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THE SICK LION By Aesop A Lion had come to the end of his days and lay sick unto death at the mouth of his cave, gasping for breath. The animals, his subjects, came round him and drew nearer as he grew more and more helpless. When they saw him on the point of death they thought to themselves: "Now is the time to pay off old grudges." So the Boar came up and drove at him with his tusks; then a Bull gored him with his horns; still the Lion lay helpless before them: so the Ass, feeling quite safe from danger, came up, and turning his tail to the Lion kicked up his heels into his face. "This is a double death," growled the Lion. Only cowards insult dying majesty الأسد المريض كان هناك أسد قد بلغ أيامه الأخيرة، فتمدد مريضاً مشرفاً على الموت عند مدخل كهفه يلفظ أنفاسه الأخيرة. اجتمعت حوله رعاياه من الحيوانات واقتربت منه بينما هو لا حول له ولا قوة. وعندما وجودوا أنه على وشك الموت قالوا لأنفسهم: "هذا هو وقت تصفية الضغائن". اقترب منه الخنزير البري وضربه بنابه؛ ثم جرحه الثور بقرنه؛ والأسد مازال مستلقياً عاجزاً أمامهم؛ مما جعل الحمار يشعر بالأمان فاقترب من الأسد رافعاً ذيله نحوه وضربه بحوافره على وجهه. "هذا موت مضاعف"، زمجر الأسد. فقط الجبناء يهينون سلطاناً يحتضر.

There was a boy who was always losing his temper. His father gave him a bag full of nails and said to him, “My son, I want you to hammer a nail into our garden fence every time you need to direct your anger against something and you lose your temper.”

So the son started to follow his father’s advice. On the first day he hammered in 37 nails, but getting the nails into the fence was not easy, so he started trying to control himself when he got angry. As the days went by, he was hammering in less nails, and within weeks he was able to control himself and was able to refrain from getting angry and from hammering nails. He came to his father and told him what he had achieved. His father was happy with his efforts and said to hi “But now, my son, you have to take out a nail for every day that you do not get angry.”

The son started to take out the nails for each day that he did not get angry, until there were no nails left in the fence.

He came to his father and told him what he had achieved. His father took him to the fence and said, “My son, you have done well, but look at these holes in the fence. This fence will never be the same again.” Then he adde “When you say things in a state of anger, they leave marks like these holes on the hearts of others. You can stab a person and withdraw the knife but it doesn’t matter how many times you say ‘I’m sorry,’ because the wound will remain.

Once upon a time, there was a man with seven daughters who wished that his wife could give birth to a baby boy. The wife conceived. He said to her, “I swear by God that if you give birth to a baby boy, I will give the child a pound of gold as a birth present.”

The man worked as a woodcutter. One day, while he was working in the forest, one of his daughters rushed up to him, bringing the good news that her mother had delivered a baby boy. He felt over the moon. He picked up his daughter and kissed her. But he had a sudden, dreadful thought. He did not have the birth present. He said to his daughter, “God bless you, my dear. Now you can go home”. After that he walked in the wilderness and started praying “O God, you know my situation very well because you are the All-knowing.” He felt at a loss about what to do. Out of the blue, he glimpsed a beautiful bird nearby. He tried to catch it, but the bird hopped away. He tried again, but in vain. Then the bird said to him, “God sent me to help you keep your vow. So, listen! Hold me and take me to the market to the head merchant, for I am the Golden Bird. Tell him that you will barter me for a pound of gold, and he will agree. Then ask for two more liras so that you can buy food and sweets for your family.”

He did what the bird asked him to do, bought lots of things for his wife and went home. Upon seeing him, his wife said, “Oh, do not enter! Don’t enter otherwise you will break your vow.” He replied, “I’ve got the pound of gold with me!” So, she was overjoyed, gave his boy the birth present and kissed him repeatedly.

