My Wonder Studio

“You're one of his wise men, aren't you? My orders are to put to death every wise man in Babylon.”

“Wait,” pleaded Daniel. “Why did the king make such a harsh decree?”

“Because he's fed up with the lot of you. He called you ‘a bunch of man pleasers, phony tricksters, and charlatans.’”

“Look, Arioch, my friends and I have barely begun our service as wise men, and we were not even in court this morning. So at least tell me what happened.”

“Well, the king had a dream last night that disturbed him deeply, and he called his most senior advisers to interpret it. The only problem was that he could not remember the dream. He promised them that if they could remember the dream for him and tell him what it means, then they would receive gifts and rewards and great honor. But if they couldn't, then they would be killed. That is how desperate the king is to know the meaning of the dream.”

“I see. So, what did the wise men tell him?”

“They insisted that there was not a man on earth who could do what the king asked. No king, however great and mighty, had ever asked such a thing of a magician, enchanter, or astrologer. They protested that what the king was asking was much too difficult, and that no one could reveal the dream to the king except the gods, and they do not live among men. This put the king into such a rage that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon—and I'm sorry, young Belteshazzar, that includes you.”

“Wait,” Daniel said again, as the guards came forward to take him. “Arioch, please allow me to speak to the king. I want him to know that the God whom I serve is able to show me his dream and to interpret it for him.”

“What good are wise men if they're not wise enough to tell me what I want to know?” said the king, slamming his wine goblet on the table. He was still fuming as Daniel was escorted in.

“Well, Arioch? Is it done?”

“Er ... n-not quite, O King. Here is one of the captives of Judah who says that he is able to tell the king what his dream means.”

“Verily? Is he sure?”

“Yes, O King,” said Daniel. “Give me time and I will tell you what you have dreamed.”

“Time? Why should I give you time? I have already asked all the magicians, enchanters, and astrologers, and they couldn't help me, so how can you?”

“O King, I have only just heard of this matter.”

The king, recognizing Daniel as being one of the four Hebrew boys that had so impressed him, relented a little.

“Very well then, Belteshazzar. You have until tomorrow at this hour. But not a single minute more.”

Daniel rushed back to his living quarters to tell Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego the king’s time limit.

“But Daniel,” said Meshach. “No man on earth can do what you have promised to do.”

“You’re right. No man can do it, but God can. We will ask Him to reveal this mystery to us. He must do it, otherwise tomorrow at this time we will be executed along with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.”

Then the four of them knelt and beseeched God.

Daniel had difficulty getting to sleep that night. He tossed to and fro, trying not to worry about when or if God would show him the dream. Even after managing to sleep, he kept waking up, trying to remember whether he had dreamed anything during his fitful slumber.

“Oh, God,” he finally prayed, “please help me to relax and trust that You know what You’re doing even if You don’t reveal the king’s dream.”

No sooner had Daniel surrendered himself to whatever the will of God might be, than he saw a vision glowing in the surrounding darkness. He gaped in wonder as the vision unfolded and its meaning became clear.

As the vision faded, Daniel shouted for joy and praised God for His unending faithfulness.

“I thank You, O God of my fathers, for having shown me the king's dream.”⁴

“So, what was it?” Nebuchadnezzar asked, as Daniel came before him early the next morning. “Remember, you need to tell me both the dream and the interpretation.”

“There is not a wise man, seer, enchanter, or magician on earth who is able to explain to the king this mystery,” Daniel answered. “However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has revealed this mystery to me, not because I am wiser than other men, but so that you, O King, may understand the meaning of your dream and know what will happen in days to come.”

King Nebuchadnezzar sat upright, his interest aroused. He was impressed by the authority and quiet assurance with which Daniel spoke.

“Do not miss writing even one word of what he says,” the king instructed his scribe.

“Go on,” he said to Daniel.

“You looked, O King, and there stood before you an enormous, dazzling statue. The head of the statue was made of pure gold; its chest and arms were made of silver; its belly and thighs of brass; its legs were made of iron; and its feet were made partly of iron and partly of clay.”

Nebuchadnezzar’s eyes widened. “Y-y-yes,” he stammered. “Yes, I remember. That was it exactly. But then something happened....”

“While you were watching,” Daniel continued, “a rock was cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands. The rock struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, smashing them, and the entire statue crumbled to pieces, becoming like chaff on a summer threshing floor. A wind then swept the chaff away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.”

Nebuchadnezzar sat speechless as Daniel continued, “That was the dream, and now I will tell you the interpretation that God gave me for the king.

