Children's Stories
J.R. Jameson
Table of Contents
The Great Surprise
MANY hundreds of years ago in a far-away land there lived two little girls, named Rachel and Sarah. They had a baby brother called Jacob. They lived in a very small house. Their father was employed as a shepherd. He looked after a large number of sheep for a very rich gentleman.
The house where they stayed had just one large room divided into two portions by a curtain. The children had no nice beds like we have. They slept on thick straw mats and were quite warm and cozy. The house was in a large village. In those days there were no houses out in the open country. People were afraid to be out in the dark, because of the wolves and robbers.
Both father and mother were very fond of their children and it was a most happy family. Father had been very careful with his small wages, and had saved enough money to buy an ass. He could not afford a horse.
One morning mother said to the two girls as soon as they awoke. “Get dressed quickly and run outside and see if your father is ready for his breakfast.” Off they both went to the stable where he was busy. When they got there they got such a surprise, that they forgot all about father’s breakfast. What do you think they found? Why! A little baby donkey. They came back full speed to tell mother what they had found, and then off back to the stable as fast as their legs could carry them. What excitement there was that day. They both wanted to feed the new arrival, and to stroke its face as well as feel its coat. As the weeks went past the two girls got to love the baby donkey, and it began to follow them about. They were real chums.
When the children were in bed, father would get down a long roll and read to mother. This was called “The Book of the Law,” but it was not like our books. It was a long roll of a kind of paper or parchment. Something like a long roll of wallpaper fastened at each end to a round stick. One of the passages that father read that night was “And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb, and if thou wilt not redeem it then thou shalt break his neck, and all the firstborn of man among thy children thou shalt redeem.” (Ex. 13:13.)
Mother listened with interest to the explanation. Father said: “The little baby donkey is unclean in the sight of God and therefore it must die. If it is to live, then it must be redeemed. The only way to save the donkey is to sacrifice a spotless lamb in its stead at the door of the house of God. You see mother, I cannot afford to buy a lamb, we shall have to tell the children. I don’t know whatever they will say.”
“They will be greatly distressed, I am sure,” she said. After father had pondered over the matter for several days, he gathered his little family round the fire one night, and carefully broke the sad news to them. As soon as they heard that the baby donkey was to die, they jumped to their feet and cried out. “Oh! But our baby donkey cannot die.” Their arms were thrown around father’s neck, and many tears were shed, as they begged him to save their pet. After a while they were willing to listen to the teaching of God’s word.
“You know, he began, that I have often told you that we are all sinful by nature, and that we each one need a sacrifice to be offered on our behalf before we can enter God’s presence. Now the little donkey is unclean in God’s sight, and if it is to be allowed to live then a spotless lamb must be offered in its stead. A donkey is an unclean animal—while the lamb, is clean.” Father then read part of Lev. 11, which gives instructions about the food which the children of Israel were to eat. It is perfectly clear from this passage that the donkey is unclean and that the lamb is clean.
It so happened that the very next day, the gentleman who owned the sheep, came to see father about some business. He wanted to look over all the sheep and see how they were getting on. As they were out on the hills looking over the sheep the gentleman asked about Rachel, Sarah and Jacob, and also about their mother. Father told the gentleman that they were all well, and of the great excitement that the baby donkey had caused when he arrived, and then how the children had wept when they were told the donkey must die.
“But why should the donkey die?”
“Well Sir. It is because God says that it is an unclean animal.”
“That sounds strange to me, but I do not read God’s word I am afraid. Is there no way of saving the donkey?”
“Yes Sir, there is.”
“How can it be saved? Please tell me.”
“By sacrificing a spotless lamb in its stead. Listen and I will quote you the passage from the Law of God.”
“And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb, and if thou wilt not redeem it then thou shalt break its neck, and all the firstborn of man among thy children thou shalt redeem.”
“Oh! Now I understand,” he said.
Just then they came to the fold over the hill and so at once they attended to the sheep, and talked together about finding new pastures for the flock.
The gentleman said no more about the children and their great sorrow until he had been round all the sheep, but he was thinking of it all the time as we shall see shortly.
Just before he left, he asked:
“Which is the best lamb in the flock?”
“That one over there.”
“Please let me see it.”
Father soon brought the lamb to his master, and then they both admired the beautiful little creature. It was perfect, not a mark or a blemish anywhere. Then the gentleman said:
“I will give you this lamb as a present. You take it tomorrow to God’s house and offer it instead of the baby donkey.”
Father was delighted and expressed his warmest thanks for this great kindness. He knew how pleased the children would be.
