Adapted from The Giant Killer by A.L.O.E.
Giant Selfishness
It had been a trying week for the Robinson children with two young visitors in the house. “The Frank kids are so selfish and annoying!” Betsy said after their parents had picked them up for the evening. “I wish we didn’t have to babysit them.”
“Yes,” agreed her brothers, Thomas and Mark. “They always play with our toys and mess things up!”
Mrs. Robinson smiled a little. “Are they the only ones who are acting selfish? It seems that some of my children are having the same trouble.”
“I didn’t feel so selfish before they came,” sighed Thomas. “It is easy to share with Mark because he plays nicely.”
“Yes, and that is why I think it is good to have them here,” Mrs. Robinson said. “If we are going to serve the Lord, we have to face our enemies and overcome them. These children are giving us practice.”
Betsy looked thoughtful. “I guess we all have to battle with selfishness. Except it seems kind of hard.”
“When Max grabbed my Lego plane today, it made me mad,” admitted Thomas. “I didn’t smack him, but I sure felt like it!”
“I try to play nicely with them,” added Mark, “but sometimes they just are mean to me.”
“Yes, it does seem rather like selfishness is a giant that is too big for us,” Mrs. Robinson agreed. “But here is a story that will help us see his plot and how our King can help us. It may give us some ideas of how to win in this battle.” The children gathered around to listen as she began:
Giant Selfishness sat in his arbor, where honeysuckle and roses climbed up graceful pillars and a fountain splashed in a marble basin. Since his willing servant Pleasure took care of the garden, everything was kept beautiful and pleasant. Often the giant came here to enjoy the results of his victories. He was tyrant over half the world and he had made many brave soldiers into his slaves. But today he sat alone, a gloomy frown on his massive face.
“Bad news, bad news,” he muttered to himself. “If this brave knight, Fides (Fydeez), has already killed my brother, Giant Sloth, what will he do next? I am not afraid of anything—except that invincible sword which the King has given him. Not even my great strength can stand against that!” Though millions had felt his chains, both young and old, the giant’s heart was full of fear. He pressed his immense hand over his eyes, and sat thinking.
“Ha! I have it!” he exclaimed, suddenly raising his head, “What my power cannot do, a cunning trick may accomplish.” He clapped his hands, which echoed through the garden like the boom of thunder. In a moment his servant, Pleasure, appeared. She was a bright little creature, with glossy wings that sparkled with the colors of the rainbow. “Pleasure!” exclaimed the Giant, “I need your help to capture the knight who is trying to destroy the family of Selfishness. Do you know if Fides is still at the castle where he killed Sloth this morning?”
“He is still there,” replied the musical voice of Pleasure. “He is busy cleaning up all the cobwebs and clutter, but I am sure he will leave before the sun goes down.”
“He must not leave it until the night dew falls!” cried the giant, leaning forward on his seat. “You must hurry to my brother’s castle, Pleasure,” he said, in a low earnest tone, “and lay out a tempting dinner so that he will be delayed. Be sure to choose the foods and drink that he loves best, and make sure there is plenty!” Pleasure answered the giant with a smile. She had learned many recipes from old Gluttony, her neighbor, and was confident of what she could do.
“There is no moon tonight,” continued Selfishness, “and if he tarries until dark then I will be able to catch him.” With a wide smile and a gleam in his eye, the giant told her the rest of his plans. “When he leaves that castle of Sloth, you will dance in front of him with a lantern in your hand and lure him away from the road. With your magical light, lead him to the deep pit in the woods which I have dug to catch wanderers like him.” Pleasure curtsied as she received the command, then spread her glossy wings and flew off.
It was a dismal afternoon for Giant Selfishness. Despite all his cunning plans, his mind was full of anxiety and fear. What if the brave knight should resist the temptation? What if he obeyed the faithful voice of Mercy, which had warned him to leave before dark? How the great tyrant hated the wise King who knew so well how to keep his servants out of Selfishness’ trap!
