474- A Quarrel between an Eagle and a Sow

An eagle built her nest atop a large tree where she tended her young ones well. A sow had her home at the foot of the tree where she kept her young ones around it. A cat sat on one of the branches of the tree between them. The cat feared that, when she had her kittens, the eagle would take them and eat them. At the same time the sow might trample the kittens with her feet and kill them. In order to save her kittens, the cat decided to make enmity between them.

 The cat climbed the tree to see the eagle hugging her young ones. The cat said:

“Hello dear eagle!”

“Hello beautiful cat!”

“I heard the voice of your babies and loved it. I came to tell you some secret information but promise not to tell anyone. It concerns the life of your young ones that I love dearly, and affects mine too.”

“I promise not to tell anybody about it.”

“Yesterday, I heard the sow talking to a friend. She was saying that, in your absence, she would dig around the roots of the tree. The tree will fall and your babies will die along with me. So what shall we do?”

The eagle was quiet for a while. Then she said to the cat, “Don’t worry, loyal cat, I won’t leave the tree. Thus, the sow won’t dig around the roots of the tree.”

 The cat thanked the eagle and when night fell she crept to the sow and talked to her saying, “Hello dear pig!”

“Hello beautiful cat!”

“Every day I look down from the tree and admire your beautiful and wonderful little ones, but my soul is hurting inside.”

“Why?”

“Promise to tell nobody. It’s a special secret affecting your little ones and mine.”

“I promise.”

“I found out that the eagle is planning to take away your babies and eat them when you leave them in the morning. She is also going to do the same with mine when they are born.”

“Don’t fear, dear cat, I won’t leave this place to prevent the eagle from taking my babies. Thank you for your advice and caring.”

In the morning, the eagle never left the nest for fear of the sow. The sow also stayed to prevent the eagle from taking the babies. The cat sat between them watching them both. Since the eagle stayed in the nest, the sow believed the cat. Also the eagle, seeing that the sow remained the whole day, believed what the cat said. So many days passed and the eagle’s babies died from hunger and thirst. The same happened to the sow’s babies as well as the eagle, the sow and the cat. They all died because of their behavior that gives us a true lesson in the principle separate to dominate.

→ English translation of the story here at St-Takla.org: وقيعة بين نسر وخنزير.

Give me the spirit of love not separation.

With love, my soul and the souls of many are satisfied,

With separation I perish along with the others.

Let me love, for love is the heaven and life of my soul.

The Curious Monk

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

The Three Thetas