The gentleman mounted his horse and was soon away on his journey. Father then made his way back to the village, bringing the precious little lamb with him. It was getting dark when he arrived. After he had finished his tea he gathered the family round the fire, so that he could tell them the good news. When they were all seated, he began:
“Now children I have a grand surprise for you tonight. You know that Mr. — has been today and while we were out looking at the sheep, I told him about the baby donkey. And of course I had to tell him that it had to die.”
“What did he say, father.”
“Oh, well I told the gentleman what God had said in His word. He asked me many questions, which I did my best to answer. And now listen, just as he was going away, he asked me which lamb I thought was the best in the flock. So I pointed it out. Then he said, ‘Bring it to me.’ So I got it and brought it to him. Then he said, ‘Now I want to give you this lamb as a present, and I want you to offer it tomorrow in place of the donkey.’”
“Oh! Daddy how lovely, then we can keep the donkey,” said the children.
“Now,” said father, “tomorrow I must get off early in the morning long before you are up, and take the lamb and the unclean donkey to the house of God, and offer the one as a sacrifice for the other.”
The children spoke up at once saying— “Daddy, don’t take the donkey away.”
“Oh! But I must, it is necessary for me to present them both together. You see the Lamb is to be offered in place of the donkey. We do want to be obedient to God’s word and if we are, then we will have His blessing upon us. Do not be afraid—I shall bring your little friend back again.”
Early in the morning father yoked the ass into the cart, and divided it into two portions, one for the Lamb and one for the donkey and set off (in his long journey. It was towards noon when he arrived at the house of God. The sons of Levi were waiting at the gate, and as soon as they saw the lamb and the donkey, they knew the reason for the man’s visit. Almost every day someone would come to redeem the firstling of an ass.
These servants of the Lord took the donkey and the lamb. They did not need to look at the donkey because they knew it was unclean, but they looked most carefully at the lamb to see if there was any spot or blemish. When they were satisfied that it was perfect, they accepted it. The Lamb was slain and offered according to the word of the Lord. And so the unclean animal was redeemed. And father set off on his homeward way.
We may be sure that as father was hastening along the dusty roads he was thinking. And what do you think was in his mind. He would be pondering over the wonder of an unclean donkey being saved by a clean lamb. And then he would remember the last part of the verse. “And all the firstborn among thy children thou shalt redeem.” This would teach us that we are unclean, like the donkey, and we need cleansing. We can only be cleansed by the blood of the Spotless Lamb, the Lord Jesus.
It was past the children’s bedtime when he reached his destination, but they could not sleep until they were sure that the donkey had really been saved from death. As soon as he got in, mother said, “Oh! father please go and tell them that you have brought their baby donkey back. They have asked me questions all night.” Father went and told them that their little friend was eating his supper in the stable. When he told them about the journey and the sacrifice they were satisfied, and so he kissed them goodnight and they were both soon fast asleep. The next day was a holiday and they had some grand fun with the little baby donkey.
Now my little reader I want you to look back at the Scripture which has been twice quoted from Ex. 13. It means that both you and I are like the donkey, we are unclean in the sight of God, and we need a redeemer. The wonderful thing is that the Lord Jesus is the Lamb of God, and He died as the Spotless One so that we might be cleansed and live with Him forever.
I want everyone who reads this story to learn three most important lessons.
1. We are all unclean in the sight of God.
“YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN.” (John, 3, 7.)
2. The Lord Jesus is the only Saviour, and He is able, willing and waiting to receive us.
“HE GAVE HIMSELF A RANSOM FOR ALL.” (1 Tim. 2;6.)
3. Now is the time to accept Him.
“BEHOLD, Now IS THE DAY OF SALVATION.” (2 Cor. 6;2.)
When a person is cleansed by the precious blood of Christ, all his sins are forgiven. God does not take away the sinful nature from us, we shall have this within us until our life on earth is over, but God gives us a new nature which finds its delight in pleasing Him. He also gives, to each believer the Holy Spirit as a new power to live a, new life.
The Ink on the Wall
IT was a fine spring morning and all the scholars were off to school. Already some of them were romping round in the playground and enjoying themselves. Two of them had been playing with some marbles, but one of them cheated his friend and so there arose a quarrel. To settle the matter they both clenched their fists and were about to let fly at each other when the school bell rang. The headmaster was on the school steps and everyone fell into line, ready to file into school.
After they had had morning prayers they went off to their various class rooms. The two would-be fighters were in the same class and sat not far from each other, and were both feeling angry. The register was called and the morning’s work began in the usual way.
During the first lesson the teacher set the class some study to do, saying as he did so that he must go to the headmaster’s room for a while, and he expected the boys to get on with their work.
