Top 10: kid stories

Doubting Duck

Little Faithful Froggy was having such a good time jumping off the lily pads and diving into the clear cool water.

He was laughing and splashing, and swimming.

Under a tree on the waters edge sat little Doubting Duck. "Come in the water, Ducky!" said Froggy.

Poor little Duck, he wanted to play with his friend, it looked like he was having so much fun, but he was so afraid that he would sink!

"Don't worry, Ducky, you will be fine! God made you so that you would float!"

"No, no", said Ducky, "I don't think I can, I don't have legs like you do, and I am not green."

"Ducky, you have special feathers and webbed feet like all ducks and all ducks can swim!"

"But, Froggy, I have never gone swimming before, and you are so good at it, you were even born in the water, I wasn't."

Froggy was sad; his friend would not listen or believe him.

"Please, Ducky, come in the water, you will be fine, I know you will. If you never come into the water, how will you know for sure that you can't swim? Where is your faith, Ducky? Don’t you think God knew what He was doing when He made you?” asked Froggy.

“Ducky, did you know that Peter from the Bible walked on water when Jesus called to him?”

“Yes, I did” said Ducky.

“So if a man can walk on water, don’t you think a duck like you can swim?” asked Froggy.

“Yes, but you know Peter also started to sink!” said Ducky, shaking in his little webbed feet.

"Hmmm," Froggy thought for a minute, "maybe that's not a good example…but, wait!

Peter started to sink only when he took his eyes off Jesus! So, just keep thinking of Jesus, Ducky, and you will be fine.” said Froggy.

Doubtful Ducky still stood there.

Faithful Froggy still waited.

Soon, Froggy thought of another Bible story. "Ducky, remember the story of Jonah?"

"Yes!" replied Ducky, "I do remember that story too. But I don't think YOU remember what happened to Jonah!" Ducky looked fearfully into the water for duck eating whales.

"Hmm... maybe that wasn't a good example either, but wait! He was safe in the end, right? God saved him!"

"Yes, God did save him, ok, I will try," whimpered Doubtful Ducky, the quivering quacker.

Ducky waddled down to the waters edge, and dipped the tip of his little webbed foot into the water. "Oh! The water is too cold!"

"No, the water is fine!" said Froggy, "come in and you will see!"

Ducky carefully and slowly stepped into the water with both of his feet.

He closed his eyes and jumped into the pond.

He thought for sure he would sink to the bottom.

Or that a whale would eat him.

Ducky opened his eyes and to his surprise, he was floating on the water!

“Yippee!” shouted Ducky, “I am swimming!”

Ducky started to paddle his feet and swim to Froggy.

“Look Froggy, I am swimming!” quacked Ducky happily.

"Yes! I see, I see!” croaked Froggy just as happily. "I knew you could do it!"

So Ducky and Froggy spent the rest of the day swimming and playing in the pond.

As the day came to an end, Froggy and Ducky sat on the waters edge resting.

Just then, Joyful Blue Jay flew over next to them.

“Hi, Froggy, hi, Ducky!” said Blue Jay.

“Hello, Blue Jay,” answered Ducky. "Guess what? I learned to swim today!"

“Good for you!” chattered Blue Jay, "I am very proud of you! You had the faith to try, and you saw that God was there to help you!"

"Yes, that is true!" agreed Ducky. After all, he was so much wiser now!

Blue Jay said, "and maybe tomorrow, I will teach you to fly!”

“What! Fly! I can't fly!” squawked Doubtful Ducky.

Froggy and Blue Jay smiled at each other.

Matthew Abrahams

The Homerun

The Homerun

Little David was the smallest boy in his class.

He would always try to fit in with his classmates.

He was very anxious to be liked by them.

David wasn't the smartest, or the funniest boy in class, and he wasn't even all that good at sports.

Poor David was not very popular either; in fact, he was often the object of many cruel jokes.

David was not very happy at school.

But he wasn't always sad either, he had a wonderful family who loved him very much, and thought he was just perfect the way God made him.

Some of his favorite times were when he went to Sunday school. There he had many friends, and nobody picked on him.

David often prayed to God, and told him that he would do anything if he could be accepted at school.

The next day some of the big boys came up to him and handed him a note signed with his own name. They said, "Hey, David, go give this note to the new girl in class, if you do, we can be friends!"

David was so happy! This must be the answer to his prayers!

He didn't hesitate, but went straight to the new girl and handed her the note.

