Segab’s mother died when he was eleven years old. His father married again. Segab didn’t like his stepmother. But the woman began to love the boy very much and tried to be a good mother to him. She always made good breakfasts, dinners and suppers, but he did not eat them. She I bought him many good clothes, but he did not look at them. She gave him new shoes, but he went to the river and threw the shoes into the water. When she spoke to him, he always ran away.. One day the poor woman said to Segab: “I always wanted to have a son, and now I have you, Segab. I love you very much, my dear boy”.
But Segab said angrily: “I am not your son, and you are not my mother. My mother is dead. I do not love you. I will never love you”.
The woman was very sorry and wept all night. In the morning she decided to consult a wise old man. She told him about Segab who didn’t love her.
The old man said: “I can help you. But first you must bring me three hairs of a lion. “
“But how can I do mis? The lion will kill me”, the woman said.
“I can’t answer your question. I need three hairs of a lion. Try to get them”.
So the woman went out to try to get the hairs. She went far, far away from her house and came to a place where a lion lived. The lion was very big and roared angrily. He was hungry. The woman was afraid of him and ran away. But the next day she came back with some meat for the lion. She placed the meat near him and ran away. The lion saw the meat and went to it. He quickly ate it up.
The next day she again brought some meat for the lion and placed it a little nearer, and again the lion ate it all up.
Every day the woman brought some meat for the lion, and he soon understood that the woman was bis friend. He was not angry and didn’t roar. He was happy to see her.
One day the woman came very near the lion and gave him the meat from her hand. At the same time she tore three hairs off Ms back. The lion wasn’t angry. The woman ran to the old man and showed him the hairs.
“What must I do with them now? ” she asked.
“Nothing”, he answered. “But now you know how to approach a lion: little by little, step by step. Do the same with Segab, and I’m sure he will begin to love you”.
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