As for the merchant, he put the bird in a beautifully decorated wide cage, which he bought. The merchant did not have any children, so he thought that his wife would be very happy about it and entertained by it. When he arrived at home, the bird started telling them very interesting stories and both of them were very amused.

One day, the merchant decided to travel to Mecca on a pilgrimage. He said to his wife, “I’ve become an old man and I want to perform the duty of pilgrimage.” The bird said to him, “I will take care of the house and your wife as well, but I want to ask you a favour. The merchant said, “And what is it?” The bird said, “When you arrive in Mecca, you will come across a bird that is similar to me. I want you to tell him that his fellow bird in Baghdad asks, “How can I escape the confining cage?” The merchant promised the bird that he would do that. Then he set out on his journey after ordering his wife not to leave the house at all.

One day, the merchant’s wife went up to the veranda to relax and, by chance, her neighbour was on his balcony as well. When he saw her, he was stunned by her beauty. He said, “O my God, how beautiful is my neighbour.” He did not know what to do to reach her and all his tricks failed him.

Soon after that the neighbour saw a hag with a nose like a hose. He said to her, “I’ll pay you a hundred Ottoman liras if you help me reach the merchant’s wife whose husband has gone to Mecca. She replied, “Don’t worry. That’s my speciality.” Then she went to the merchant’s home and knocked at the door. The merchant’s wife asked, “Who’s there?” She replied, “Open the door. I’m your aunt.” The wife said, “I have no aunts!” So the woman said, “It’s the time for praying and I want to pray in your house. Out of mercy, the wife let her in. Later, she said to the merchant’s wife, “Today is my daughter’s wedding and I wish you could attend it”. The wife replied, “I can’t.” Then the hag implored her and the wife was about to agree, but the bird warned her saying, “If you go with her, you’ll regret it and by that time regrets will be useless. You’ll be like the hunter who had regrets about his hawk.”

While the hag was still trying to convince the wife, the bird continued, “Let me tell you this story. Long, long ago there was a skilful hunter who had a hawk, which he reared very well. One day, he was on a hunting trip and went far into a desert until he got lost and felt thirsty. He reached a big rock and sat beside it to recover. Suddenly, he noticed water dripping from the top of the rock and he kept watching it. He had a cup, which he placed in a spot where he could collect the falling water drops. He waited till the cup was almost half-filled. Then, the hawk hit the cup with its wings and overturned it, spilling the water. That angered the hunter, who replaced the cup, but the hawk overturned it again and again. The hunter was terribly thirsty, so he took hold of the hawk and slammed it against the ground, killing it on the spot.

After a while he said to himself, ‘Let me see where these drops are coming from.’ So, he climbed to the top of the rock and was thunderstruck as he saw a serpent stretching and squirting out its venom that dripped from the rock like water drops. So, he slew it and descended furiously because he had killed his loyal hawk. And the same thing will befall you.” Now the merchant’s wife firmly refused the hag’s invitation.

The hag went away. Three days later, the merchant returned from Mecca and joy filled the house as many well-wishers visited him. Afterwards the merchant turned towards the bird and started having fun with it. Then the bird said to him, “I looked after your house and wife. So, did you fulfill my request?” The merchant replied, “Yes.” The bird asked, “And, what did my brother say?” The merchant said, “O bird, what a strange incident I witnessed. As soon as I asked your question, it flapped its wings and dropped dead. Then the same thing happened with the Golden Bird. It fluttered its wings and fell dead inside the cage. The merchant said, “How weird!” He and his wife wept for the bird until the following day. The wife suggested that they bury the bird and he agreed. He took the bird and dug a hole for it in his garden. However, once the bird was outside the cage, it shook itself and flew to a tree, and said to the merchant and his wife, “Farewell, God sent me to a woodcutter to help him keep his vow and to you to perform your pilgrimage.” The merchant implored, “Please, stay with us!” but the bird said, “Never!” and flew high into the sky. And that is the end of my story.