As the night closed in and the sky grew darker and darker, the huge strides of the giant took him to his pit in the woods. Like a wild beast, he crouched to wait for Fides. When he thought of the invincible sword, he trembled. But if only the knight fell in the pit—then he would be easy to conquer.
Back in the castle of Sloth, Fides was delayed. How many times, while enjoying another serving of Gluttony’s feast, had the young knight heard the quiet warning voice of Mercy? “You must leave—hurry while it is still light!” But he had become so proud over his success in killing Giant Sloth that he did not heed her warning, nor think of the danger. At last, when the darkening shades reminded him of the nearness of night, he drained his last glass and slowly stood. “Ah, that was a good dinner after today’s work,” he said, contentedly. “Now I must be off.”
Giant Selfishness crouched by his pit in the woods and listened for the sound of footsteps. For a long time he only heard the rustling of the leaves as the wind moaned through the forest. The stars scarcely gleamed in the slate gray sky, which was darkened by clouds. At last a light appeared in the distance, and by its yellow flickering beams, the giant knew it was the lantern of Pleasure. On it came, nearer and nearer, until he could see the gleam of armor and the sound of tired footsteps on the forest path. Yes, the knight was following her, just as he had hoped! Giant Selfishness rubbed his huge hands with delight. “He who follows Pleasure will be sure to fall into my pit,” he murmured.
The sword of Fides hung by his side. It was not in his hand because it had gotten in his way as he followed Pleasure through the thicket. He was not watching out for any foe. No, tonight he thought of nothing but the cheerful light in front of him. His feasting had made him sleepy and dreamy, and he was eager to keep up the good feeling of Pleasure as long as he could. Suddenly there was the sound of a crash and a cry. Fides had reached the pit. Stepping on the slippery edge, he had fallen into the snare of Selfishness!
The fall did not kill him, though the pit was deep. Perhaps it was his wonderful armor that protected him from severe injury. But the fall certainly did awaken his senses. The captured knight sat up in a dismal condition. More than the bruises that made his legs and back ache, Fides felt mortified and discouraged. How had he let himself be lured off the path of duty? Surely the cunning giant who had thrown him into this dark prison was lurking nearby! Yes, and he would keep him here until he perished by a slow, lingering death, as thousands had done before him. Had not the King warned him with the words of Mercy?
Fides roused himself. He would not be kept as captive to Selfishness—he must escape! “I have been called to be a knight of the Great King,” he told himself. “I must not give up now. Though I have fallen by my carelessness, I will struggle to get free again!” He reached for the walls of the pit and began to try climbing out. The ground was crumbly, but there was a creeping plant called “Desire for Approval” that he could grab hold of. By clutching and pulling with great effort, he was able to climb several feet off of the ground. Then, all at once, the vines snapped and he fell heavily back to the bottom again. The mocking laugh of the giant came from above, adding to his disappointment and pain.
Still, Fides would not be discouraged. “There must be a better way,” he told himself, as he felt for his sword. “I cannot escape by my own strength, but the King has given me a weapon to use!” With renewed hope, he began to cut out steps into the soft wall of the pit. As he carefully and patiently worked, he thought of his King who had given him his strong armor and mighty sword. “He has promised me a treasure and golden crown when I have conquered all the giants in my path,” the knight reminded himself. “I must not be overcome by them, at any cost!” When steps had been carved as far as Fides could reach, he slowly began to climb, cutting new steps above his head as he went. Soon his arm began to ache with the effort, but he did not give up.
The giant knelt by the edge of the pit and glared down into the darkness. He could not see his intended victim, but he heard the sound of falling earth and caught glimpses of the shining point of the sword. “Ha! I will put a stop to this!” cried Selfishness, as he hastily gathered together a heap of stones and soil to hurl upon the climber. The mass fell first on the sword, which would not have snapped with the weight of a mountain, and this broke the force of it. But the blow was strong enough to dash the weapon from Fides’ hand and hurl the knight down to the bottom once more.