“You, O King, are the king of all kings. The God of heaven has given you great power and might and glory. He has made you ruler of all the people, as well as of the beasts of the field and the birds of the air. Wherever they live, He has made you ruler of all. You are that head of gold.”

“Excellent! Excellent!” exclaimed the king. “Please tell me more.”

“After you, another kingdom will arise, represented by the breast and arms of silver, not as great a kingdom as yours, of course. After that, a third kingdom, one of brass, will rule over the whole earth. And finally, there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron. And just as iron breaks and smashes everything in pieces, so this kingdom will crush and break all others.”

“And what about the feet and the toes?” the king asked breathlessly, “and the rock?!”

“Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of clay and partly of iron, so this final kingdom will be a divided kingdom, partly strong and partly weak. The people of this kingdom will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay. And during the time of these kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed. And this kingdom will not be left to other people, but it will break in pieces and consume all these other kingdoms, and it will stand forever.

“That, O King, is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, not by human hands, the rock that broke the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold to pieces.”

The king stayed deep in thought as Daniel concluded. “God has shown the king what will take place in the future.”

As King Nebuchadnezzar pondered all that had been told him, Arioch, who well knew how unpredictable the king's reactions to things could be, held his breath. At last, the king rose from his throne and descended to where Daniel was standing. Then those present in the court gasped in astonishment as they watched the unthinkable happen. The great and mighty King Nebuchadnezzar, ruler of Babylon and the whole world, sank down to his knees before Daniel and lay prostrate before him on the floor.

“Surely your God is the God of gods, and the Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries,” said the great ruler, “for you were able to reveal this secret.”

King Nebuchadnezzar then announced, “You, O Belteshazzar, shall be the ruler of the entire province of Babylon and over all the wise men whose lives you saved today.”

Chapter 4

Trial by Fire!

The wise men's thankfulness to Daniel for saving them from the wrath of the king did not last long. It soon turned to bitter jealousy, especially when they heard that the king had also promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to important government positions at Daniel's request.

“It is unbelievable that the king would put this young foreigner over us,” murmured one of the older magicians. “We must get rid of him.”

“Easier said than done,” muttered an astrologer. “He's too powerful.”

“But,” whispered another, his eyes darting to make sure that no one could overhear their plotting, “if we can turn the king against Daniel's friends, we might be able to bring down Daniel as well.”

Their chance was soon to come.

One fine day, King Nebuchadnezzar burst into his royal throne room with a new idea.

“I'm going to have a giant image made!” he announced. “It will be something like the one I saw in my dream, only it will be all gold. I want it to be 27 meters high and 3 meters wide and set up on the plain of Dura for all to see.”

“And what would be the purpose of this great image, O King,” inquired Daniel, who was present in court.

“To worship it, of course.”

“Are there not enough gods already in Babylon?”

“Enough gods? How can we ever have enough gods? The more gods we have that can bless us, the better. Now summon my chief craftsmen. I want them to start work on this immediately.”

Daniel sighed, knowing the king had acknowledged the true God, but now, because of his pride, Nebuchadnezzar wanted this image of himself built to be worshipped.

And so, on the orders of the king, a great golden image was soon erected on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. When it was finished, the king invited princes, governors, captains, judges, treasurers, counselors, sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces to its grand opening ceremony and dedication. This included Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, but not Daniel, who could not attend because the king had sent him on other business that day.

When the crowd had finished assembling in front of the image, the king's herald stepped forward and proclaimed: “Hear the decree of the king. To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, that when you hear the cornet, flute, harp, trombone, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, you will fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has erected.”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were looking at each other with concern, but worse was to come.

The herald continued: “And whoever does not fall down and worship, will at that hour be thrown into a fiery furnace!”

“What shall we do?” whispered Meshach. “We cannot bow down and worship that abomination.”

“We could quietly leave and hope that nobody notices,” said Shadrach.

“No chance of that,” replied Abednego. “Look. The musicians are picking up their instruments.”

“O God,” Meshach implored, “we know that You will stand by us as we make this stand for You. Please use this situation for Your glory.”

Suddenly a blast of cornets, flutes, harps, trombones, psalteries, and other musical instruments rang out over the sandy plains of Dura. Not wishing to be fuel for the king's furnace, thousands of people fell to the ground and groveled before the great golden image. All, that is, except Meshach, Abednego, and Shadrach, who remained standing.

As the last notes of the music died away, the crowd of idolaters rose once again to their feet.

“Praise God,” whispered Shadrach, “because everybody else had their heads bowed to the ground, I don't think anyone noticed we were still standing.”

