The curtain rises. The year is 1025 B.C. The scene takes place mid-morning in a barren narrow valley. On your right, a dry riverbed runs off to the horizon.
Up on the bank to your left, stands a bearded burly giant. He is 40 years old and 9 feet tall. In his right hand, he holds a 7 ft. long spear upright. Hanging from his belt and in its sheath, is a sword, 5 ft. in length. His shield lies on the ground beside him. He wears no armor. Entering from the right, is a shepherd boy of 15 years. He has a fish net in his right hand, and a smallish knife hangs on his belt. He wears a loose-fitting tunic with a pocket on the side. Hanging out of this pocket, we see part of a leather strap. The boy, eying the giant all the way, walks across the riverbed to the edge of the bank, and there he stops.
*
Hold it right there, young man! Where on earth do you think you’re going?
I’m headed to the brook to catch some fish, good sir, just as I do every morning.
Well, not today, you’re not. I’ve been commanded by the King to stand guard here. I’m not to let anyone pass for any reason whatsoever. Although, I must admit, I hadn’t seen a soul all morning ’till you came along.
But, kind sir. You must let me pass! My mother depends on me to feed the family.
Didn’t you hear me, boy! I said, I have orders from the King himself, and it would cost me my life if I were not to follow my royal pledge.
But you’re a giant, big sir. I find it odd that you’re afraid of anyone, or anything.
I don’t consider death as a thing. I fear no thing, not even the King. Yes, I am big, but I cannot defeat a whole army, not anymore, anyway. As you can see, I’m a bit past my youth. Now, back in the old days…
Hold on a second! If you cannot defeat a whole army by yourself, then why did the King order you to stand guard alone?
I don’t rightly know. One doesn’t question the King. I am simply obeying orders.
It sounds to me as if the King is trying to get rid of you. Might that be true?
Oh, no! No, that’s not true. I believe the King still needs a giant like me.
Well then, how long will you be here? I need to know because I must go home with food of some sort.
I’ll be here until the King says otherwise. I’m guessing one or two days, depending on the circumstances.
But where are your provisions? Where is your food? A giant like yourself must have a whale of an appetite.
I’m expecting a page. He’ll be bringing me what I need. At least, they’d better be sending him along, and soon, too. I’m already hungry, now that you mentioned it.
A single page? Why, he’d have to pull a cartload full for your large sake, sir.
You got that right! Now, enough talk about food. You’re making matters worse.
But I’m starving, and so is my family! I can’t afford to forget all about it. No!
Then you best be running off to somewhere else to catch your fish. Like I said, you cannot pass this way.
Hmmm…okay. If I cannot pass, I’ll just sit here and wait. There is no other place to go fishing around these parts. You know that! I cannot go home empty-handed.
So be it. You can sit there all you want. There’s no law against that. Wait…ah-ha! I see what you’re up to, you little schemer. If you think I’m going to give you some of my food when it gets here…well, you’re wrong. I will not. I’ll need every bit of it to sustain me. Nice try, though.
No, kind sir. I wouldn’t even think of asking you for such a generous favor. No, I’ll just wait until your task is complete, and you go back to the Kingdom.
What? You would wait a day or two with no food? And no water? Boy, you’re more ignorant than you look. Your mother, she will worry about you if you’re not back home by days end. You may as well leave now. You’re wasting your time here. Go tell her the bad news, and maybe she can come up with another plan.
No, I won’t do that, sir. I know my mother all too well. She’d kick me right back out of the house. She would! You don’t seem to understand. Hmmm…speaking of mothers, what would your mother say if she knew you’d refused to help a poor boy and his family?
Whoa, little man! How dare you question me about my own dearly departed mother…God rest her soul in peace. Anyway, she’s no longer in a position to reprimand me.
Well, how about God then? You must believe in Him, since you mentioned it.
Now, now, boy! I don’t like the way this conversation is turning. What? So, you think you know something about God and His ways? No one knows that, son. His ways are mysterious to all. What makes you think you understand how He goes about His business?
I’ll tell you, big sir, but please don’t repeat what I have to say. Okay? I’ve kept it a secret up until now. Exactly one year ago today, an angel of the Lord appeared unto me. Yes, siree! It was a revelation.
Oh! Is that so? Whoa-ho-ho! Now, I’ve heard it all. An angel appeared unto you – a kid – a nobody – a poor boy. Ha! I find that very difficult to believe, young man. Did your glorious angel have something to say?
Yes, yes it did. The angel told me that I would go on to slay a giant one day. A giant such as yourself.
Whoa-ho-ho! That’s a mighty tall order for a boy as small as you. How on earth would you go about doing that? Did the angel clue you in? Ho-ho-ho!
