Three ‘David & Goliath’ Stories
Three kids bring three giants down to earth.
Most people will know the story of the giant Goliath, slain by a boy named David; few will know the second giant mentioned in this article, and no one could ever guess the third giant’s name before reading it in one of the following: ‘3 tales of three giants… and three kids’.
My first Giant is Goliath, slain by a little boy who used a Single Sling-Shot.
My second Giant was brought to earth by … a Sandcastle, and
My third Giant was brought to earth by … a Dinosaur Silhouette.
The story of Giant №1:
This well-known story, from the Old Testament of the Bible (Samuel Ch 17), tells how a shepherd boy named David, was able to bring down to earth, a giant-of-a-man named Goliath (9 feet / 2.7 meter tall!) with only a single sling-shot, using a stone that he’d collected from a stream.
David had become quite expert in fending off lions and bears that attacked his flock of sheep, and this confidence was noted when, before going out to meet Goliath, he made this statement about his experience:
“When a lion or a bear came and carried off one of the sheep, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth ” (Sam 17 vv 34 & 35)
So, to a kid like David … what’s a giant?!
A giant bites the dust … a giant defeated by a kid!
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The story of Giant №2:
The giant in this tale is a former Schools’ Inspector in the UK who had lots of experience and was invited as a guest speaker to a 2019 conference for teachers in England. I wasn’t there, but one of the attendees related this story to me.
I am keeping the name of the Inspector anonymous, as, being someone of similar professional background and expertise myself, it doesn’t seem right to besmirch the name of a ‘colleague’. But believe me, this story is true.
This story’s title could be: ‘How to teach little kids to make a sandcastle’ in that the guest speaker related an experience he had one day, when inspecting a local primary school where he came across a little girl sat in a sand-play area, with a tray of water, an empty tray, and a bucket and spade.
When the inspector asked the little girl what she was doing, she said that she was trying to make a sandcastle, but he noticed that she was clearly struggling, as the dry sand kept on falling flat.
So, he went to the rescue! explaining to the little girl that he was a master of sandcastles; an ‘expert’.
“I’m a dad and grandad, and I’ve had much experience of sand and sand-castle-building at the seaside over the years”.
Cautionary note for experts: ‘Naming oneself as an expert is one of the tempting weaknesses that so-called ‘experts’ often fall for’.
And … this man fell right into it!
This self-proclaimed expert suggested adding some water and mixing.
The little girl said “I don’t want to.”
So, he decided to show the little girl how to mix the sand with water and rolled up his sleeves. He put some sand into the empty tray, poured in some of the water from the water tray, and mixed and molded the sand beautifully with his hands. He was quite proud of his demo and the perfect sandcastle he had constructed.
He then tried once more to persuade the little girl to have a go, and again she said “I don’t want to.”. But this time she added an extra sentence, saying: “Charlie peed in the water tray.”
Another giant bites the dust!
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The story of Giant №3:
First, let me admit to you: The giant in this third story is me!
As I hinted when I introduced the second giant, I am also an educationist-expert of similar background and experience to the previous ‘giant’.
This third story describes an event that took place at a time when I was a Senior Lecturer at an English Teacher-Training College.
It is a story about some primary schoolboys who were very interested in a wall-chart depicting silhouettes of various animal groups that was displayed on a wall in their classroom.
I was visiting the school to supervise and assess my student teachers, and was taking a quiet break during playtime recess. I was sitting at the back of the empty classroom when three small boys came in and went to the wall-chart where they started a quite animated discussion.
Cautionary note for experts: Beware the temptation to ‘put on your expert’s hat’, especially in front of children.
When I observed the boys in discussion around the wall-chart, I couldn’t resist putting on my expert’s hat. After all, I am also an ‘expert’ biologist; a life-member of the Royal Society of Biology no-less. So, I strode up to the boys in friendly manner, but with wisdom twinkling in my eyes …
“Hello boys, what have you got there?”, I said
“Well, we don’t know what this is”, said one of the boys, pointing to a silhouette of what, to me, was clearly a dinosaur.
My biological expertise was clearly called-for …
“Well,”, I said (assuming the appropriate demeanor of an expert): “that’s a dinosaur”, to which the little boy pointed to the very next silhouette and said: “I know that this one is a Stegosaurus, but what’s that one?
I was utterly stunned and, like Puff the Magic Dragon …
… I slipped into my cave!
another giant bites the dust!
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Mini-Follow-up-Quiz (with answers):
***** Question: In the story of Giant №1, whose side was God on? ***** Answer: In Samuel 17 v 37 the boy David says: “The Lord who delivered me from the jaw of the lion … will deliver me from the hand of this (giant)”.
*** Question: In the stories of Giants 2 & 3, whose side was God on? *** Answer: Clearly not on the side of the giants (the ‘experts’)!
In another part of the Bible, we read that God is always on the side of kids, unlike some adult humans, who dismiss kids or even abuse them.
In Matthew (First book of the Bible’s New Testament), Jesus says:
“Suffer the little children, and forbid them not to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19 v14)
I believe in kids ... !!
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“Three ‘David & Goliath Stories”: by Fred: Almost Famous * * * * * © Fred Ogden 2021 * * * * *
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