However, they were wrong.

“We've got them!” one of the magicians cackled, as the jealous advisers rushed back to the palace to report to the king about what they had seen.

“We couldn't have set a better trap for them if we had planned it ourselves,” said another. “The king will be furious to know that these Hebrews will worship only their god.”

“I can hardly wait to tell the king,” said another. “They're as good as dead.”

By the time Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego arrived back at the city, armed guards were waiting for them at the gate.

“The king is furious,” said Arioch, as they were marched towards the palace. “You're going to have to do some fast talking to get out of this one alive. And I'm afraid your friend Daniel isn't around to help you.”

“Well, it's going to take a miracle,” said Meshach, amazed at how courageous he was feeling. “But our God is a God of miracles, as you have already seen, Arioch.”

“True,” said Shadrach. “I believe that God allowed us to be brought here to Babylon for such an hour as this.”

“Even if it is His will that we die for our faith,” said Abednego, “it will be a testimony of our faith and commitment to God. Whether we live or die, God will be glorified.”

Now that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego found themselves in a situation where they might actually be martyred for their faith, they found that they were not afraid of dying. However, they felt that God had something else in mind, something special that He wanted to do with them this day. All three of them could feel the presence of the Lord right there with them; they even felt as if a fourth prisoner was walking alongside them.

As they came closer to the palace and the confrontation with the king, their faith grew stronger and their faces shone bolder and brighter, until by the time they were marched into the king's judgment hall, they felt no power on earth could stop them. King Nebuchadnezzar was still furious as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were brought before him.

“Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that in spite of all the favor I have bestowed upon you, you refuse to serve our gods and to bow down and worship my golden image?”

“It is definitely so, Your Magnificence,” said one of the wise men. “We saw them standing there with our own eyes. Even after hearing your commandment that anyone who does not fall down and worship the image will be thrown into the midst of a fiery furnace.”

The king brooded, trying to control his anger. He remembered how impressed he had been with the young Hebrews at their first meeting. They were intelligent and some of the most talented boys he had ever seen. He needed such leadership in Babylon.

“Listen,” he said. “I have shown respect for your God, so why can you not show some respect for ours? After all I have done for you, can you not do this for me? Where's your gratitude? If the next time you hear the musical instruments you fall down and worship the image which I have made, then very well. But if you still refuse to worship my image, then into the furnace you will go. Tell me, what God can save you from that?”

Meshach stepped forward, the power of God shining in his eyes. “King Nebuchadnezzar, we worship only the one, true God. Even if we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it and rescue us from your hand, O King.”

“That is true,” Shadrach and Abednego said. “But even if He doesn't rescue us, O King, we cannot serve your gods nor worship the golden image you have set up.”

Arioch winced. No one had ever stood up to Nebuchadnezzar and defied him to his face like this before. The king sat for a few moments in a state of shock, his face turning from red to crimson to purple before exploding in a roar.

“Bind them with ropes! Use the strongest men in my army. Heat the furnace seven times hotter than it has ever been heated before, then throw these men in immediately! And I want it done now, do you hear? NOW!”

Abednego cried out in pain as he landed on the furnace's brick floor, and cried out again as Shadrach landed on top of him, followed by Meshach. Shouts and screams could also be heard above the roar of the blazing inferno into which they had just been thrown. The fire was so hot and the flames so fierce that the soldiers could not get near the opening of the furnace to throw them in without themselves being engulfed in the fire. Then the three men realized…

“Look, we're in the furnace, but we're not getting burned!” Shadrach exclaimed over the crackle of the flames.

“This is incredible!” shouted Meshach. “We're in the middle of a white-hot fire, but we're not feeling the flames.”

“And … the ropes. They've fallen off,” said Abednego. “This is a miracle! Praise be to God!

“My dear faithful children,” a soothing voice said in the midst of the flames, and they realized that a fourth Person was with them in the flames, a person so pure, so lovely, so powerful, so radiant, so full of love, peace, and tenderness, that they knew that this was....

Nebuchadnezzar frantically called them to come out of the fire, and then declared: “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He has sent His angel and rescued His servants. They trusted in Him and were willing to give up their lives rather than worship any god except their own God. Therefore, I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will be destroyed and their houses made into dunghills, for no other God can save like this!”

Learn More About Daniel

You can read more about Daniel in the book of the Bible by the same name where he recorded other important events that took place in his life. Daniel not only served under King Nebuchadnezzar, but he also was alive during the short rule of Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson, Belshazzar. And after Babylon was conquered by the Medes and Persians, Daniel then served under Cyrus, the king of Medo-Persia.