No, sir giant, and I didn’t ask. One doesn’t need to question an angel of the Lord. They speak nothing but the Truth.
Perhaps, that’s true, young man, but I find it extremely difficult to believe. Ho-ho-ho! In fact, I can’t imagine any possible way that you might kill a giant such as myself. Surely, it wouldn’t be in a sword fight. You’re not a skilled warrior. That much is obvious! Why, it would take a miracle. Whoa-ho…ho. Uhm…uh…say, how will you know which giant? I mean, there are still a few of us around. Did the angel tell you more?
Yes! Yes, it did. The angel said, “His name will be Goliath.” That’s not your name…is it, big sir?
Oh, no! Ho-ho-ho! No, no, no. My name is…Henry. Yes, that’s it. Henry! Ho-ho-ho!
Ah, good! I’m glad to hear that, Henry. I’d hate to have to kill you.
Ha! Kill me? Whoa-ho-ho! You don’t even have a weapon. Don’t be silly, boy. You couldn’t hurt a flea.
Don’t be so sure of yourself, Sir Henry. I do have this slingshot. See? I use it to kill fish. And, I must say, I think I’m pretty good with it. I get a lot of practice, using it as I do most everyday.
That might be true, little man, but a giant is bigger than a fish. Whoa-ha-ha! Your rock is no more than a mere pebble to a man of my size. I can’t see it happening. It would take a miracle! Perhaps, you were only dreaming when the angel appeared unto you. That would make more sense. All kinds of funny things happen in dreams, you know.
Whether it was a dream or not — either way, it doesn’t matter. I saw it. I heard it. I experienced it, and I remember it as clearly as I remember the sun at nighttime. For me to kill a giant is a tall order, I agree. But I have giant-sized confidence in the Lord, and that’s enough for me!
I’ve killed a whole slew of grown men who felt confident enough in their faith to take me on. I’d say, they took their miracles for granted. I’ve also had a mess of rocks slung at me from a slingshot just like yours. As you can see, I came out ahead. If you plan on killing me…er, uh, Goliath, that is, I think you ought to wait until you’ve grown a bit larger.
I think that’s what the angel meant. A specific date wasn’t given. All I know is — I will slay a giant before I become the King of Israel.
The King? The angel said you would be King? Whoa-ho-ho! Now, that beats all I’ve ever heard! Ho-ho-ho!
I don’t think it’s funny at all. Don’t you believe in prophecy?
Of course I do, lad, but it’s always after the fact. I’m never for certain beforehand. There are a multitude of prophets, and they all have different ideas about what the future holds. Not a one of them has gone on to become a King of anything, according to my recollection.
I understand what you’re saying, Sir Henry. Your doubts are justifiable, as are mine. But I can’t change the past, either. The angel appeared to me, personally. Therefore I will give the Lord’s messenger the benefit of the doubt. In the meantime, I must catch some fish to take home.
Boy, you’re more harmless than a sheep, but you seem plenty honest, and trustworthy, too. Tell you what I’ll do. I’m very hungry myself, and I need to be fed. Promise to give me half of your catch when you come back by here, I’ll let you pass. But, you’ll have to be sneaky about it, and not let anyone see you. Understand? I like my head where it is, and I’d like to keep it here on my shoulders for a long time to come.
Oh, yes, Henry! Yes, sir! Yes, yes, I promise! Half of my fish will be yours. Thank you! Oh, thank you, kind sir!
Don’t count your blessings too soon, young man. You never know, there could be trouble lying in your path today, and there could be a ruckus going on right here by the time you get back. I doubt it, but it is a distinct possibility.
I’ll be careful, sir. I promise! No need to worry. I’ve already prayed to the Lord to keep me safe today, so I’ll be alright.
For your sake and mine, I hope so. Now go on and catch us some fish, as many as you can carry. I have a big belly, you know. Do keep that in mind.
I will, sir. As many as I can carry, and half of them will be yours. Uh…just a second. Can you promise me that you won’t demand more than half when I get back?
Sorry, boy. I don’t make promises to anyone. However, I will be fair. Whoa-ho-ho! Trust me. Now, listen up. I won’t wait here forever for you, or for that page who should have been here already. Damn him! So, if you’re not back by sundown, I’ll have to figure you found that trouble I was talking about.
Yes, sir! I understand, sir. Before the sun goes down, I will be back. No doubt about it! God bless you, Henry! You’re a very kind giant. Perhaps, you’ll work for me someday, eh? Ha-ha! I’ll be off then, sir, and I’ll hurry. Promise!
Good for you, boy. I reckon you will.
See you later, sir! Before sundown, for sure.