(كان يا ما كان في قديم الزمان يا سعد يا كرام صلوا على النبي خير الأنام بدر التمام) كان هناك رجل له سبع بنات و كان يتمنى لو تنجب زوجته صبيا و حملت الزوجة فقال لها و الله إن أتيت بصبي لأنقطه برطل من الذهب. و كان يعمل حطاباً في الغابة. و في يوم و هو يحتطب في الغابة. و إذ باحدى بناته تأتي راكضة و تبشر بمجىء صبي. و قالت: لك البشرى يا أبي لك البشرى. أما هو فقد طار من الفرح و حمل ابنته و قبلها. و لكنه فجأة أصيب بذهول اذ أنه لا يملك النقوط. فقال لابنته. استودعك الله يا ابنتي و عودي إلى البيت و سار في البرية و أخذ يدعو ربه (أنت ياربي أدرى و أعلم فيّ و أنت علاّم الغيوب) و احتار ماذا سيفعل و صدفة لاحت منه نظرة فرأى طيراً جميلاً بالقرب منه حاول إمساكه قفز ناحية. هو يتقدم و الطير يتأخر ثم قال له الطائر: أيها الرجل إن الله أرسلني إليك لوفاء نذرك و اسمع. الآن تمسكني و تنزلني إلى السوق إلى المكان الفلاني عند التاجر الفلاني – فأنا الطائر الذهبي – و تقول له انك تقايضه برطل من الذهب فيقبل التاجر و تأخذ ليرتين زيادة عن الرطل لتشتري لعائلتك أكلاً و حلوى.