In Daniel chapter six, you can find the story of Daniel’s miraculous protection from lions when the king of Medo-Persia had him sent to a den of lions for defying an order to not pray to any god other than himself for thirty days. In chapters seven and eight, two other dreams Daniel has about future world empires are recorded.

In Daniel chapter ten there is record of an intense battle fought in the spiritual realm when the Archangel Michael is sent to fight off a demon that tried to stop an important prophetic message from being delivered to Daniel.

Footnote:
⁴ Daniel 2:23, paraphrased

Downstairs he could hear the bolts to the front door being opened, then more voices, followed by the tramp of soldiers' feet, first in the front entrance, then on the stairs, and stopping outside his bedroom door.

“Oh, God, please protect us,” was all Daniel could pray before the door was kicked open and a Babylonian soldier peered in.

“He's in here,” the soldier yelled. Three more soldiers strode into his bedroom, followed by a burly sergeant, who ordered Daniel to get out of bed.

Seeing it was useless to resist, Daniel got out of bed and stood before the gaze of the Babylonian invaders.

I should be feeling scared, but I'm not. The God whom I love must be helping me, so why should I be afraid?

“Excuse me, sir,” Daniel said to one of the men, “but what do you want with us? We have done nothing wrong. Why do you break into our house before dawn?”

“On the orders of the great King Nebuchadnezzar II, King of Babylon and of the whole world.”

“He will rule only as long as the God of Israel allows him to,” Daniel said with a smile.

At this, one of the soldiers raised his hand to smite Daniel, but the sergeant stopped him.

“No. I like this boy. He has courage. Just the kind we're looking for. Take him.”

“Take him?” said Daniel's mother, who had pushed her way into the room. “Please! He is hardly more than a child!”

“I have my orders. You have five minutes to help your boy get ready. Make sure he has good sandals. It's a long march to Babylon, well over a thousand kilometers!”

As Daniel was hustled outside and marched down the Jerusalem streets, his mother’s parting words still rang in his ears. “My son, the Lord our God will always be with you. Keep His commandments and His ways that we have taught you. Pray always, my son. Remember to pray.”

Soon they came to a central square where the Babylonian army was assembling, ready for the long march back to Babylon. Daniel was led over to join the rest of the Hebrew captives.

“Take good care of this one,” said the sergeant as he handed Daniel over to the captain of the prison guards. “He's a nobleman's son.”

Suddenly Daniel heard familiar voices calling him, “Daniel! Daniel! Over here.”

“Hananiah? ... Mishael? ... Azariah? So they captured you too!”

“Ask if we can travel together,” said Hananiah.

“Can we?” Daniel asked the captain. “The four of us are old friends, you see.”

“Hmm … Well, all right then. I cannot see any harm in that. But if I catch you young fellows misbehaving, I'll put a rod to your backs, you hear?”

The captain of the prison guards need not have worried. The Hebrew children behaved on the journey better than most children he had ever seen. Despite the hardships of the long march, they behaved more like responsible young men, remaining a positive encouragement to their fellow prisoners.

“I wish our Babylon brats could be half as well-behaved as you boys have been,” the captain joked to them as they camped for the night near the end of their journey.

“They would be if they worshipped the same God,” said Daniel with a grin.

“If I were you, I’d watch your talk about your God,” said the captain, lowering his voice. “We too are a very religious people. In Babylon we worship many great gods, and your Hebrew God isn't one of them. So, if you want to stay out of trouble and keep your young heads fastened to your shoulders, I'd forget talking about your God. Besides, He didn't stop us from carrying away the treasures from the temple in Jerusalem, did He? And from carrying you away as slaves.”

So saying, the captain walked off into the dark to check on other prisoners.

For a moment, the four Hebrew children sat gazing into the campfire. Then Mishael muttered, “Why did God allow this to happen to us?”

“I don't know,” Daniel replied. “But you know what I was thinking? How do you think Joseph felt when he was carried away captive as a slave into Egypt? And how did Jochebed feel when her baby, Moses, was taken from their family to live in the Pharaoh's palace? It must have been so very hard for them. They had to have faith that God had not forsaken them. But now, when we think of Moses and Joseph, what is the main thing we think of? We think of how God used them. Even though the tests were great, it was worth it, because God did so many mighty works through them.”

“That's right,” said Mishael, “We don’t see it now, but it could be that the Lord has something in store for us.”

“I believe it,” said Azariah.

“Me too,” said Hananiah.

