The Rabbits were trembling, they were so afraid.
‘He’s ....... he’s here again’ said Rachel.
‘I know’ shivered Rhoda her little sister.
‘We were all happy before he came’ the angry voice came from their brother Rupert.
‘Now, now’ said Daddy soothingly. ‘He can’t harm us here, we are all safe in our little burrow, so don’t worry.’
‘But he shouts so loudly’ Rachel’s eyes were wide with fear as she spoke. ‘He even makes the cups rattle and shake!’
Mummy agreed, but said that Daddy was right, they were quite safe from the noisy man.
‘He is a Giant! I’ve seen him’ announced Rupert rather proudly. He wasn’t scared as his sisters were, just annoyed that the giant seemed to be upsetting so many people.
‘I went up’ and he pointed to the entrance to their burrow. ‘I went up to see him.’
Mummy was both worried and annoyed, and she looked at Rupert and frowned. ‘I told you not to go up when the man was shouting’ she said. ‘You are a disobedient little boy.’
‘I know. I’m sorry, but I just peeped out to see him .... well .... I mean, I just went a few steps, .... well .... not very far, really.’
Daddy looked at him! ‘Don’t you know we only tell you these things for your own good?’ he asked.
Rupert hung his head. ‘I really am sorry, Daddy.’ Up until then he had felt quite pleased with himself, but when he saw how upset Mummy was, and how worried his Daddy seemed to be he truly was sorry.
Daddy playfully pulled one of Rupert’s long ears. ‘If you want to see the giant, wait until I can take you - all right?’
Immediately Rupert perked up. ‘Great, Daddy, I’ll wait’ he promised.
‘Me, too’ and ‘Me, too’ shouted his sisters together.
‘I thought you were scared’ Rupert said, not really wanting his sisters to come. It would be much more fun if only he and Daddy went.
‘We’ll be all right with Daddy’ Rachel insisted.
‘Very well, you too’ agreed Daddy. ‘Perhaps tomorrow, but until then you stay beside Mummy.’
‘We will’ they promised, and then they jumped as the roaring sound of the giant’s voice filled their little home.
‘Why is he so angry?’ asked Rachel.
‘He isn’t angry - he laughs!’ Rupert reminded her.
‘He’s very scary though, isn’t he?’ the quiet voice of Rhoda trembled slightly.
‘You see’ said Rupert. ‘You girls are far too scared to come with Daddy and me.’
‘No, we aren’t! We will be brave when Daddy is with us.’ Rachel insisted.
‘Huh! said Rupert and was just about to elaborate on his sisters’ fears when Daddy interrupted.
‘Yes, he is scary’ he said taking up the conversation before Rupert’s interruption, ‘And that’s the trouble.’
‘What do you mean?’ asked Rachel.
So Daddy explained.
‘You know the hills on the opposite sides of the Valley, well the Philistine Army are on one hill, and the Army of the Israelites are on the opposite hill.’
‘Are they fighting each other?’ Rhoda wanted to know.
‘Not exactly’ Daddy answered. ‘The Philistine Army just send their giant out, and he shouts across to the Israelites challenging them to give him a man to fight.’
‘Ooh! No-one could fight a giant’ said Rhoda.
‘That’s why he laughs!’ and Rupert chuckled ‘Oh, I’d love to see someone come out and fight him. What a battle that would be!!’
His sisters looked at him! Boys!! Why would anyone want to see a battle between the giant and an Israelite! They wouldn’t mind seeing the giant - well, have a peep at him - but as for a fight. Oh, no!
‘There doesn’t seem to be any chance of a battle’ said Mummy reassuringly. ‘The Israelites don’t have a giant on their side, and he has been laughing at them for weeks now.
Rupert was disappointed. ‘What will happen now, Daddy?’ he asked. ‘Will they go on like this for ever?’
‘No’ Daddy answered. ‘I’m sure our Heavenly Father has a Plan all ready, we must just be patient and wait to see what will happen.’
A worried look came on Rupert’s face. ‘I hope I don’t miss it’ he said.
They all laughed.
‘I’m sure you wont’ his Daddy assured him. ‘Now off to bed all of you, and maybe in the morning I’ll take you to see the giant.’
The three little Rabbits immediately hopped into bed, but they just couldn’t sleep. The thought of seeing the giant was too exciting, and perhaps a little scary too?
‘What is he like, Rupert?’ the girls whispered.
‘HUGE!’ he said. ‘And all shining.’
Shining? ‘What do you mean by “Shining?” His sisters were puzzled.
‘It’s the armour he wears’ Rupert explained. ‘It’s all over. On his head, his body, and his legs, all over shining.’
The girls were silent as they tried to imagine what a huge shining giant looked like.
‘Maybe I’ll stay at home with Mummy tomorrow’ said Rhoda.
‘Told you so’ said Rupert triumphantly. ‘You are a baby!’
‘I’m not’ shouted Rhoda. ‘But .....’
‘Can I hear quarrelling?’ asked Mummy as she walked along the passage towards the bedrooms.
But not a sound was heard, and when she peeped in, three pairs of eyes were tightly closed as if they were fast asleep.
‘I must have been mistaken’ she said, and she chuckled quietly as she walked back along the passage and into the kitchen.
Elizabeth Aynsley ©

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