Poor Fides felt quite dismayed. “I am sorry that I ever lingered at that feast!” he said, in distress. “It was all my fault that I did not listen to Mercy, but followed Pleasure instead. Now I am certainly trapped in this miserable pit of Selfishness! Is there any chance of escape?” He felt around in the dark for his sword. When he found it, he tried its edge. It was as sharp as ever and brought to his memory what Mercy had told him when he began his journey. “If ever you are in distress, breathe on the hilt of your sword and I will come to aid you.”
“Surely this is the time she meant,” he said, and sighed heavily upon his weapon. In a moment a faint light shown into his prison as he looked up to see the glowing star-wreath on the brow of the King’s lovely messenger. “Oh, Mercy!” exclaimed the unhappy prisoner, “You have never found me before in such a terrible place! Must I remain buried alive in this pit? Am I shut out from the kingdom forever?”
“You must climb once more,” replied Mercy. “Though you have fallen thrice, there is no reason to faint if you put your trust in the King!”
“But I’m bruised and worn out, and have hardly strength to arise. When I get up a little way, down comes a shower of earth which throws me back into my dungeon,” said Fides dismally. “There is nothing firm to grab hold of, nothing to help me to rise from these depths.”
“Look this way,” said Mercy, “and see what has been placed here to enable poor captives to climb up from their dungeon.” By the soft light which she shone around her, Fides caught sight of a cord of twisted silk and gold hanging on the side of the pit. “This,” continued his guide, “ is the strong cord of Love. The bright scarlet twist is love towards man, while the golden is the stronger and holier love toward your King. The giant knows of this cord, and a thousand times has tried to break or destroy it, but it is not in his power to do so. Sometimes indeed he pulls it out of the way, so that his victims cannot reach it. Either he has forgotten this precaution tonight, or he has trusted that the darkness would hide from you the way of safety and deliverance.”
Fides took courage and grasped the slender but firm cord of Love. With stronger hope and determination, once again he began his dangerous ascent. The climbing seemed far easier now, as his feet found the notches cut out by the sword and gave relief to his weary arms. But Selfishness did not give up easily, and tossed down another great heap of stones and of earth. This time, in the deep darkness, Fides was protected as he held fast to the cord. With another upward step, his hand was on the edge of the pit, and then his head rose above it! Giant Selfishness uttered a cry of despair and turned to flee as the knight pulled out the invincible sword. With a flash of its blade, the great enemy was slain!
“I liked that story,” said Thomas. “I think Fides was brave to keep climbing out of the pit.”
“The giant was mean to throw dirt on him!” put in Mark. “But he didn’t give up!”
“And he learned some important lessons,” Mrs. Robinson pointed out. “Remember how the “desire for approval” vines broke? That should remind us that we can’t get free from selfishness because we want others to like us better.”
“But why couldn’t he get out by digging steps with his sword?” asked Thomas.
“Isn’t the sword the Word of God?” added Betsy. “I would think that when we think about God’s promises that it would help us not be selfish.”
“But it isn’t quite enough, if we go in our own strength and effort,” reminded their mother. “Who did Fides end up calling for, when he really started to be sorry for just trying to please himself?”
“Mercy,” said Besty, thoughtfully. “Does that mean we need to ask God for help, too, not just read our Bibles?”
Mrs. Robinson smiled. “I think you are starting to dig out some of the hidden meaning,” she encouraged. “Do you remember what the cord was called, Mark?”
“Love,” he said. “Just like I love you, Mama!” He gave her a big hug.
“It is easy to love people who are nice,” Thomas said with a sigh, then he smiled a little. “But I guess I’m not always very nice and you still love me.”
“I’m going to pray that I will love the Frank children,” Betsy decided. “I don’t want to be stuck in a selfishness pit!”
“Let’s all pray together,” agreed Mrs. Robinson. “We need God’s armor and weapons to be overcomers!”