The 4 Little Missionaries

This is a draft copy of a children's story. It is a parody of the 3 little pigs. It is meant to introduce the concept that Churches must be founded on scripture to last. Please read and offer your suggestions and feedback. Copyright 2005 Kurt A. Beard

------------ The 4 Little Missionaries------------ By Kurt A. Beard---------------
Once upon a time there was a Church who had four little missionaries.
The four missionaries grew so faithful that their church said to them, "You have great faith. You must go and build churches for God. But take care that the serpent does not catch you."

The four little missionaries set off. "We will take care that the serpent does not catch us," they said.
Soon they met a pastor who was preaching some experience. "Please will you show me some experiences?" asked the first little missionary. "I want to build a church for myself."
"Yes," said the pastor and the first little missionary learned the experience of faith.

Then the first little missionary built himself a church of experiences. He was very pleased with his church. He said, "Now the serpent won't catch me."
"I shall build a stronger church than yours," said the second little missionary.
"I shall build a stronger church than yours, too," said the third little missionary.
"I shall also build a stronger church than yours," said the fourth little missionary.

The other three missionary went on along the road. Soon they met a pastor who was teaching some tradition.
"Please will you teach me some tradition?" asked the second little missionary. "I want to build a church for myself."
"Yes," said the pastor and he taught the second little missionary some tradition.

Then the second little missionary built himself a church of tradition. It was stronger than the church of emotion.
The second little missionary was very pleased with his church. He said, "Now the serpent won't catch me."

"I shall build a stronger church than yours," said the third little missionary.
“I shall build a stronger church than yours, too,” said the fourth little missionary.

The third and fourth little missionaries walked on, along the road. Soon they met a pastor teaching some common sense.
"Please will you teach me some common sense?" asked the third little missionary. "I want to build a church for myself."
"Yes," said the pastor and he taught the third little missionary some common sense.

Then the third little missionary built himself a church of common sense. It was stronger than the church of tradition.
The third little missionary was very pleased with his church. He said, "Now the serpent won't catch me."
“I shall build a stronger church than yours,” said the fourth little missionary.

The fourth little missionaries walked on, along the road, by himself. Soon he met a pastor preaching some common sense.
"Please will you teach me scripture?" asked the third little missionary. "I want to build a church for myself."
"Yes," said the pastor and he taught the third little missionary some scripture.

Then the fourth little missionary built himself a church of common sense. It was stronger than the church of tradition.
It took him a long time to build it, for it was a very strong church.
The third little missionary was very pleased with his church. He said, "Now the serpent won't catch me."

The next day the serpent came along the road. He came to the church of experience which the first little missionary had built.
When the first little missionary saw the serpent coming, he ran inside his church and shut the door.
The serpent knocked on the door and said, "Little missionary, little missionary, let me come in."

The missionary said, "I will not let you come in for you, because you will eat me."
“Open, open! I will not eat you. Be not afraid. Very well,” said the serpent, “if you will not open the door, I will knock down your church.”
"No, no," said the little missionary. "Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin, I will not let you come in."
"Then I'll tempt and I'll lie and I'll knock your church in," said the serpent.
So he tempted and he lied and he tempted and he lied. The church of emotion fell down and the serpent carried off the first little missionary.

The next day the serpent slithered further along the road. He came to the church of tradition which the second little missionary had built.
When the second little missionary saw the serpent coming, he ran inside his church and shut the door.
The serpent knocked on the door and said, "Little missionary, little missionary, let me come in."

The missionary said, "I will not let you come in for you, because you will eat me."
“Open, open! I will not eat you. Be not afraid. Very well,” said the serpent, “if you will not open the door, I will knock down your church.”
"No, no," said the little missionary. "Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin, I will not let you come in."
"Then I'll tempt and I'll lie and I'll knock your church in," said the serpent.
So he tempted and he lied and he tempted and he lied. The church of tradition fell down and the serpent carried off the second little missionary.

The next day the serpent slithered further along the road. He came to the church of common sense which the third little missionary had built.
When the third little missionary saw the serpent coming, he ran inside his church and shut the door.
The serpent knocked on the door and said, "Little missionary, little missionary, let me come in."

