525- Lies graver than Wounds

The monkey made a discussion with the turtle about which is more dangerous: lies or wounds. The monkey insisted that bodily wounds are more dangerous than lies. However, the turtle assured the contrary. The monkey got furious of him. He held a knife and said to him, “Let me wound you and you tell me a lie. We’ll see then which is graver.”

The turtle agreed on this. Therefore, the monkey wounded the turtle’s leg. The turtle put medicines on the wound and treated it. On the following day, he went to the monkey healed. Before going to him, the turtle had bought a huge piece of meat and cut it into small pieces. He grilled them and tied them to a tree as if they were fruits.

“Have you seen the unique tree which bears grilled meat?” The turtle Asked the monkey.

“You don’t know even how to tell a lie.” The monkey said mockingly. “Is that logical? Does it bring fire and grill it?”

“Come and see.” He replied.

He walked with him. When he approached the tree, the monkey smelt the meat. He jumped over the branches of the tree to see the grilled meat. The turtle soon told a dog about that wonderful tree. Thus, he went to it. Being hungry, the dog was barking loudly. The monkey was afraid. He began to throw the pieces of meat one after another.

The dogs were attracted by the smell of the grilled meat and came to eat the grilled meat. They finished it all. However, they continued barking, expecting the monkey to throw more of the grilled meat of that wonderful tree. The monkey could neither go down the tree nor eat even one piece of the meat for fear of the dogs. The monkey did not eat, drink or sleep for three days.

On the fourth day, a big wolf was passing by the tree. Thus, the dogs escaped. The wolf then stayed beside the tree waiting for the poor monkey. The turtle came and said to the wolf, “Why do you lie here? It’s a poor monkey dying of hunger and sleeplessness. He’s no flesh to be eaten.”

The monkey was about to die of fear on the branch of the tree while listening to the conversation between the turtle and the wolf. Finally, the wolf left. The monkey then went down the tree completely tired. When the turtle wanted to talk to him, he said, “I’m not able to talk. I’ve known that you are right. Lies are much more dangerous than bodily wounds.”

→ English translation of the story here at St-Takla.org: سلحفاة تؤكد أن الكذب أكثر ضررًا من الجراحات.

The Christmas Present

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

The Stolen Car