All the lads saw him go and heard his receding footsteps along the corridor. George was alive to his opportunity for the lost marbles. He picked up his pen, dipped it into the inkwell, which had just been filled, then rising to his feet, he stepped forward to throw the ink off the pen on to Tom’s clean white collar. Unfortunately for George the ink, instead of going where he wanted it to go, went on to the wall near the window. Immediately the other boys pointed the finger at him, saying, “You’ll catch it, you wait until he comes.”
The boys all anticipating trouble kept in their places and later the master returned. As he entered the room he felt a strange kind of stillness which told him there was something wrong; he could have heard a pin drop. He went to his desk at the front and looked round the room, but did not see anything unusual at first, but presently he saw the wet ink running down the wall. When he saw this he brought his pointer down on the desk with a crack which made all the boys jump.
Then in a deep and solemn voice he called, ‘Attention! Who did that?’
“I want the boy who put this ink on the wall to come out here and confess. I will give you two minutes to decide. If no one confesses then you all stay in at 4 p.m.”
There was not a movement nor a word from the class. George did not come and own up, and none of the boys were so mean as to tell tales. At 4 p.m., true to his word the master kept them all in for half-an-hour. The next day, Wednesday he kept them in for half-an-hour, and on Thursday and Friday, but still George did not confess.
I have often told this story to the children in various Sunday Schools and as I have done so I have asked the children—
“Now what did the master do to the boys when he kept them in?”
“He punished them, sir.”
“Yes, that is right, he punished the boys. Now I want to ask you another question, and I want you to be very careful before you answer, hands up who can tell me.”
“Did the punishment take, the marks off the wall?”
Up go a host of hands, and everyone that is asked, answers ‘NO.’ The punishment could never remove the marks.
Then I have asked another question—hands up:
“Who has ever been naughty?”
Up go a host of hands again, teachers included. Once I remember a little girl who would not put up her hand in answer to this question. Her brother was sitting behind her and he whispered loudly: “Put your hand up, Mary, you stole an apple yesterday.”
Yes, we have all sinned. What I want you to remember is that each time we sin, there is a sin mark goes on our hearts. It may be a lie that we tell, or we steal something that is not ours, or we are not obedient and go our own way. The older we get the blacker our hearts become. Even if we are found out and are punished, the punishment will not remove the sin-stains. It is only, the precious blood of the Lord Jesus that can make us clean.
“For my cleansing this I see—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
For my pardon this my plea—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”
We are all alike guilty before God, and until we take the sinners’ place and accept the Lord Jesus as our own Saviour we are unclean in the sight of God.
A week after the incident which we have related the spring term came to an end. On this day the boys did no lessons. At 11:15 they received their reports and went off for their Easter holidays. They soon forgot all about the ink marks.
The next morning at eight o’clock some men came to the school. They were dressed in white aprons, carrying long ladders and round pots in their hands. They were the painters, and had the key to the building and went up to the top floor. First they whitened all the ceilings, then another day they brought some nice cream distemper and did all the walls. One of the men covered up the INK MARKS without knowing how much trouble they had caused.
Now, boys and girls, I don’t want you to think that you can cover up your sins like the decorators covered the ink marks with the distemper; for God says in His word:
“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” (Prov. 28:13.)
Many people talk about turning over a new leaf. They try their best to live a good life as they call it. These people forget that the all-seeing eye of God is upon them all the time, and the Scripture says, “God requireth that which is past.”
When the boys returned to school after a good holiday, they were delighted with the decorations. A few days later one of the boys said, “Look, Bob, the painters have covered up the INK MARKS, so we’ll never see them again.” Sure enough they were covered up, but we shall hear more about them presently.
It was a beautiful summer that year. The sun seemed to shine all the time. Every day the sun was shining into the school window just where the INK MARKS were, covered up with the distemper.
Time slipped by and the summer term came to an end, the school broke up for the long holiday. Some of the boys went to their friends in the country, others had relatives in London, and one boy spent the time in Scotland. Still the sun shone in at the school window, although everyone had forgotten about the INK MARKS.
The long summer holiday came to an end, and once more the scholars were gathered to pursue their studies. After they had been at school a few days, Bob called out to his friend.
“Look here, Tom, here are those INK MARKS.”
Yes, sure enough, there they were. The continual shining of the sun had revealed them under the distemper. This ought to teach us how useless it is to try to cover our sins. If we confess them and truly repent of having committed them we will be forgiven. The way to do this is to accept the Lord Jesus as our Saviour.
Now I want each one who reads this story to learn the following lessons.
We have all sinned.
The punishment we have received in times past has never removed one sin stain from our hearts.
