Each Other on Earth?

Short Stories (Stories for the Youth) Books by Father Tadros Yacoub Malaty

He’s my Father