Christian Library | Full Free Coptic Books | Orthodox Library

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

481- The Lazy Hedgehog

 

St-Takla.org Image: European Hedgehog, by Gibe. صورة في موقع الأنبا تكلا: قنفذ أوروبي، القنفذ، جيب.

As all mothers, mother Hedgehog was happy with all her children and because she loved them so much she took them on many picnics and also taught them how to protect themselves by shaping themselves into a ball of spines. However, one of the baby Hedgehogs was very lazy and he would usually slow down the path of the whole family when they were walking in the woods.

One day, while the whole family was strolling through the woods the mother saw a great wolf coming their way. She screamed at all her children to shape themselves into a ball to protect themselves. The lazy Hedgehog who was behind the group heard his mother but thought that the wolf was still far away, and out of laziness thought that he had more time to shape himself into a ball.

By that time the rest of the family had turned themselves into balls already, and the wolf could not approach them. Only the lazy Hedgehog had not yet turned himself into a ball even though he heard his mother’s cries to him to hurry up. At that time, the wolf had sprinted to where he was and attacked him. When the mother came to check upon her children after the wolf had gone, she found out that only her lazy child was eaten. The grieving mother wept bitterly for her lost child.

→ English translation of the story here at St-Takla.org: القنفذ الطفل الكسلان.

Lord, help me listen to your life giving voice,

Help me overcome the spirit of laziness and abstinence,

So that I would set forthwith in obedience in Your Divine way,

For away from it I have no safety or peace.

---