The cruise was full of very rich and snooty people.  Poor Sid and Basher had quite a struggle trying to fit in.  One night during the evening meal (a very posh affair), the lights suddenly went out.  When they came on again, everyone started screaming, "I've been robbed!!"  Even Gran's necklace had been stolen.  The captain questioned all the passengers, but nobody could shed any light on the robbery.

Next day, Sid and Basher decided it was time to have a good look around the ship, so they started to explore and arranged to report back by the swimming pool in half an hour's time.

Sid was examining a long corridor when he noticed that one of the cabin doors was slightly ajar.  He saw a dim light coming from the cabin and heard muffled voices.  He tiptoed up to the door just in time to overhear, "Where on earth are we going to stash all this stuff?"

Unfortunately just then, Sid leant too far and the door suddenly opened and he fell into the room and landed at a pair of enormous feet!   Sid felt himself being grabbed and jerked to his feet.

Holding onto Sid tightly, the man who seemed to be the boss said, "Look kid, you've got a choice.  Keep your mouth shut and maybe we'll let you go.  But if you blab to your family you're in for it!   We'll tie you up and throw you overboard!

Sid knew what the the robbers meant to do to him, so he made his decision and whispered a prayer, "Jesus, please help me!"  He stamped down as hard as he could on the robber's foot and ran towards the door.  But just as he thought he'd got away ...

Well, you'll have to wait until next time to find out what happened!

They dragged Sid along the passage and down several flights of steep stairs.  "We're right down by the ship's engines, and no one's going to hear you shouting for help above this racket!" growled the robber with the huge feet.  "And this cabin's a spare one and no one ever comes down here.  So you may as well give up struggling and behave yourself, you horrible little urchin," grinned the other crook.

"No way!" thought Sid and shouted at the top of his voice, "Help!   Help!  Please help me Jesus!"

But Basher had heard Sid call and was coming to the rescue!

Sid's heroic efforts to free himself had nearly succeeded, so he gave one more enormous wriggle.  He felt the man's grasp loosen and he lurched forward like a rugby fly-half and dived between the man's legs!   Hands came out in all directions as the robbers tried to catch him a second time.  Sid could hear himself shouting again, "Help!   Help!  Help me Jesus!" as he scooted around the room.

Basher quickly took in the situation and leapt on top of the nearest robber, bringing him neatly to the ground.  Basher sat on his head and shouted, "Quick run, Sid!  I heard you call and knew you needed me!  Now!  Run! Run!"

Sid wasted no time and shot through the open door and down the corridor as fast as his legs could carry him.  Without looking back, he turned into another corridor, up some stairs and then into another corridor.  "Well done, Basher!" he croaked over his shoulder as he gasped for air.  "You're so brave!  Fancy you hearing me calling for help ... Basher!  Basher? ... Basher!!"

Sid called and called, but there was no reply from his friend and rescuer.  "Oh, Jesus," he prayed, "Please help Basher!"  He started back down the corridor, trying to find his way to the robbers' cabin.  But in the maze of stairs and corridors he totally lost his bearings.

He was getting to the point of giving up all hope of ever finding his friend, or anyone else for that matter, when he spotted a sign on one of the doors.  It said: "Captain," so Sid took a deep breath and timidly knocked on the door.  At once the door flew open!

"But, I know where they are!" spluttered Sid.  The captain looked stern, "That's not funny, young man, this is a very serious business.  Now, be off with you and don't bother me with your games!"  The door slammed in Sid's face and that was that!  Poor Sid, his voice drifted helplessly in the air, "But they're by the engines!"

Sid felt a sob rising in his throat.  It was no good.  The captain would never believe a little guy like him!  He wandered off, not knowing where he was going, but knowing that he had to find Basher.   At last, turning into yet another corridor, he suddenly realized that this was the right one!  There at the end was the door to the robbers' cabin.