The missionary said, "I will not let you come in for you, because you will eat me."
“Open, open! I will not eat you. Be not afraid. Very well,” said the serpent, “if you will not open the door, I will knock down your church.”
"No, no," said the little missionary. "Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin, I will not let you come in."
"Then I'll tempt and I'll lie and I'll knock your church in," said the serpent.
So he tempted and he lied and he tempted and he lied. The church of tradition fell down and the serpent carried off the third little missionary.

The next day the serpent slithered further along the road. He came to the church of scripture which the fourth little missionary had built.
When the third little missionary saw the serpent coming, he ran inside his church and shut the door.
The serpent knocked on the door and said, "Little missionary, little missionary, let me come in."

The missionary said, "I will not let you come in for you, because you will eat me."
“Open, open! I will not eat you. Be not afraid. Very well,” said the serpent, “if you will not open the door, I will knock down your church.”
“No, no," said the little missionary. “Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin, I will not let you come in."
“Then I'll tempt and I'll lie and I'll knock your church in," said the serpent.
So he tempted and he lied and he tempted and he lied. But the church of scripture did not fall down.

The serpent was very angry, but he pretended not to be. He thought, "This is a faithful little missionary. If I want to catch him I must pretend to be his friend."
So the serpent said, "Little missionary, if you will be ready at six o'clock in the morning, I will take you to Farmer Smith's field we shall take some nice turnips for breakfast."
But the fourth little missionary was a faithful little missionary. He knew that the serpent just wanted to catch him. He knew he shouldn’t lie.
So the next morning the fourth little missionary woke up early and had breakfast at home instead of going to Farmer Smith’s.
At six o'clock the serpent knocked on the little missionary's door. "Are you ready, little missionary?" he said.

"Oh! I have already eaten breakfast," said the little missionary. "I am full and do not need breakfast from farmer Smith’s field."
The serpent was very angry, but he pretended not to be.

Then the serpent said, "If you will be ready at five o'clock in the morning, I will take you to the community tree. We will pick some red apples."
"Very well," said the little missionary.
Next morning, the little missionary set off at four o'clock. He found the apple tree. He was up in the tree, picking apples, when the serpent came along.

The little missionary was very frightened, but he pretended not to be. He knew he should share the apples he was picking. He said, "These are fine apples, Mr. Serpent. I'll throw you one."
He threw down an apple, but it rolled away down the road. The serpent slithered after it.
Then the little missionary jumped down from the tree. He ran all the way home and shut his door quickly.

The serpent was very angry, but he still pretended not to be.
He went to the little missionary's church and knocked on the door. "Little missionary," he said, "if you will be ready at four o'clock this afternoon, I will take you to the fair. We will have some fun on the swings and roundabouts."
"Very well," said the little missionary.

At two o'clock the little missionary set off for the fair. He had great fun, riding on the swings and roundabouts.
Then he bought himself a butter churn. It looked like a big barrel.
As little missionary was going home he saw the serpent coming up the hill. Little missionary was very frightened, so he jumped inside his butter churn.

The butter churn began to roll over and over, down the hill. It rolled faster and faster. It knocked the serpent down. The serpent did not know what had knocked him down. He was so frightened that he ran away as quickly as he could.
Little missionary jumped out of his butter churn and carried it home.

The next day the serpent came and knocked on the little missionary's door.
He said, "Little missionary, I did not go to the fair yesterday. A great, big thing came rolling down the hill and knocked me over."
"Ha-ha!" said the little missionary. "That was me, inside my butter churn!"

When the serpent heard this he was very, very, very angry indeed.
He said, "Little missionary, I am going to catch. I am going to climb down your chimney to get you."
The little missionary was very frightened, but he said nothing. He put a big pot of water on the fire, to boil.

The serpent climbed on the steeple. Then he began to come down the chimney.
The little missionary took off the lid from the pot. Into the pot fell the serpent, with a big splash! And that was the end of the serpent.

The fourth little missionary was too righteous for him.