204- An Agreement to Disagreement

 The hunter targeted his gun towards the bear to kill it. The bear raised his fore legs and said, “Why do you want to kill me? What did I do?”

 “I want to sell your fur”, answered the hunter.

 “I also need a good breakfast. Should I attack you then?” argued the bear.

 “Then I should kill you.”

 “No, let’s discuss this as two mature creatures to reach an agreement.”

Then the hunter directed the gun away from the bear. The bear bent his head in front of the hunter. The two sat together as if in a peace conference so as to reach an agreement. The discussion continued for a long time. Finally the hunter said, “I won’t leave without the fur. I need its price.”

The bear answered, “And I won’t leave without breakfast. I'm hungry.”

As they could not agree, each one escaped the other.

→ English translation of the story here at St-Takla.org: اتفقا ألا يتفقا!

Many a time,

I desire to establish an agreement between the desires of the body and my soul.

This is impossible.

They sit together but they never agree.

Let Your Holy Spirit work in me so that my body and my mind be sanctified.

As for the carnal desires, they never agree with the desires of the soul.

In the Right Moment

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

The Brave Soldier