“Even though the way seems dark right now, Lord,” Daniel prayed, “we trust that You are here beside us, leading us every step of the way. As You inspired King David to express 400 years ago, ‘When my father and my mother cannot be with me, then the Lord will take care of me.’¹ We're Your children, Lord, and we know that You will be with us, and that You are always ready to help us during times of trouble.² Protect us from the men of Babylon, the influences of their false religions and ways. Help us to be true to Your ways no matter how we may have to suffer for it. Help us to be as shining lights in the midst of this dark and foreign land.”

The four boys then sang the twenty-third Psalm together, with some of the other captives joining in. After this, with their spirits comforted, they curled up beside the glowing campfire and drifted into sleep.

There it was. Babylon! The first sight of the huge city took young Daniel's breath away. Its double walls seemed to dwarf the surrounding countryside. As the prisoners were herded through the main gate and into the actual city, Daniel was overwhelmed by the size and magnificence of the buildings and temples, many of which were still under construction. The walls were inlaid with colored bricks, as well as with the faces of dragons, lions, and bulls. The top of the wall was so wide that chariots with full teams of horses could race each other along the top.

“As you can see,” said one of the Babylonian guards, “our great King Nebuchadnezzar has as many ideas for building projects as a dog has fleas. For instance, that great golden temple up ahead is being built for Marduk, the god who first built our city. And over there, to the northwest of the royal palace, are the Hanging Gardens. The king was concerned that one of his foreign wives might be missing the scenery of her home country, so he's having this made for her as a little surprise. Thousands of slaves have been working on the building of that one. As you can see, there's plenty of work for you to do here in Babylon!”

Daniel and his three friends looked with pity at the vast teams of foreign slaves toiling under the sweltering sun. Like them, these men had been captured by the Babylonians during their conquests and brought to Babylon to help make the city into the greatest ever built by man.

After marching a couple of kilometers into the city, they reached a detention center where the prisoners were to be held while waiting to be divided and sent to their work assignments.

“What do you think they'll do with us?” asked Azariah, wondering if he'd be strong enough to carry huge stones to the top of the Hanging Gardens.

“I don't know,” Daniel replied, “but I do know that God is with us, and that we have …”

“Hey! You four boys are to follow me,” the captain of the guard suddenly ordered.

“Where are you taking us?” Daniel asked.

“You'll see.”

It looked as if they were heading for the construction site of the Hanging Gardens, but to their surprise they were directed to the beautiful arched boulevard leading directly to the king's palace.

“It looks like your God is with you after all,” said the captain, as he left them at the main gate.

The palace guards then escorted the boys into one of the outer buildings of the palace complex and brought them before a finely dressed Babylonian officer.

“Greetings,” he said, in a high-pitched voice. “I am Ashpenaz, master of the king's eunuchs. King Nebuchadnezzar has decreed that any captives of the children of Israel who are of noble birth should be considered for training for positions in the king's court. However, only the cleverest and strongest can pass our tests. Please sit at these tables. The examinations will begin immediately.”

Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah took their seats and were given parchments and writing instruments. They wondered at the nature of the test questions and what would be the consequences should they fail.

“Well, dear friends,” whispered Daniel, “we can only do our best, and then God will have to do the rest.”

The grueling examinations went on for days. Not only were they tested scholastically, but their physical and mental health were also examined. Some of the questions were easy and some were difficult. However, as they asked God to give the right answers, they could feel His wisdom leading them.

At the end of the examinations, they anxiously awaited Ashpenaz’ announcement of the results.

“Well, boys, I have to admit, those responsible for training you have done a wonderful job. You have all made excellent grades!”

“God be praised!” said Daniel and his friends.

“However,” continued Ashpenaz, “these tests are only the beginning. Now you will be given three years of special training. During this time, you will learn our Babylonian language and literature while you study under our wise men. And of course, you will also be instructed in the ways of our religion. After that, the king himself will choose those whom he feels are best qualified to be in his court.”

Ashpenaz then showed them to a comfortable dormitory which they would be sharing with some of the Babylonian boys who had also been chosen for the training program. He also introduced them to Melzar, a court official who would be directly responsible for their care.

“Oh, one more thing,” Ashpenaz announced before leaving. “To help you feel more at home in Babylon, I have given you each a Babylonian name. Hananiah, you shall be called Shadrach; Mishael will be called Meshach; Azariah will be called Abednego; and you, Daniel, will be named Belteshazzar.”

From now on in this story, the four boys will be referred to by the names we are most familiar with: Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. However, Daniel will occasionally be called Belteshazzar when he is addressed by the Babylonians.

