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

439- The Sick Lion and the Wise Fox

 

St-Takla.org Image: Lion and two lionesses - Photograph by Michael Ghaly for St-Takla.org, South Africa, 2008. صورة في موقع الأنبا تكلا: أسد و2 لبؤة - تصوير مايكل غالي لـ: موقع الأنبا تكلا هيمانوت، جنوب أفريقيا، 2008.

One day the Lion got sick and he couldn’t get out of his den. He was dying of hunger. The king sent a messenger to the animals of the forest to meet together. The messenger told them that his majesty felt sorry for eating a lot of animals during his life. He told them also that the Lion decided, in his sickness, to hold a peace agreement with all of the animals, and that he did not need anything in return but to let one of them visits him every day and serves him.

All the animals went away happy because of this peace agreement; and some of the animals paid a visit to the king every one in his turn. When the turn of the Fox came, he carried some gifts to the king and went straight to the den. At the door, he stared at the sand and then he ran away.

So the animals asked him, “Where are you going?”

The wise Fox answered, “I looked at the sand and I found the trace of the animals’ feet then I discovered that this den has become a tomb. I’m really grateful to the sand, which was a one-way passport; it indicated that animals went inside and never left.”

→ English translation of the story here at St-Takla.org: الأسد المريض والثعلب الحكيم.

You have imprisoned the evil enemy as if in a den.

With Your Cross, You destroyed his ability.

May I benefit from the traces of other people’s feet.

The enemy has devoured many and deprived them of life.

May I run and return to You.

You are my Shelter, the Victorious over all the powers of darkness.

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