Text & Illustrations Copyright© 2007 Kay Beatton 11 Laburnham court, 24 Westbourne Gardens, Folkestone, Kent CT20 2HZ U.K.

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Once upon a time, there lived a boy called Onan. Onan grew up as an only child in a seemingly rich house and did no work at all. However their rich life style was based on the sinking sand of constant borrowing and tricking of others.

Onan enjoyed the food served to him each and everyday, which was prepared by a cook.

Onan didn’t even make his own bed, because they had someone who did dusting, wiping, mopping, polishing, ironing and all sorts of things including making Onan’s bed.

But one day, his father died suddenly. It was so sad, but the worst thing was that, even before they buried Onan’s father the rather upset debt collectors and bailiffs came and took everything from them, including their house. Onan and his mum moved out with almost nothing.

Onan was rather shocked and ashamed with what had happened to them. “Oh, what are we going to do, mum? No cook, and… no money!” Onan cried. His mum said, “I’ve managed to hide one of my precious rings. Let’s sell it and live somewhere far away from here where nobody knows us!”

They travelled a long, long distance, as far as their tired legs could take them. Onan knew that he had to do something but didn’t know what to do, since he’d never done any work. One day as they were passing by a market to buy something to eat, they saw someone selling chopped wood. “Mum, I’ve got an idea!” Onan said with excitement.

“I could do that! That seems easy.” So they bought an axe for chopping wood, a goat for milk, a hen to give them some eggs and they bought some seeds to grow vegetables.

First, Onan chopped wood to build them a house. Chopping wood was hard work and his soft hands got sore but Onan didn’t mind. It took him a long time, but he managed to build a house, which was more like a poorly built wooden hut, but they were happy to have somewhere to live.

Wood cutting was hard work and his soft hands got sore, but Onan worked hard and managed to put up a shelter for them to live in. In the mean time, his mum dug the ground and planted the seed they’ve bought. Oh, how they missed their garden­boy, the cook and the cleaner….

Their goat gave plenty of milk and the hen didn’t miss laying eggs each day. Onan traded his wood with what they needed and he was proud that he could earn a living.

But as time went by, the wood cutting became harder. He couldn’t understand, why? “I’d better look for some softer woods!” Onan thought.

Then one day, in the distance, he saw a small wood­cutter, chopping away wood with ease. “Aha, that must be the softer wood I’ve been looking for!”

He waited patiently till the other wood­cutter had gone with the heap of chopped wood on his back. But… the wood over here was the same as the others, or… even harder to cut! “It can’t be… How come… maybe this mountain doesn’t like me anymore…” Onan was sad.

As he told the story to his mum, she suggested making an offering to the mountain gods. So they prayed to the mountain gods, but nothing happened. Then, they killed their precious hen as an offering but still nothing had changed.

“Maybe we need to sacrifice something more precious.” So they made a goat offering and waited, but instead things became worse. No hen for eggs, no goat for milk and no wood to sell…

They ate cabbages for days. Onan was hungry and he was angry with the mountain gods. “Those gods are all deaf and dumb!” They were mad and they were sad.

Then remembering someone saying about the true God in the market, Onan prayed to the God with neither hen nor goat to offer but sincerity in his heart.

That night he had dream of the small wood­cutter talking to God. As he woke up in the morning, he rushed into the woods to find the small wood­cutter.

By now, Onan knew well around the mountain and soon found the woodcutter at work. “Er… Excuse me!” Onan explained why he came to see him.

After listening to Onan, the small wood­cutter sharpened Onan’s axe and said, “Now, have a go!” Wow! The wood fell easily.

“You should sharpen your axe like this!” And he gave his sharpener to Onan.

How kind he is! Onan couldn’t believe his luck, and then he realized that his prayer was answered by God, called Yeshua.

Since then, Onan and his mum didn’t turn to any other gods but God alone from whom all the blessing came to them.

As they praised God, the Lord blessed them with health and wealth. They became rich again and were known as honourable people.

The Happy Wood­Cutter

I am the first and I am the last: Apart from Me, there is no God.

(Isaiah 44; 6)

Surely your Heavenly Father will give Good things to those who ask Him.

(Matthew 7;10)

The Happy Wood­Cutter

A journey of a spoiled rich boy facing

with the harsh reality of life after the

sudden death of his father.

A moving story of a changed heart

and attitude toward life and findings.

The Happy Woodcutter-word search

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WOOD CUTTER SEEMINGLY RICH SINKING SAND BURROWING BUT ONE DAY SUDDENLY DEBT COLLECTORS TOOK EVERYTHING ASHAMED CHOPPING I CAN DO IT HARD WORK DID NOT MIND SUGGESTION OFFERED A PRAYER

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Hey, please take us to the green grasses. If you make a line through the maze, we’ll follow.

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