That night, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego gathered at one end of the dormitory and sang psalms and, in spite of a few Babylonian boys snickering at them, thanked God for already working on their behalf.

Before sleep, Daniel knelt before the open window to pray. Above the silhouettes of strange heathen temples, the moon shone serene, the same moon that he loved to gaze at as he knelt before his bedroom window in Jerusalem.

He thought about his parents and how much he missed them. He prayed that they were not overly worried about him, and that the Lord would help him not to think about his parents too much, but to trust the Lord to comfort their hearts about his being taken from them.

If they only knew the amazing things that God is doing for us, he thought.

How often he had remembered his mother's parting words to him, “My son, the Lord our God will always be with you!” And how true it was. Even though he was now far away from home in a strange and pagan land, he could feel the Lord as close to him as ever.

“O God,” Daniel prayed, “thank You for helping us make it this far. Help us pass the tests that lie ahead and stay faithful to You.”

Chapter 2

The Great Food Test

When Daniel and his three friends entered the dining hall the next morning, in front of them lay a lavish spread of expensive foods and delicious sweets and dainties. They had never seen so much food at one time on one table, and this was only breakfast.

“You may eat all you want,” said Melzar, gesturing towards the table. “Compliments of the king himself. He has ordered that from now on you should all be fed with food from his very own table.”

The rest of the youths who were part of the training program ran to their places and began to dig in. At first, they were too busy eating to notice that the four Hebrew boys were sitting in their places with their heads bowed.

“What do you think?” Daniel asked after they had finished praying for guidance in this situation.

“Well, I am hungry, and the food looks tempting,” said Meshach. “But if we eat these Babylonian foods, we'll be breaking the commandments that God gave us through Moses.”

“I agree,” said Shadrach. “If we eat everything the Babylonians eat and do everything the Babylonians do, it will not be long before we'll be Babylonians. We committed ourselves to live by the laws of our God, so we should obey and do so no matter what the cost.”

“Yes,” said Abednego, “if we stand by God, He will surely stand by us.”

Just then Melzar, having noticed that the boys were not eating, came over to inquire.

“Is something wrong? Are you not hungry? Eat up, before all the finest dainties are gone. Here, why don't you try these oysters stewed in pig's blood? Delightful! They were sanctified by our great god Marduk only this morning....”

“Excuse me, sir,” said Daniel, “but could we have a word in private?”

Melzar agreed, and Daniel, Shadrach, and Melzar walked together to the other side of the dining hall.

“What?” said Melzar, after Daniel had explained their request. “No one has ever even dreamed of doing such a thing. Come with me, Daniel. I will take you to see Ashpenaz.”

Ashpenaz especially liked Daniel. For years he had overseen the training of many young men, but none had behaved as well as Daniel and his three Hebrew friends.

After some time of retraining, they will make excellent Babylonians, he had been pondering when Melzar and Daniel were shown in.

“Ah, Belteshazzar,” he said, “I was just thinking of you. Tell me, are you excited about your upcoming studies? Do you and your friends have everything you need?”

“Oh yes indeed, sir. Thank you for how kind you have been to us. You have given us the best of everything, and now even food from the king's table. However, our Hebrew laws forbid us to eat these kinds of foods. So … we hope that you won't be offended if we ask you to just serve us plain food and water.”

Ashpenaz fell into thoughtful silence. He could not help but admire the young Hebrew's conviction. If Daniel's religion had anything to do with what a fine person he had grown up to be, then there must be something good about it, even if some of its rules did seem odd to a Babylonian.

“Belteshazzar,” Ashpenaz said after a while, “I would be happy to grant your request if I could. But what will happen when King Nebuchadnezzar sees that you four boys don't look as strong and healthy as the rest of the students and discovers that I’ve disobeyed his royal command? I'd lose my head, and you wouldn't want that to happen, would you? So, I'm sure that your God won't mind if you concede a little. Now please go back and try eating the king's food for a few days. Perchance you'll soon develop a taste for it.”

Daniel returned with Melzar to the dining hall and sat down beside Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who were still sitting in front of their empty plates. Some of the other boys were taunting them. “What's wrong with the king's food? Is it not good enough for you? What kind of god do you serve that won't let you eat from a king's table?”

These Babylonian boys knew that they were competing with Daniel and his friends for a position in the king's court. They were already jealous of them and took every opportunity to belittle them. However, Daniel and his friends pitied the Babylonian boys and prayed for them. They knew that the godly way in which they had been raised in Jerusalem was better than the idol worship that these boys had been raised with in Babylon.

