13. The Shepherd-Boy Who Slew a Giant

Far away on a hillside, one starry night, a shepherd-boy was watching his father’s sheep. The little lambs were cuddled up close to their mothers and all was quiet and peaceful in the moonlight when out of the woods near-by came a dark animal. It was a big brown bear that had come to steal a lamb. Nearer and nearer it came when the shepherd-boy, who loved his sheep, quickly placed a large sharp stone in his sling and slung it at the bear’s forehead. With a great cry of pain the bear rolled over dead. So the lambs were saved from the bear. Another time, a lion sprang out from behind a rock and, seizing a little baby lamb in his mouth, started to run away with it. On the minute the shepherd-boy was after him, slinging one of his sharp stones at the lion’s head. It struck the lion without killing him, but, letting the baby lamb go, he turned roaring and sprang at the boy. He caught him by the beard, and with his shepherd’s staff struck at him until the great animal fell back dead. So the lambs loved the shepherd still more, for he had saved them from the lion too. Some time after, this same shepherd-boy went out to the battlefield to take some corn and loaves of bread to his soldier brothers. While he was talking to his brothers a great giant came out and stood upon a high cliff and cried across the valley, “I dare any man to come and fight me!” This giant was ten and a half feet in height—so tall that a boy would not come as high as his knees. Upon his head was a helmet of brass; his whole body was covered with armor of brass; even on his legs were heavy plates of brass. In his hand he held a long staff with a sharp spear-point at the end; by his side hung a sword, and a man went before him carrying a shield. This was the famous Philistine giant, “Goliath,” before whom all the Hebrew soldiers trembled and ran away to their tents in fear. This young shepherd-boy was surprised that none dared go out and fight him, especially when he heard that King Saul had said whoever would kill this terrible giant should receive great riches and have the king’s daughter for his wife. This boy said, “I will go and fight him!” Some one told the king what he said, and Saul sent for him and said: “Surely you are not able to go and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighter from the time he was a boy.” This shepherd-boy bravely replied: “When I was smaller than I am now, I was watching my father’s sheep, and a bear and a lion came to take a lamb out of the flock, and I smote both the lion and the bear, and this giant shall be as one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. My God, who delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this boastful giant.” The king said, “My boy, go; and may God be with you.” Then he offered the shepherd-boy his armor of brass, his helmet, and sword. But the shepherd-boy said, “Please, may I go without these? My shepherd’s sling and staff, with God, are all I need.” Then he ran to the brook and selected five smooth stones and put them in his shepherd’s bag and went forth to meet the giant who came to meet him. When Goliath saw only a boy he said: “Am I a dog that you come to me with a stick! Come to me, boy, and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and beasts!” And he cursed him by his gods. The brave shepherd-boy did not flinch, but replied: “You come to me with a sword, and a spear, and a javelin. I come to you in the name of the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day God will deliver you into my hands, and I will take your head from you and give it to the birds and wild beasts, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that they may know that God saves not with sword or spear; for this battle is God’s, and he will give you into our hands.” The proud giant, clad in his brass armor, began walking toward the boy, who quickly put his hand into his bag, took out a stone, slung it with all his might at the giant’s forehead, and Goliath fell on his face to the ground—dead. Quickly he ran, stood on the giant, took the great sword of Goliath out of its sheath, and with one blow cut off the giant’s head in the sight of the soldiers of both armies. When the army of the giant saw that their champion was dead, they turned and ran away over the mountains and, with a shout of victory, Saul’s soldiers ran after them and took them prisoners. So the shepherd-boy, with a sling and a stone, and the help of God, won a great battle that day. He became the king’s son-in-law, and when Saul died he became king, one of the greatest and best kings Israel ever had—King David.