Only the precious blood of the Lord Jesus can cleanse us and make us clean in God’s sight.
If we cover up our sins, and go on without accepting the Saviour, at the Great White Throne the holy light of God will reveal all our hidden sins, but then it will be too late to be saved.
Oh! children, do not wait another day in your sins, accept the Lord now, He is waiting to welcome you. He loves you more than tongue can ever tell. He wants you to come. He will make you happy and fill your heart with joy and comfort.
“Come now to Jesus, Come now to Jesus,
Come and thy sins all confess;
Come now to Jesus, Come now to Jesus,
He is still waiting to bless.”
The Unexpected Present
MANY years ago there lived in a country village a boy named Tom Henderson. His father had a large shop where they sold all kinds of food and clothing. Behind the shop on the left there was a long garden with an orchard beyond, where they kept a few hives of bees. On the right there was a large warehouse, with sheds for the grocer’s wagons and the trap. Then a little way off there was the stable with a large hay loft above.
It was a good business with customers in almost every house in the district. Tom lived a busy and interesting life in the midst of all that went on at the shop and in the village.
During the holidays Tom often went off on one of the wagons. He could help to lift out the parcels and sometimes he was allowed to drive the horse.
Not far from the orchard there was a beautiful stream in which there was plenty of trout. Tom enjoyed fishing very much, he knew that he must keep himself out of sight if he was to catch anything, which he often did. Each night and morning there were the eggs to be gathered, which was great fun because he had to hunt all over the place for them.
Mr. Henderson, who was a Christian, was often asked to go and preach in the other villages. On such occasions he always went in the trap, and it was a great treat for the children to go with him when it was their turn.
Tom was twelve years old but his brother and sister were younger, so they looked up to him and followed his example a great deal.
Sad to say, Tom was not turning out according to his parents’ desires. They both saw how self-willed he was, even deceitful and disobedient, he had been found telling lies, and stealing sweets and currants out of the warehouse and off the wagon.
One day Mr. Henderson told Tom that he was going to the market in the trap and that he would bring him a present home from the ironmongers. Tom was taken by surprise because he knew that his father had not been pleased with him that day, and therefore he did not expect a present. However, he said to him, “Father! what will the present be?”
“Now Tom, you will just have to wait until I bring it.”
After his father had gone to the market Tom began to wonder what the present could be, and he thought of all the kinds of things they sold in the ironmongers shop. He hoped it might be a new penknife, or, better still, a new fishing rod.
It was about teatime when father returned. Tom was on the lookout for the trap, and as soon as he saw it, he ran to meet it, and got a short ride home. Then he helped to carry the parcels out of the trap, at the same time asking his father if he had remembered the present. “Oh yes!” said Mr. Henderson, “I’ve got the present, you will get it after tea.” Tom led the pony and trap away, unyoked the pony, filled a bucket and gave Neddy a drink and then took him into the stable for his tea of beautiful sweet hay.
Our little friend then hastened into the house, washed his hands and face and took his place at the tea table. They had some happy times at that table, for Mr. Henderson was very fond of his children and he had no difficulty in interesting them. On market days he usually had some story to tell, and the children would not miss one of Daddy’s stories for anything.
After tea was over, Tom was ready for his present, and the small parcel was now handed over. What do you think was inside? This was what Tom was wondering. When he opened it he found a new hammer and a box of nails. Tom looked up in amazement at his father and said, “What is this for father? I did not expect a hammer and a box of nails.”
“Your mother and I have been grieved with you for a long time. You have so often been naughty, disobedient and even deceitful.” Tom hung his head and listened because he knew that it was all true, and he really did feel ashamed of himself. They had a long talk about sin and sins, and how the Lord Jesus died to save sinners. Our little friend knew all the Bible stories, for both father and mother were true followers of the Saviour, and their one desire was that all the family should be brought into the real joy of Christianity. Continuing the conversation, his father said, “Now listen, and I will tell you what we want you to do with the hammer and nails. Each time you are naughty we want you to knock one of these nails into the large gatepost at the entrance to the meadow. Either mother or I will tell you when you are to hammer a nail into the post.”
Tom did not like his present and it is no wonder. After the talk was over, Mr. Henderson took Tom down through the orchard to the gate that led to the meadow, so that there could be no mistake. about where he was to hammer the nails.
Tom was a great favorite in the village, he was good at his lessons and at all kinds of games, and usually the ringleader in any mischief that could be got into. Every now and then Tom had to hammer a nail into the post. He tried his best to be good, but it was hard work to keep it up. Many weeks passed away at school and then the holidays came, when he could spend the whole day away on one of the wagons, helping the driver to deliver the stores. On suitable days he would take his fishing rod and go off to the stream alone after some trout. He had some grand times.