Then an idea flashed into Daniel's mind that would solve their diet problem, and at the same time, it would be a witness to these heathen boys of the power of the one true God.

The room fell silent as Daniel stood up.

“Melzar, I propose a test. My friends and I will eat and drink nothing but grains, pulses, and water for ten days. At the end of that time, you yourself can be the judge of who looks healthier—us or these other young men. If we appear healthier, then let us eat our own food. But if they are healthier than us, then we will eat yours.”

Melzar consented, happy for a solution that would put an end to the matter.

“So let the trial begin,” he announced.

From day one of the ten-day trial period, Melzar carefully watched the four Hebrew boys to see any signs of their health weakening.

No one can keep up with our rigorous schedule of study and exercise on a diet of grains, pulses, and water, he thought. Those poor boys and even their God are going to be put to shame.

However, to his astonishment, instead of getting weaker, the four boys looked stronger by the day. Not only did they look stronger, they were stronger. They could run faster, jump higher, throw further, and after engaging in such sports they still had plenty of energy, while the others were huffing and puffing for breath. They were still alert during the evening study classes, while the other boys were having trouble staying awake.

Not only that, but some of the Babylonian boys were starting to report sick with stomachaches and other ailments. Others began to look pudgy and white-faced, and some had begun to complain of toothaches.

By the end of the ten days there was no question as to who were the winners. It was easy to see that it was the four Hebrew boys with the bright eyes, cheery smiles, and rosy cheeks!

The great city of Babylon had everything that the world could offer. There was every type of worldly vice and pleasure. The four boys regarded such challenges as an opportunity to stand up for their beliefs and be loyal to their God. Often, during times of temptation, memorized scripture would come to their minds. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path”³ was one of their favorite scriptures.

The scriptures that they could remember by heart, they wrote onto parchments, and read together from them as often as they could. They also prayed together three times a day. And as they were faithful to obey the guidance God gave them, then He was faithful to uphold and protect their hearts and spirits from negative influences. God gave them guidance by speaking to them directly through visions and dreams that Daniel explained due to his having a gift to interpret them.

And so, the three years of testing and training passed, and Ashpenaz announced that they should get dressed in their finest robes. The time had come for them to be presented before the king.

Naturally, they all felt nervous as they waited for their turn to be summoned into the great throne room. Shadrach even felt as though his mind had gone blank.

“I feel like everything I've learned has been erased,” he said.

“Let us not fear,” said Daniel. “If it’s God's plan for us to be in the court and we can influence the king with the ways of the true God, then God Himself will give us wisdom and courage, just as He has done these past years. And I’m sure our parents have continued to pray for us, as we have for them.”

“Belteshazzar! Shadrach! Meshach! Abednego!” the king's herald announced. “King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon and of all the world, summons you this day to stand before him.”

With a whispered prayer, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped into the great throne room, the largest and most lavishly decorated room the boys had ever seen. Colossal pillars of white marble supported a giant golden roof covered with intricate carvings of ivory and silver.

Along the walls hung magnificent woven tapestries depicting exploits of past Babylonian kings and conquests. On the far side of the room, covered with precious jewels and stones, was the king's throne. It was raised on a golden platform, and on both sides stood ivory idols of Babylonian gods. They seemed to glare down at the four Hebrew boys as if to say, “This kingdom is ours. How dare you intrude upon it.”

Here and there, muttering together, stood groups of colorfully dressed magicians, seers, astrologers, and holy men. These were the king's “wise men,” whom he kept on hand as advisers or to perform enchantments.

As Ashpenaz led the four children of Israel up the long, red velvet carpet towards the king's throne, the whispering ceased, as the wise men stared curiously at the young Hebrews.

“GET OUT,” Nebuchadnezzar suddenly shouted at his wise men. “I wish to talk to these young men alone.”

The wise men scurried out, knowing how unpredictable and dangerous the king's temper could be.

“Wise men? Pah! Every king should have good advisers, and I've been cursed with a crew of crackpots and man pleasers, full of meaningless proverbs and cheap conjurers' tricks. Ashpenaz, I've been counting on your training program to raise up new blood.”

“I trust that you will not be disappointed, O King. These four Hebrew boys are the last ones left for you to interview.”

“Very well, let them approach.”

Normally, the fearful experience for anyone standing in the presence of the king of Babylon was accompanied by their much bowing and trembling. However, as Ashpenaz watched the king commune with the four boys, he was impressed at how natural they seemed. Rather than showing fear of the king, they were outgoing towards him, showing interest in him and sympathy for his heavy responsibilities.

