193- A Pin or a Scorpion’s Sting

It was said that a person went one day into his library. He took a book to read and felt like a pin pinching his finger. The man thought that this was caused by a pin stuck to one of the pages, which was left by a negligent person who borrowed the book from him. The following day, his finger started to swell and then all his arm then his body. Within a few days, the man died.

His injury was not caused by a pin but by a fatal sting of a scorpion which was hidden behind the books and the man ignored the treatment.

Truly, a lot of books carry fatal poisons even more dangerous than those of a scorpion which sting the person's thoughts and cause hidden sickness that could damage the life of the person and even his eternity. Amongst these books, those mentioned in Acts 19 and 20.

"Also, many of those who have practiced magic brought their books together and burned them.

In the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver.

So the word of the Lord grew mighty and prevailed."

→ English translation of the story here at St-Takla.org: دبوس إبرة أم لسعة عقرب؟

God! Let me not stop reading, You the Miraculous Instructor.

God! Endow me with true understanding to read without tedium,

To stay awake without laziness.

God! Endow me with discernment

So that I would not be tempted by misleading philosophies

And my mind would not be stung by scorpions and snakes.

Help me to enjoy Your word and live till eternity.

God! Enlighten my mind so as to have the true knowledge

And the old snake would not sting me, with false knowledge, as it did with Eve.

Live in me so that I can find in You all truth.

You are the open book of my heart.

In You I enjoy knowledge and truth.

The Extreme Beauty

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

The Discarded Obelisk