أمسك الرجل بالطائر الذهبي و أنزله إلى السوق و إلى التاجر المقصود و عرضه عليه فقال التاجر أشتريه منك فكم تريد ثمنه فقال الرجل رطلاً ذهباً و ليرتين فقبل التاجر و أعطاه الذهب و الليرتين و أخذ الطائر. أما الرجل فإنه اشترى لزوجته أشياء كثيرة و ذهب إلى البيت و لما رأته زوجته قالت له لا تدخل لا تدخل حتى لايقع عليك اليمين فأجابها الذهب معي ، فطارت من الفرح و نقط طفله و قبّله كثيراً. أما التاجر الذي اشترى الطير فإنه اشترى قفصاً جميلاً جداً واسعاً مزخرفاً و وضع الطائر فيه و لم يكن له أطفال فقال في نفسه ستفرح به زوجتي كثيراً و سيسليها و لما وصل به إلى البيت صار الطائر يحكي القصص الجميلة الرائعة فسلاه مع زوجته كثيراً. و في يوم نوى التاجر حج البيت الحرام. فقال لزوجته لقد أصبحت رجلاً مسناً و أريد تأدية فريضة الحج. فقال له الطائر و أنا سأكفل لك البيت و أصون زوجتك و لكنني أريد منك أن تقضي لي هذا العمل حين وصولك إلى مكة. فقال التاجر و ما طلبك. فقال الطائر حين تقدم إلى مكة فستقابل طائر يشبهني قل له أن زميلك الطائر في مكان كذا من بغداد يسألك (كيف الخلاص من سجن القفاص) فقال التاجر أعدك بذلك وسافر التاجر بعد أن أوصى زوجته و حلف عليها الإيمان المغلظة أن لا تغادر بيتها مطلقاً وفي يوم ، صعدت زوجته إلى المشرقة لتروِّح عن نفسها و بالصدفة كان جارها في مشرقته أيضاً فرآها و سريعاً (انقطع من ضهرو ستا و ستين خرزة) و قال يا رباه كم هي جميلة جارتنا. و تحير ماذا يفعل حتى يصل إليها و أعجزته الحيل. و في يوم رأى عجوزاً شمطاء (شاف عجوز منخارها قد الكوز) فقال لها (يا خالتي العجوز ما عندك للسر مطرح فألتلو بير غميق مالو قرار) فقال لها سأعطيك مئة ليرة عثمانية لو أوصلتني لزوجة التاجر الفلاني الذي يؤدي فريضة الحج الآن فقالت له لا عليك (فهذا دركي ما هو دركك) و ذهبت إلى دار التاجر و طرقت الباب. فقالت زوجة التاجر من بالباب. فردت عليها العجوز (افتحي الباب. أنا خالتك فلانة. فقالت المرأة ليس لي أية خالة. فقالت العجوز لقد أدركتني الصلاة و أريد أن أصلي عندك فحنّت عليها و فتحت لها. دخلت العجوز. ثم صلت. و بعدئذٍ قالت للصبية أن اليوم عرس ابنتي و أتمنى لو تكونين في العرس – فقالت لها الصبية إنني لا أستطيع الذهاب و كررت العجوز رجاءها و كادت الصبية تلين و لكن الطير نبّهها قائلاً ستندمين إذا ذهبت إذ لا ينفع حينها ندم و ستصبحين مثل الصياد الذي ندم على صقره و قال لها و العجوز لا زالت تحاول اقناعها – دعيني أروي لك هذه الحكاية. كان في قديم الزمان صياد ماهر و لديه صقر و قد ربّى هذا الصقر تربية جيدة. و في ذات يوم ذهب إلى الصيد و تعمق في البيداء فانقطع و عطش فوصل إلى صخرة كبيرة و جلس ليستريح من تعبه و إذ بنقطة ماء تنزل من قمة الصخرة فلاحظها فتابعت النزول و كان معه كأس فوضعه تحت القطرة و انتظر و صار في الكأس ماء حوالي النصف و إذ بالصقر يضرب الكأس بجناحيه فيقلبه فيندلق الماء فغضب الصياد و أعاد وضع الكأس فقلبه الصقر مرة ثانية و أيضاً مرة ثالثة و كان الصياد في عطش شديد فأمسك بالصقر و ضرب به الأرض فمات فوراً. و بعد دقائق قال في نفسه: لأرى ما هذه القطرة. و صعد قمة الصخرة و يا لهول ما رأى إذ رأى حية متمددة و هى تنفث من فِيها السُّم فينزل على شكل قطرة ماء فقتل الحية و هبط و هو في قمة الغيظ لأنه قتل صقره الوفي و أنت سيصيبك ذات الشيء و هنا رفضت المرأة الدعوة بإصرار. و ذهبت العجوز و بعد ثلاثة أيام أتى زوجها و عمّت الأفراح و جاء المهنئون و بعد أن خفت الزحمة استدار الحاج لطيره و أخذ يتسلى معه ، فقال له الطائر لقد صنت لك الدار و الزوجة ، فهل نفذت لي طلبي. فقال له التاجر نعم فقال الطائر و ماذا قال لك أخي. فقال التاجر. يا لغرابة ما رأيت أيها الطائر. لقد جئت و قلت للطير كذا و كذا و إذ به يرفرف و يقع ميتاً. و حدث أيضاً أن الطائر الذهبي رفرف بجناحيه و قلب ميتاً في القفص فقال الحاج يا للغرابة و أخذ يبكي على طائره مع زوجته لليوم التالي فقالت له زوجته. دعنا نرمي ذلك الطائر في قبر و ندفنه فقال لها إن قولك صحيح و أخذ الطائر و فتح له حفرة في الحديقة ليدفنه و لكن الطائر بعد أن أصبح خارج القفص انتفض و طار ووقف على شجرة. و قال للتاجر أستودعك الله كذلك لزوجته و أنا أرسلني الله للحطاب لوفاء نذره و إليك لتحج فقال له التاجر ارجع إلينا ارجع فقال له أبداً و طار في الأعالي. و أنا جيت و خليتهن.