She smiled at him, thinking that she had made a new friend. She too, had been lonely since coming to a new school.

But, as she read the note, the little girls' eyes filled with tears, and she ran away crying!

David was confused- what was wrong? What did the note say? He heard the sound of laughter behind him, and turned to look. Those big boys were doubled over, laughing so hard at the joke they had played on David and the new girl.

The note was lying on the ground where the girl had dropped it as she ran away, so David picked it up and read it.

Those boys had written a very mean and hurtful thing. David felt terrible, because he had been a part of that nasty joke. He walked over to the boys, wanting to tell them that the note was not a nice thing to do, but as he came close to them, they laughed again, and told him to get lost.

That night, David prayed again, "Dear Jesus," he said,” I am so sorry that I gave that note to the new girl and hurt her feelings, but I really want to be accepted by the other boys and girls at school."

The next day at school, David saw the new girl and started walking towards her, but when she saw him, she turned and walked away.

"Wait!" called David, "Please wait! I am very sorry about that note."

The girl stopped, and she listened as he told her what had happened. He also told her again that he was very, very sorry.

She told him that her name was Ann, and that she felt better now that David had explained everything to her.

Later, in school, David was approached by some of the big boys again.

They told him that they wanted him to help them cheat on the history test that day.

They told him they would be his friends if he helped.

Now David thought for a moment.

He did want to be their friends.

He would not be hurting anyone this time.

So, he agreed.

David was given a cheat sheet to copy answers from before class.

During the test, he was supposed to find the answers and show them to the other boys.

As the test was being given, David did what he was told.

All was going well.

As David pulled out the cheat sheet to look at it, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

It was his teacher.

The teacher removed him from class and he was sent to the principal’s office.

"Oh no!” he thought, "What have I done!"

Despite all this, he would not tell on the big boys who put him up to this.

He was given a week of detention and his parents were notified.

David was punished by his disappointed parents that week as well.

He served his detention.

He again asked God what he must do to gain favor with the big boys.

As usual, the big boys continued to make fun and tease him.

Ann saw the big boys teasing him.

She went over to David and asked,” Why do you want those boys to be your friends? They are not very nice at all!"

David said, “They’re really popular and cool, and I want to be like them."

Ann told him he was wrong and that those boys were bad news and only cool in their own eyes.

As time went by, David and Ann became good friends.

Spring arrived and that meant baseball season.

David loved baseball!

He was not very good, but he loved it all the same.

David joined the school team.

He was usually not playing, and when he finally got a chance to play, his team was very far ahead in the game.

As the season went on, the school team was doing very well.

In fact they did so well they ended up in the city finals.

The day for the big game came.

When David arrived at the game he saw his coach very troubled.

David soon learned that there had been a bug going around and that four of the team’s best players were out with the flu.

David also learned that he would be starting.

His nerves were jumpy, and he was very excited!

He prayed to God to help him do well.

The game was very close.

David struck out all three times at bat.

The other team’s pitcher was big for his age.

In fact he was big for boys even older than himself.

David was terrified every time the pitch came over the plate.

He was so afraid of being hit with the ball.

David’s family came to watch the game and Ann was there too.

The game reached the bottom of the ninth inning.

It was a tie game.

David was hoping he would not have to bat.

The first batter popped out.

The second batter grounded out to second.

The next batter hit a single to left.

The next batter hit a line drive to left-center.

The next batter laid down a perfect bunt and reached first safely.

So, here it was the bottom of the ninth, bases loaded and two outs.

David was the next batter.

"Oh God", he thought, "Please let me get a homerun now and be a hero so everyone will like me!"

As David stood in the batter’s box, the first pitch came in.

David closed his eyes and swung wildly at the ball, missing by a mile.

"Oh no!” thought David, "don’t let me strike out again, please God, help me!"

The next pitch came in, it was high and fast.

David tried to catch up to the fast ball, but was late in swinging.

Now there were two strikes on him.

David stood there nervously. "Oh, please God, help me!” he thought,” help me win the game!"

Suddenly he thought about his parents and Ann.

He also thought about how much winning would mean to his school. He no longer thought of being accepted by the other children.

He realized in that split second how wrong he had been in seeking their approval and friendship.

"Oh, please God, help," he prayed yet again.

And a voice in David’s head said “I will help you, stand there and wait”.

David was surprised.

The next pitch came in, a high fastball again.

