The following morning the children didn’t want their breakfast.
‘You have plenty time to eat your breakfasts’ Mummy insisted. ‘The giant doesn’t come out for almost an hour yet.’
So the children ate as quickly as they could. Daddy took his time and it seemed simply ages before he asked ‘Are we all ready?’
The children were at the entrance to their burrow almost before he had finished speaking! Gone was the fear of the previous day, only excitement remained.
‘We are ready’ they called.
‘Come along then’ and up into the sunshine and into the Valley they went.
The children blinked, the sun was so bright, and as it danced off the spears of the soldiers it dazzled their eyes.
‘We aren’t very far from the Israelites’ Camp’ Rupert said. ‘May we join them, they are very kind, they gave me some lovely Dandelion leaves yesterday’  and then he stopped!  Oh dear!
‘Ahem’ he coughed.
Daddy looked at him!
‘Well, it IS only a few steps, isn’t it?’ he asked rather uncomfortably.
Daddy sighed and shook his head in exasperation at his son. ‘Was he ever going to be obedient?’ he thought.
‘It doesn’t look very far’ put in Rachel feeling rather sorry for her brother as she saw Rupert’s rather embarrassed face.
‘It’s not too far, I suppose’ Daddy agreed. Then, looking at Rupert, added ‘Perhaps it may be a good idea to go there seeing you know the soldiers!!’
So they set off in great excitement to the Camp of the Children of Israel - the Camp of those who loved the Lord God, their Heavenly Father.
The soldiers recognised Rupert, and were happy to see him and his Daddy and sisters, but it was obvious that the soldiers were unhappy.
‘It’s time for the giant to come out’ one of them explained.
‘His name is Goliath’ another soldier told them.
Just then, a terrible shout was heard. It seemed to echo round and round the Valley as the voice of Goliath bounced off the hills.
‘You Israelites, you servants of King Saul, choose a man to fight me’ and he laughed, a sinister laugh that brought a shiver to those who heard.
The little Rabbits looked at the giant, and put their paws over their eyes. Goliath appeared to them almost as big as a mountain and, as his bronze armour reflected the sun, they couldn’t bear the sight. He was, as Rupert had said, “HUGE”. Even the man who carried his shield was bigger than any other man.
‘Look at Goliath’s spear’ whispered Rupert in amazement. ‘No man can fight him and win.’
Daddy laughed, and the children looked at him in astonishment.
‘You have forgotten the most important thing’ he said. ‘The Lord God of Israel is on their side, and no-one can win against HIM.’
‘No!’ cried Rhoda, ‘Not even a Giant!’
Suddenly they all felt better.
‘If you have a man who can kill me’ Goliath again shouted. ‘We will be your servants, but if I kill him then you will all be our servants.’ And he marched along the hill, his spear and armour flashing defiantly.
The Israelites were scared.
Whispers of ‘Who will go?’ ‘We have no-one strong enough to fight him’ ‘We are all going to die’ could be heard.
Goliath was still laughing at them. ‘I am waiting for your man to come and fight me’ he shouted. ‘You weak Israelites, Huh!’ and he swished his sword through the air to show them what he would do to their soldier. Then he turned and went back to his Camp.
‘The Israelites are so frightened’ said Rupert. ‘They seem to have forgotten that God is on their side.’
‘Yes’ agreed Daddy rather sadly. ‘That sometimes happens, but the wonderful thing is that God hasn’t forgotten them’ and he smiled at the children.
They all smiled back. Once again, Daddy had said just the right thing.
‘Shall we remind them that our Heavenly Father is looking after them?’ Rachel suggested.
‘No’ Daddy answered thoughtfully. ‘I’m sure God will show them His Plan very soon, and then they will wonder why they were so afraid.’
‘Yes, and then it will be Goliath’s turn to be scared’ laughed Rupert. And he got up and hopped and danced around, his little white tail bobbing up and down in his glee.
‘Time to go home’ announced Daddy. ‘It must be almost lunch- time by now.’
‘Yes, I’m starving’ Rupert agreed, and he scooted off home as fast as he could, the white of his pom-pom tail soon disappearing from sight.
‘Has Mummy ever seen Goliath?’ Rhoda asked as they made their way home more slowly than their brother.
‘I’m not sure’ Daddy answered. ‘I don’t think so.’
Rhoda’s eyes sparkled ‘What a story we shall have to tell her then’ she said. ‘Come on, let’s hurry before Rupert tells Mummy everything himself’ and she ran as quickly as she could after her brother.
Elizabeth Aynsley 1945 ©

Ch.3