Reggie jumped up and down with excitement when the news came.  He had been chosen to be a learner knight!  He held his head high as he rode his new horse out of the castle.  He was wearing a Learner Knight tunic and wore a short sword in a scabbard at his side.  Sword?  That was the one thing that made him unhappy.   Huh!  It was short and fat and quite useless!  How he longed for a grand sword like those the knights wore!

Anyway, it was a fine day and and so he rode into the woods.  He flew through the trees and ducked under branches.  He soon forgot all about the warning the Armourer had given: "Care for your weapons like your life.  Lose them and you will never become a knight!"  Finally Reggie pulled the reigns and his horse skidded to a halt.  Nearly falling out of his saddle, Reggie collapsed exhausted onto the ground.  His scabbard dug painfully into his leg.   Shifting it he gasped with dismay - his sword was missing!

"My sword is lost!" he whispered, "Now what am I to do?  The Armourer warned what would happen if we did not look after our weapons.  Oh, what am I going to do?"

I'm in Trouble!

Reggie hunted high and low until it became too dark to see.  He slept under a tree that night and shivered as cold drops of rain dripped down his neck.  For three days he searched high and low with no success.  Finally in despair he decided to return to the castle.  Early in the morning he mounted up and rode miserably back along the path.

As he rounded a turn, he came across an old man.  "Have you seen my sword?" asked Reggie.  "Well, I have found a rusty sword!" came the reply, "Come with me and see."  Reggie followed the old man to a small cottage in a clearing.

"Here it is," said the old man, "But, I'm afraid it is a bad state."  With sinking heart, Reggie realised that his once shiny sword was now coated with thick brown rust.  "It's the end!" he muttered, "My sword is ruined and now I'll never become a knight!"  "Perhaps we can restore the sword if you work hard," said the old man, "Come with me and we see what we can be done."  Reggie followed him to a toolshed where he found a sharpening stone.  "This will clean off the rust and sharpen the blade again," explained the old man.

The Silly Sword

Reggie worked on his sword all that night.  Finally his sword looked as good as new.  "There, I told you so!" smiled the old man.   Reggie looked at his sword and mumbled, "But, it's still a silly sword!"  "Not so!" replied the old man, "Come, I'll show you how to use it and fight as a good Knight!"

For the next two months the old man patiently taught Reggie how to fight with his sword.  One bright morning, Reggie exclaimed, "Why, it's no longer a 'silly sword'.  Now it's my 'Trusty Sword'!   Dear Sir, you have made me into a fine soldier!"  And so Reggie put his saddle on his horse and rode off.   "Farewell!" cried the old man, "Be a brave knight!"

A True Knight!

Reggie galloped back to the castle and as he rode up the drawbridge, the knights came pouring out of the castle to ask where he had been.   "Learning to be a knight," he called.  Later that day he showed them his skill with his sword.  He explained to the King that he had lost his sword and how an old man had taught him to fight.

"I'm proud of you," said the King as he knighted Reggie.  "Now, Sir Reginald", exclaimed the king, "I have a grand knight's sword for you!"  "Oh, no Sire", said Reggie, "I would rather keep my short sword as I know how to use it, and I will fight a good fight with it!"  And so he did.  And what about you, young friend?  Do you read read your Bible?  Remember, it's your sword of the Spirit:

"Fight the good fight of the faith and claim eternal life" (1 Timothy 6:12).

Extract from our book: "Gripping Stories for Children's Church"