David stood there and didn’t swing.

“Ball one!” called the ump.

The next pitch came over; it bounced in front of the plate.

“Ball two!” cried the ump.

Suddenly the crowd was cheering David.

But he wasn’t doing anything.

The next pitch came in; it was very high and inside.

The ball whizzed by David’s head as he fell backward.

“Ball three!” shouted the ump.

The crowd was going crazy.

David realized that he was a pitch away from being walked to first and forcing the winning run home.

"Please, please, God!"

Sweat trickled down his forehead.

Here it came, the final pitch, it was a looping curveball.

As the ball came in wide, it started curving towards the plate.

As the ball hit the catcher’s mitt, there seemed to be an eternity waiting for the ump to make the call.

“Ball four!” he cried.

The crowd went nuts.

The winning run crossed the plate.

The team picked David up on their shoulders and celebrated.

Everyone was cheering David.

As David was walking over to his parents and Ann, the big boys came over to him.

“Hey David,” they said “why don’t you come downtown with us to celebrate?”

“No thanks, I’d rather not” David said and he walked away.

So David learned a good lesson here.

God always answers prayers, but he learned that sometimes the answer is no.

David thought a homerun would make him a hero.

But God said that a walk would be enough.

He also learned that real friends will love you just the way you are.

Seek to please God and not man, and God will bless you.

The end

Matthew Abrahams

Father Knows Best!

Father Knows Best!

Daddy, daddy! cried little Sam,

Why must I go to school?

You must learn many things, so you aren’t a fool.

I don’t know why, Sam said, I know enough now.

Trust what I say, be smarter than a cow.

Ok dad, this I see.

Now may I go outside and cut down a tree?

No way, my son, you’re too young and even if you could, we have plenty of wood.

Well, if it’s ok with you dear old dad of mine, I will go shoot some hoops, dad said, that will be fine.

Another son Mark, was alone at this time.

He sat in his room, unhappy and sad.

Tell me what is wrong, said dad.

I am sad and upset for the spanking I had.

This I can see, said his loving dad.

You surely know, that your mom you must obey.

And to talk back like you did is never the way.

I love you very much and want good things for you.

You needed help to remember what not to do.

Yes dad you are right, this is true.

I am glad you love me dad, I sure love you.

Jacob was busy playing around.

He had his army men all set on the ground.

Some on the couch, some on the floor.

Some by the table, some by the door.

Up on the shelf was a good place for a guy.

He could hide him up there to be a spy.

The shelf was very high on the wall.

And Jacob just wasn’t quite that tall.

He climbed on the chair, one foot on the arm.

His dad came by and to his alarm.

He saw his son leaning over the hot fireplace.

Jacob was falling, about to hit his face.

Today I was here to catch you, son.

Please be careful where you have fun.

Naomi, the smallest was as busy as a bee.

She loved to play nicely and give her dolls tea.

A helper she was, and she wanted to cook.

So she got a big chair and mom’s cookbook.

She went to the stove and got out a pot.

She turned on the burner and made it real hot.

Things happened so very, so very fast indeed.

The rules about cooking she did not heed.

The pot boiled over, too hot to touch.

She needed some help, some help very much.

Dear old dad said, do not fear.

I knew there was trouble, that’s why I’m here.

He picked up Naomi and put her down gently.

He turned the stove off and moved the pot safely.

Naomi Rose, what you did was bad.

But you are not hurt, I am so very glad.

Go to your room, you are in timeout.

Do not be mad and do not pout.

We look and see with our own eyes.

That Father is kind, gentle and wise.

We may not always understand,

Why we can’t hang planes from the ceiling fan.

If we could do all we wanted, this and that.

We would turn out rotten, a spoiled brat.

The same is with God above.

Who has for us the deepest love.

He has rules for us to read.

He knows our heart and what we need.

God gives spankings to us too.

Everyone, including me and you.

Listen to God, do what is right.

Remember to love God with all your heart, soul, and might.

He is our Father.

There is no other.

He will put you to the test,

But, Father knows best.

God taught the birds to make a nest.

Truly, truly, Father knows best.

It is good to work and after this, rest.

He knows all things, Father knows best.

Do not think an ant is merely a pest,

He made all things, Father knows best.

Do not let your heart grow cold.

Do what is right and do what you’re told.

For everything there is a season.

You don’t always have to know the reason.

He knows what to do, Father Knows Best.

Matthew Abrahams