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

445- The Rooster and the Fox

 

St-Takla.org Image: Foxes eating and ruining grapes: "Catch us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes" (Song of Solomon 2:15) - AI art, idea by Michael Ghaly for St-Takla.org, 9 September 2023. صورة في موقع الأنبا تكلا: ثعالب تأكل وتتلف العنب: "خذوا لنا الثعالب، الثعالب الصغار المفسدة الكروم، لأن كرومنا قد أقعلت" [نش 2: 15]. - فن بالذكاء الاصطناعي، فكرة مايكل غالي لموقع الأنبا تكلاهيمانوت، 9 سبتمبر 2023 م.

The rooster stood on the branch of a tree crowing with a sweet voice. A fox standing under the tree looked up and said, “How beautiful and wonderful a rooster you are!”

“Thank you.”

“I admire your beautiful voice, do you mind crowing once more.”

As the rooster crowed for the second time the fox asked him to repeat the act for the third and fourth time. Finally the fox said with a low and kind voice, “Why do we remain living in enmity? I admire your beauty and sweet voice. Why don’t we live in friendship? Let us establish a covenant of reconciliation and you come down that I may kiss you the kiss of friendship and love.”

The rooster said, “Why don’t you come up since you want to reconcile?”

The fox said, “I’m not able to ascend. Come down for I desire to kiss you. Come down quickly for I’ve an important errand and I wish to declare my reconciliation with you before leaving the place.”

The rooster said, “I don’t mind. Just wait for a couple of minutes for, I see a dog approaching from far running towards us. I wish him to be present not only as a witness for our friendship but that he may rejoice with us. Perhaps he would also kiss you.”

As the fox heard that a dog was quickly approaching, he left the place and fled saying, “Let’s postpone our meeting to another day for, I’m very busy.”

Thus, the rooster was rescued from the fatal intentions of the Fox.

→ English translation of the story here at St-Takla.org: الديك والثعلب.

The devil appears as an Angel of light to deceive me.

He wants to kiss me with a spirit of deception.

St-Takla.org Image: A rooster in a cage, cockerel, cock - Bioparco di Roma: Rome Zoo (zoological garden), Italy. Date opened: 5 January 1911 - Photograph by Michael Ghaly for St-Takla.org, September 20, 2014. صورة في موقع الأنبا تكلا: طائر الديك في قفص - صور حديقة حيوان روما، إيطاليا. افتتحت يوم 5 يناير 1911 م. - تصوير مايكل غالي لموقع الأنبا تكلاهيمانوت، 20 سبتمبر 2014.

He tempts me with the desires of the flesh and the world as if it were for my comfort.

He pushes me to laziness and sleep as if caring about my health.

With his deceitful love, he opens his mouth to devour me.

He leads me to hell where he dwells.

 

But the Lord, with all His angels, is fortress to me.

May I trust in the Lord that through His Light, He will destroy the darkness of the enemy.

May He grant me heavenly wisdom that will destroy the deceits of the enemy.

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