444- The Deceitful Cat and the Mice

 

St-Takla.org Image: Ancient bust of Alexander the Great. Marble, Hellenistic artwork. from Piperno Vecchio, H. 64 cm (25 in.), Palazzo Nuovo, first floor, great hall - Capitoline Museums (Musei Capitolini), Rome, Italy. It is located in Piazza del Campidoglio, on top of the Capitoline Hill. It was established in 1734. - Photograph by Michael Ghaly for St-Takla.org, September 21, 2014. صورة في موقع الأنبا تكلا: تمثال رخامي أثري يصور الإسكندر الأكبر، فن من العصر الهلنستي، من بيبيرنو فيكيو، طول 64 سم.، قصر نوفو، الدور الأول، القاعة الكبرى - صور متاحف كابيتوليني، روما، إيطاليا. وهو مجموعة متاحف في متحف واحد، موجود في أعلى تل كاپيتوليني، وأنشئ عام 1734 م. - تصوير مايكل غالي لموقع الأنبا تكلاهيمانوت، 21 سبتمبر 2014.

Proud of his experience, the black cat said to himself, “ Alexander the great overcame almost the whole world in ten years. The whole world fears his name, so what should I do? I’ll consecrate my whole time, effort and talents to kill mice and rid the whole world of them.”

The mice heard of it; they were terrified and remained in their burrows for a long time. One day a mouse peaked with his head from his burrow and saw something very strange. He saw the black cat lying down with his back against the wall, and his head hanging down and a ribbon around his head. The mouse called the rest of the troop and said, “Look the cruel black cat has died. He didn’t find any of us to eat. May be because of his violence, he hurt someone so the owner of the house punished him and hanged him. Let’s attend his funeral and make fun of that beast.

The mice came out of their burrows and headed towards the killed black cat. When they came very close, he fell on them caught one of them and played with it then ate it.

Days passed by and the mice remained hiding, so the cat thought of another trick to attack the mice. He wrapped himself in flour and became all white. He went and hid beside the trunk of a tree.

A mouse looked out of a small opening and when he saw the cat, he told him, “What a deceitful cat, You’re that black cat and even if you become a sack of flour we won’t trust you for, you are deceitful.”

→ English translation of the story here at St-Takla.org: القط المخادع والفئران.

The master of the kingdom of darkness often holds the image of an angel of light.

I will never trust a devil even if he appeared all-luminous.

His deception is fatal.

Let me my Savior to find my shelter in You.

You alone protect me from his violence and deceptions.

Two Birds Lamenting Humanity

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

The Rooster and the Fox