Jesus always hears our prayers and answers just at the right time.  Do you think that Jesus had been listening to Sid and Basher's prayers? (Let the children respond).  Well, you'll have to wait until next time to find out what happened!

The cabin was empty, but the port hole was open!  Sid dashed across and looked out.  Below him he could see the deep blue sea with waves chopping its surface.  And there floating in the water was a bag!  "Oh no, Basher's going to drown!" he shouted in panic.  But when he looked more closely, it was ... just a bag of rubbish!  "That's not Basher!" exclaimed Sid, "Whew, thanks Jesus!  They didn't throw him overboard!"

He grasped the note firmly in his hand and rushed out of the room.  This time, he found his way back to the captain's cabin quite easily.  He banged loudly on the closed door.  Once again the door was thrown open and once again he found himself standing in front of the ship's angry captain!

"Yes lad, I do believe you.  You see, I've had a note from the robbers too.  It says that they've got your friend, Basher, and that they'll dump him overboard if I don't get a helicopter for them.  There's nothing I can do to make them change their minds.  The helicopter is on its way right now!"

A helicopter was hovering over the ship, and a rope ladder was trailing down from its open door.

The captain panted up behind Sid, and coming round the side of the deck were the two robbers!  The one with enormous feet was carrying a large, heavy-looking sack over his shoulder.  Sid started running towards the robbers.  "You can't let them get away!" he yelled to the captain, "They've got Basher!"

The robbers started to run towards the helicopter's ladder as it swung above the deck.  Sid was not fast enough and a robber had climbed up and disappeared into the helicopter before he could reach him.   "Stop!  Come back with Basher!" yelled Sid at the top of his voice.  The last robber ran towards the ladder struggling with the weight of the sack.  As he grasped hold of the bottom rung of the ladder, Sid leapt after the robber and grabbed hold of the sack.

"It's all right, Basher, I won't let them take you!" he gasped.  The robber was forced to let go of the sack and scrambled to make his escape.  The sack dropped with a horrible thud onto the deck, and Sid gingerly opened it and ...

Well, you'll have to wait until next time to find out what happened to Basher!

Sid leapt to his feet and looked up to where the last of the robbers was just climbing into the helicopter.  "Where's Basher?" he shouted, "What have you done with my friend?"

"He's hidden away and you will never find him!  And he'll soon be dead as a doornail!" sneered the robber.  Sid did not wait to answer back.  Finding Basher was the most important thing on his mind!  Oh, please help me Jesus!" he prayed again and ran back down the stairs and along the corridor.

Suddenly Sid found himself in front of a door marked: "Stores, Keep Out!"  Sid pushed hard on the door and it flew open.  "Basher?" he yelled.  There was a muffled noise from inside a large trunk standing at the back of the room.  "Basher?" he called again.  Once again Sid heard a muffled response, this time followed by a soft thudding sound which seemed to come from inside the trunk.

"Yuck!  Get off me!  We've got to find the captain stright away," yelled Basher, "Have I got news for him!"  "Basher," said Sid weakly, "The captain knows.  I've managed to rescue the jewels, but the robbers have got clean away!"  Basher grinned, "Oh, no they haven't!  I managed to give them the slip just long enough to make a quick phone call to the police!"

"Thanks to you two, everything has turned out all right," the captain beamed at them, "I don't know how to thank you ... but for starters I am going to give both of you, as well as your grandmother, a free cruise for a whole week!  And you and your Gran are invited to be my guests of honour every day at the captain's table."  And he made sure that Sid and Basher had the best holiday ever!

When we ask Jesus to be our Friend, He never leaves us and is totally committed to us and will never leave us.  When we call out to Jesus, He hears us and will help us.  But we also need to do what the Bible teaches us and please Jesus in all we do and say.  As we come to know Him, God will gradually change our lives and make us more and more like Jesus.

Like Sid and Basher, we also need to be committed to our friends, and care and help them when they are in need.  Can your friends really trust you?  I hope so!

God bless.