St. Macarius and the Hyena

This story about St. Macarius comes from an early Coptic text. Internet sources indicate both St. Macarius of Egypt and St. Macarius of Aledxandria as the St. Macarius in this story, as they were contemporary with each other which Macarius is the one in question I think is unsure.

I have taken the version of the story from here.

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One day a hyena came to the door of Macarius's cell with her whelp in her mouth. She knocked on his door with her head. Macarius came out thinking one of his brother monks had come to visit. Seeing the hyena, he mused, "What does she want here?"

The hyena filled her mouth with the whelp, and weeping, held it out to the old man. The old man took the animal in his steady hands and examined it for the problem. Then he saw that it was blind in both eyes. He took it, groaned, spat on its face, signed it upon the eyes with his finger and immediately the whelp saw, went to its mother, and began to suckle. The animals then made their way into the marsh.

Once annually the Libyans bring their sheep to the marsh of Skete to eat the shoushet, as the herdsmen of Pernouj bring their oxen. The day following the cure, the hyena came to the old man with a sheepskin in her mouth, thick with wool and freshly killed. Once again she struck the door with her head. When Macarius saw it was the hyena with a sheepskin over her head, he asked, "Where have you been? Where did you find this, if you have not eaten a sheep? As that which you've brought me comes of violence, I will not take it."

The hyena struck her head upon the ground. She bent her paws. And on her knees she prayed him, as if she had been a man, to take it. He said to her, "I have but now told you that I will not take it, unless you make me this promise: I will not vex the poor by eating their sheep."

She made many movements of her head, up and down, as if she were promising him. Again he repeated it to her, "Unless you promise me, saying, 'I will not kill a creature alive'; from today you will eat your prey when it is dead. If you are distressed, seeking and finding none, come here, and I will give you bread. From this hour, do hurt to no creature."

And the hyena bowed her head to the ground, and dropped to her knees, bending her paws, moving her head up and down, looking at his face as if she were promising him. And the old man perceived in his heart that it was the purpose of God Who gives understanding to the beasts for a reproach to us, and he gave glory to God, Who lives for ever, for the soul has honor. He said, "I give glory to You, O God, Who was with Daniel in the lion's den, Who gave understanding to beasts. Also You have given understanding to this hyena and have not forgotten me: but You have made me perceive that it is Your ordering."

And the old man took the skin from the hyena, and she went away. From time to time she would come to seek the old man; if she had not been able to find food, she would come to him and he would throw her a loaf. She did this many times. And the old man slept on the skin until he died.