A woman came out of her house and saw three old men with long white beards sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize them. She said "I don't think I know you, but you must be hungry. Please come in and have something to eat."
خرجت إمرأه من منزلها فرأت ثلاثة شيوخ لهم لحى بيضاء طويلة وكانوا جالسين في فناء منزلها. لم تعرفهم. وقالت لا أظنني اعرفكم ولكن لابد أنكم جوعى. ارجوكم تفضلوا بالدخول لتأكلوا.






" Is the man of the house home ?" they asked...
سألوها: هل رب البيت موجود؟



" No", she replied . " He's out ..."
فأجابت :لا، إنه بالخارج.




" Then we cannot come in ", they replied ...
فردوا: إذن لا يمكننا الدخول.


In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened .
وفيالمساء وعندما عاد زوجها أخبرته بماحصل.




" Go tell them I am home and invite them in ."
قال لها :إذهبي اليهم واطلبي منهم أن يدخلوا!





The woman went out and invited the men in .
فخرجت المرأة و طلبت إليهم أن يدخلوا.


The woman went out and invited the men in .
فخرجت المرأة و طلبت إليهم أن يدخلوا.





" We do not go into a House together !" they replied .
فردوا: نحن لا ندخل المنزل مجتمعين.





" Why is that ?" she asked .
سألتهم : ولماذا؟




One of the old men explained : "His name is Wealth ," he said as pointing to one of his friends, and said, pointing to another one , " He is Success, and I am Love ..." Then he added , " Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home ..."
فأوضح لها أحدهم قائلا: هذا اسمه (الثروة) وهو يومئ نحو احد اصدقائه، وهذا ( النجاح) وهو يومئ نحو الآخر وأنا (المحبة) ، وأكمل قائلا: والآن ادخلي وتناقشي مع زوجك من منا تريدان أن يدخل منزلكم.


The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband was overjoyed . "How nice !" he said . "Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with wealth !"
دخلت المرأة واخبرت زوجها ما قيل. فغمرت السعادة زوجها وقال: ياله من شئ حسن، وطالما كان الأمر على هذا النحو فلندعوا (الثروة). دعيه يدخل و يملئ منزلنا بالثراء!





His wife disagreed ... "My dear, why don't we invite Success ?"
فخالفته زوجته قائلة: عزيزي، لم لا ندعو (النجاح)؟

Their daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the house. She jumped in with her own suggestion : "Would it not be better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love ."
كل ذلك كان على مسمع من زوجة ابنهم وهي في احد زوايا المنزل. فأسرعت باقتراحها قائلة: اليس من الأجدر ان ندعوا (المحبة)؟ فمنزلنا حينها سيمتلئ بالحب!



" Let us heed our daughter-in-law's advice ," said the husband to his wife !
فقال الزوج: دعونا نأخذ بنصيحة زوجة ابننا!

" Go out and invite Love to be our guest ."
إخرجي وادعي (المحبة) ليحل ضيفا علينا!





The woman went out and asked the three old men , "Which one of you is Love? Please come in and be our guest ."
خرجت المرأة وسألت الشيوخ الثلاثة: أيكم (المحبة)؟ ارجو ان يتفضل بالدخول ليكون ضيفنا.



Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other two also got up and followed him. Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success : " I only invited Love; Why are you coming in ?"
نهض (المحبة) وبدأ بالمشي نحو المنزل. فنهض الإثنان الآخران وتبعاه. وهي مندهشة, سألت المرأة كلا من (الثروة) و(النجاح)قائلة : لقد دعوت (المحبة ) فقط ، فلماذا تدخلان معه؟


The old men replied together : "If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would've stayed out, but since you invited Love,
wherever He goes, we go with him. Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success ."
فرد الشيخان: لو كنت دعوت (الثروة) أو (النجاح) لظل الإثنان الباقيان خارجا، ولكن كونك دعوت (المحبة) فأينما يذهب نذهب معه. إينما توجد المحبة، يوجد الثراء والنجاح