Hey, wait! In case I’m not here when you come back through, and if in fact you do become King someday, he-he-he! What is your name, boy?
The name’s David, sir. David, son of Jesse, from Bethlehem.
Okay, David. See you later! Hurry back! Whoa-ho-ho!
*
So, I’ve met my match, eh? The boy who would be King. Hmm…work for him, eh? Lord, have mercy on me! He-he! Henceforth, my name shall be Henry. Whoa-ho-ho! I kind of like that.
*
THE END
*
Michelangelo’s David (original statue)
Uncle Tree's House 
Ho-ho-ho! A David and Goliath story, huh? Can’t wait to read the rest… well, actually, we all kinda know how it ends, don’t we? 😉 Or are you planning a little twist of fate?
here we have a precisely measured giant, a rather mean mother, and a young boy ready to kill at the bequest of an apparition. very well written uncle tree, archetypal and colorful – the right stuff of fairy tales
Samson, Batgirl? I’d forgotten about that ol’ boy.
Thanks for the idea! I see a wrestling match in that one. 🙂
Pre-twisting history was sorta fun. At least, I don’t feel guilty.
Part 2 is now up. Enjoy! UT
Thank you, Tipota!
I’m really glad you like it, and I hope the rest stands the test.
Was my intro okay? Since, obviously, I didn’t have an illustration…
This was my first attempt at writing an Act, so bear with me. Peace, UT
This is an amazing and refreshing story… I am looking forward to part two.. thanks for sharing… Sherri
Haha.. after I wrote Samson and Goliath, I second guessed myself that you would know what I was talking about. Then I figured if you didn’t know, you could google it! 😉
Thank you, Sherri!
Refreshing? I kind of like that! 😉
🙂 Delilah?
I do do my research, Penny.
Google is The Man!
relevation, I’ve had one of those. It’s just like a revelation only the definition is in the open dictionary.
Where words can be anything to anybody even say stupid things or do stupid things. Where even an arrogant stranger is allowed to dirty things up
yet still have an Uncle named Tree
with nieces galore
and thoughts of l’amore
corrupting each mind of the 6 that reside
in schitzo dirty dusty
Linguistics, Dusty.
I’ve fallen into that trap myself. While I was stuck there,
I figured I might as well enjoy doing the research that was handy.
English Hodge-Podge Stew —
1. Chop it up
2. Pulverize it
3. Put it to the fire
4. Let it simmer
5. Once it’s cooled off, set is aside and let it culture.
Nephew Who:
Have it your way at Uncle Tree’s Dew Drop Inn!
Leave your corruption at the door, please.
I recommend the schitzo supreme. 😉
hello uncle tree,
i have decided to visit.
i really enjoyed this story. it had a fairy-tale ring to it, but the ending was ironic and unexpected; great job!
in the middle, i was hoping that the boy wouldn’t find some underhanded way to kill the giant–such as in his sleep–and was pleasantly surprised when the two became friends at the end. 🙂
Hello, dear sparrow!
Thanks for visiting, and thank you for the compliment.
Glad you liked it. You did find Part 2. Good! The ending,
in this case, is sort of a beginning, as we know how the
real story ends.
The Old Testament was filled with wars and killings,
even after Moses laid down the law. Mother Mary
is a descendant (supposedly) of David, so I wanted to
give this a New Testament feel. I imagine Goliath vanished
from the scene before David got back that night. If Henry
went on to meet David a year later, knowing what he did,
I’d say he had a death wish — to be killed by someone famous.
Alas, humanity hasn’t changed. We still have giant problems,
and we still use wolves dressed as sheep to do the dirty work.
Happy Monday, girl! Hope all is well with you and your dreams. UT
I like this sweet tale and twist in the telling. Reminds me in some ways of the plot of Oedipus Rex. Are you familiar with the story?
Hello, Niamh! 🙂
I’m glad you liked this, and I thank you for taking an interest
in something other than my short prose and UT’s poetic pieces!
Yes, I know Oedipus. The story of the underdog – same as Percival.
I believe that is where you see a comparable plot line, or scene.
Having always been a short little runt myself, I can dearly relate.
Peace to you, and have a good Friday! 🙂
I was thinking more along the lines of having consulted the Oracle, Oedipus turned from the path he had intended and seek another to try to escape his fate. However, this led him to that which had been predicted.
Ah-so, Niamh. I don’t know the story that well,
but I do know that fate sucks sometimes. I abhor the whole ideal!
Freewill apologetics – is there such a thing? I loathe static cling.
Actually, I had no idea what I was doing when I wrote this. As usual,
I just start and watch where it goes. Luckily, this time, I found a way
to end it without either character coming out a loser. YEAH! 🙂
who knows about fate or destiny really? Theories abound. I have a few myself…constructs, road-maps. Myths to live by.