Quite unknown to Tom, his father had been watching the gatepost, and each time he saw it he silently prayed for the boy’s conversion. At night when the children were in bed, either father or mother would go up to their bedroom and read a small portion of Scripture to them, have a little talk, and commend them to God in prayer. When the children were asleep the parents cried to God for the blessing of each one.
One day Tom looked very unhappy as he came in to his dinner. He had been naughty again and his mother had told him to hammer another nail into the gatepost. This time it was the LAST NAIL, and now the box was empty.
On this memorable day, both father and son went down to look at the gatepost. This gave his father another chance to speak to Tom, but he did it in such a kind way that the boy was not driven away. Tom was very sorry that he had been so naughty, and he promised to try and do better. Then father said, “Now Tom, I have a new plan for you. Every time that we say you have been a good boy, we will let you take one nail out of the post.” This idea pleased Tom, and he promised to try his best to be good.
Tom often went on the Lord’s Day in the trap with his father, when he went to preach, and he always enjoyed these outings. The Christian friends were always so good to the children who came with the preacher. Tom was always most attentive, especially to the Sunday-School lesson.
Tom tried to be good, yes, he really did try, and as a result he kept on getting nails out of the post. At odd times he had to put one back when he misbehaved himself. After a few weeks he got the last nail out of the post. He went in triumph to his father, to tell him that all the nails were back in the box. “That is good news,” said his father, “I will come down and see the post after supper.” It was a beautiful evening as Tom and his father walked down the orchard to inspect the post, which father examined most carefully. Yes, all the nails were gone, and father told Tom how pleased he was, and then said, “Come over here Tom and sit down beside me, and we will have another little talk. I want to ask you a question about the post.” Tom was in a thoughtful mood, and said he would try to answer.
“I am pleased that you have tried so hard to be good, and that you have got all the nails out of the post. Now Tom here is the question, How are you going to get the NAIL-MARKS out of the post?” “Oh father, I cannot take the marks out.” “No you cannot do that, you see every time that you have been sinful, there has been another sin mark on your heart. How can those sin marks be taken away from your heart?” “By the precious blood of Jesus,” answered Tom. “Yes that is right my boy. It is only the precious blood of Christ shed at the cross that can make you clean. You remember last Sunday when we were at P — we spoke about the text, ‘The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.’ 1 John 1:7. All these nail marks in this post should teach you of your sins, and you own that you cannot take the marks out, But God can remove them all, and He will do so the moment that you accept the Lord Jesus as your Saviour. Tom, I cannot come to Jesus for you, you must come yourself. Now it is your bedtime, you get away to your own room and when you are alone tell the Lord Jesus how sinful you have been, and ask Him to receive you. He will accept you if you come as you are in all your sin. Jesus said, “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.” John 6:37.
Tom was much subdued and, going quietly to his room, he did as his father advised. He did not sleep for a few hours. In the early morning the light broke into his soul and he accepted the Lord as his Saviour, and at that moment all his sins were forgiven. Tom was greatly favored by being brought up in a Christian home, and now that the Lord Jesus was his Saviour, he found a new joy in learning more about Him. After a few years he began to tell others whet great things the Lord had done for him.
Now boys and girls, I want to ask you some questions. Do you tell lies sometimes? Do you take things which are not your own? If you do Satan will whisper in your ear, “Oh, it is only a little thing, it does not matter.” When he says this to you, he is telling you a lie, because it matters a great deal. What kind of a man or woman do you expect to be when you are grown up? If you continue to be dishonest no one will trust you and if you get work the people will find you out and be glad to pay you off and get someone else.
Are you disobedient to your parents and teachers? Then you may be sure it will bring you sorrow in the end. “Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Galatians 6:7. You ask me, “How can I change now? Somehow or other I like to have my own way, and to help myself to things that do not belong to me, and then I must tell some lies to keep out of trouble.”
Oh, dear children, all this kind of thing comes from your sinful hearts. What you need is a Saviour. One Who can give you the victory over these evil ways.
If you come just as you are in your sins and helplessness to the Lord Jesus, He will receive you, cleanse you, forgive you, and then He will give you a new nature and life that will please Him. Also He will give you the Holy Spirit as the Comforter. There is even more than this because the Lord Jesus, Who is now living in heaven, will help you every day to live a new life, and He will keep you from falling. Jude 24. Will you accept the Lord Jesus as your Saviour today.
A VERSE TO LEARN.
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My weld, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment but is passed from death into life.” John 5:24.
R. V.
Read and learn Rom. 10:9, 10.