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John noticed that his son had evil friends. Though he was once excellent, gentle with his parents, hard working and not wasting his time, he was totally changed. He felt that home was a prison, he was always out and whenever he was in he spent long hours talking on the phone with his friends. He neglected his studies and became aggressive with his family.
John talked to his son about evil friendship that corrupts life. The son started to defend himself saying that life is not only studying and imprisonment in the house.
John told him the story of the young camel and his evil friends:
As the young camel was tired, he laid down on the ground silently. A raven asked him, “Why are you sitting alone, poor camel? I see you tired of what you carry. Come with me to the neighboring wood where we live freely, playing and talking all day long, unworried about anything. We eat and sleep as we want, ruled by no one.”
The raven flew and the camel followed him till they reached the forest, at last he found himself before the den of a lion. The animals, among whom there was a fox and a wolf, welcomed him. They all entered the lion’s den.
“You look unfamiliar; who are you?”
“I’m a weak young camel seeking your friendship and protection.”
“Don’t be afraid, you are a friend of mine from now on.”
The camel was pleased with such a friendship and played much with his friends the raven, the fox, the wolf and the lion. The camel thought himself safe and free being protected by the king himself. Once the raven, the fox and the wolf came to him very sad saying, “The lion fought the elephant, was defeated by him and was dangerously wounded. He is at his den incapable of moving, let’s visit him together.”
The camel was pleased with his faithful friends for, they did not want to go without him. They visited the lion who was hungry and unable to search for a pray. The raven, the fox and the wolf came before to the lion. Finding him very hungry, they asked him to devour the camel but he said, “I promised to protect him so how can I devour him?”
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They said, “Don’t mind, we’ll bring him to you to ask you to devour him.”
When they visited him he said, “I am very sick and hungry and unable to search for pray.” The raven said, “I’m at your hands dear king, you’re a faithful friend who used to give us food everyday. Eat me instead of dying of hunger.”
The fox said at once, “Your majesty, the raven is very small having no flesh to be eaten. Eat me so that I can return to you some of your daily love and care.”
Then the wolf said, “Don’t eat the fox for, his flesh is impure and unfit for the king. I’ll be a delicious meal for you. Let me show you my love for you.”
However the raven and the fox said, “O great king, don’t eat the flesh of the wolf for it’ll harm you.”
The camel observed what had happened. Then he went to the lion repeating what his evil friends had said, “O great dear king, I ask you in the name of friendship to eat me instead of the raven, the fox and the wolf.”
Before finishing what he said the three evil friends said, “Yes O king, give heed to him for, he’ll be a suitable meal for you.”
Unmercifully the lion and his friends devoured the camel. Thus, the pour camel was the victim of evil friendship.
→ English translation of the story here at St-Takla.org: الجمل الصغير وأصدقاء السوء.
“I have not sat with idolatrous mortals, nor will I go in with hypocrites” (Ps. 26.4).
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