So, do we human beings have Freewill or not?
The “To be, or not to be…” question
has to be answerable as a matter of choice
without us having to commit suicide to prove it!
I’m voting for Freewill. This is why: The Bible says, God is love. In our minds, you can’t force another person to love you. Not even God can force us to love Him, but He knew that before He created us. He took a risk. Is the Law of Love therefore higher or more powerful than God? Our God who is love? It doesn’t say Love is God. We can learn to love Love, but we can’t learn to god God. My nonsense for today. 🙂
I believe in free will, to a certain extent, or rather, ‘the power of choice’. How much choice is there, when it really comes down to it?We are also influenced by collective conditioning, circumstances in which we find ourselves, national and blood-line characteristics. Free Will is a philosophical polemic, as you would have to define what you mean by ‘Free’ and what you mean by ‘Will’…could mean anything from volition to the power of spirit. You would also have to clarify your epistemological stance…Not a black and white answer. (my ramblings for the day also)
The devil’s in the details, alright. A master’s reminder? 😉
Me2’s two-fold nature allows for the shadiest sides of grey.
Perhaps, this belongs on my about page, but I’m going to place
it here because I can. A word on Uncle Tree’s shady background:
I’m inclined to believe the general consensus of the academia in all the fields they study. I also believe men of the Christian faith (which basically includes me) should feel impelled (like I do) to seek the truth, because Jesus stood for (represented) 3 meaningful concepts: The Life, The Truth, and The Way.
Being raised from the get-go in a Southern Baptist Church, it was natural for me to take their literal translations to heart. It wasn’t until 8th grade that we were taught the theory of evolution, and back then (1971 in Missouri) not even my Science teacher was perfectly persuaded, but he taught us anyway. I remember being quite skeptical as a young teen, but the seed of doubt had been planted, and within a couple years I gave up on the idea of keeping The Truth (or searching for it) within the instruments of God, Church, and The Bible. School was right, and in my eyes, my parents had been duped.
Here we are years later, and I can now sympathize with my parents and their ingrained beliefs. I went through a few experiences in my late 30′s and early 40′s that sorta drew me back into the fold, but rather more as a questioner than a doubter. I can’t say I no longer doubt either science or faith, because I still have doubts concerning both. I don’t think that’s a sin, but sometimes doubt itself becomes ridiculous, and at times I wonder if doubt isn’t one of the most unnatural things we as humans can do. I confess, it bothers me.
The Way, The Truth and The Life means we are duty bound to use all our God-given intelligence to question and discover for ourselves…doubt in itself is an inner prompt to tell us something is not quite right with something. It is a natural pricking of conscience, an urge to growth and is there to serve the Truth. Thomas was not rejected as a Disciple because he doubted. He was respected. Every teacher knows the value of doubt. Otherwise how does the lesson and the learning become one’s own? Surely that is the path to Individuation, when we are able to stand alone in spirit and know the Truth of who we are? God (whatever your version) surely cannot be bothered by doubt, as God created all things. God is bigger than that, and the spiritual urge within us is to quest until faith comes unbidden and calmly as a result of testing…questioning, and leaving no stone unturned. Otherwise, all we have is blind belief.
Have doubt – will doubt some more.
Have faith – will continue to doubt.
Have guru – will always question.
Have Christ – will freely forgive guru.
*
Thank you for the intelligent conversation, Niamh! 🙂
If I have a quest, it is to gather evidence in favor of
the paranormal and the supernatural. If the Age Of Blind Faith
is coming to an end, then only proofs and answers can build trust.
Divine guidance – would the world reject it, if it wasn’t?
Glad you enjoyed this one, Caro. 🙂 Ho! Ho! Ho! Happy Thanksgiving!
You are a treasure to me, pw, and your sweet gifts are my daily bread.
Thank you so much for loving me! ❤ Peace and luvz and hugs! UT
You have put me on the spot, my love. 😉
And your words have tickled me pink. He he
“What a joy! Branching out to meet you, and greet you!
To hold you! Kiss, and love you!” I exclaim with purposeful pizzazz.
“Ever since you have taken your place beside me here,
my life has knot been the same. I am honored and dignified.
A goner, loved and turkey-fried to your specifications.”
“My dear Willow Queen, We are ’bout to make a scene.
We are bound to forest green, far beyond and in-between
satin sheets and glory’s sheen. Do you know how much you mean
to Uncle Tree, whose eyes do gleam with thee in sight, next to me?”
WoWzer! 🙂 Thank you, darlin’! Luvz and hugz comin’ your way! ❤ Sir Willow
Thank you, sweetheart! 🙂