As the four boys answered the king’s questions, Ashpenaz oftentimes could overhear the king exclaiming, “Really? I never knew that!” or, “Why has nobody else ever told me such?” or “Great thunderbolts! You're right.”

After an hour or so of lively and deep discussion, the king was ready to make his decision.

“I have chosen these four—Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—to serve as my advisers. You are to be commended, Ashpenaz, for your excellent training program.”

“There is none to equal them, O King.”

Then the king's wise men were ushered back in, and the king announced that from now on these four young men would be serving with them.

“But wisdom comes with age, O King,” the chief magician tried to advise him. “These youths are hardly more than mere striplings.”

“I care not about their age,” said the king. “In all matters of wisdom and understanding, I have found them ten times superior to all of YOU.”

(To be continued.)

Footnotes:
¹ Psalm 27:10, paraphrased
² See Psalm 46:1.
³ Psalm 119:105

“Earl!” Kento’s mother called from down the stairs. “Your father just called. He’s coming by in five minutes to pick you up for dinner. And, Kento, we’re eating in ten minutes, so you might want to start cleaning up.”

“Looks as though that’s all I’ll be doing for today,” said Earl.

“Thank you for dropping by,” said Kento. “See you at school tomorrow,”

Earl carefully packed four of the finished planes in a shoebox and put it in his backpack. “See you tomorrow,” he said.

By the time Earl got downstairs, he could see his father’s car parked out in front of the house. It was raining, and Earl held his backpack over his head to shield himself. He jumped into the backseat, and as his father pulled out into the street, Earl overheard the newscaster on the car radio.

“Winds are not expected to die down anytime soon, and they may bring snow, with temperatures expected to drop below freezing tonight. Watch for ice patches on the roads and drive carefully. …”

The drive back to his house took only a few minutes, and if it hadn’t been for the rain and wind, Earl could have easily walked or run the distance, but now he was grateful for the warm car, especially as it started hailing just as they pulled onto Claremont Street where their house was.

As they drove up the driveway, Earl could hear Frisky barking excitedly inside. Seconds later, the door opened, and Frisky came bounding out toward him. He wasn’t about to start petting Frisky in the hail, so he merely gave the dog a pat and dashed into the house. His father ran in and closed the door.

“Wait,” said Earl. “Frisky is still out there!”

“Sorry, I didn’t see him.”

Earl opened the door and looked through the pounding hail, Frisky was nowhere to be seen.

“Where did he go? He was just out there!”

“Don’t worry, Earl. Frisky will be fine. Maybe he just wanted to get some fresh air. He’ll be back.”

Earl looked glum. It didn’t feel right for Frisky to be out there alone, especially with the hail coming down so heavily. But his father was right—Frisky liked to eat as much as Earl did, and if nothing else, hunger would bring the dog back.

Gaining some comfort from that thought, Earl joined his family at the dinner table, and a few hours later, he was in bed, praying that Frisky would be safe and that he would make his way home before the morning.

Frisky stood by the side of the road, huffing and puffing. It had been a long scamper from his home on Claremont Street to the farthest edge of Pine Ridge Forest. Now he peered into the looming dark maze of pines, bushes, and outcroppings of rock.

Frisky had come to Pine Ridge Forest a few times with his old master, Colin, and then with the Five Squad on their unexpected kidnap rescue mission last spring. Nevertheless, this part of the forest was unfamiliar, and the untamed surroundings made finding his way around no easier. The hail had now stopped, and thick flakes of snow were beginning to fall, but the snow covered scents; and there was also the darkness, which made it even more difficult to recognize familiar landmarks.

Yet there was a reason he had come here. Something had woken him from his early-evening doze and had caused him to run without stopping until he came to this place. Now he stood still and listened, trying to fathom what he was doing so far away from his warm home and waiting dinner.

Frisky suddenly cocked his ears. He had heard a very close and familiar whisper.

He barked. Not that he was afraid; he only wanted to give a signal to whoever might be nearby. Even with his finely honed canine senses, he was unable to detect anyone.

“Psst! Frisky!”

This time, Frisky recognized the voice, and saw the form of the person to which it belonged. It was the voice of his beloved former master, Colin.

Frisky bounded over, joyfully barking and wagging his tail.

“Hey, boy, how are you doing?” Colin asked, bending down so that he was face to face with his faithful companion of times past. The man looked a good twenty years younger than he had in his final days of life.

Frisky let out another joyous bark. To him there was nothing strange about this meeting, even though Colin had passed away more than a year earlier.

“It’s good to see you too. I’ve missed you,” Colin said. “But we don’t have a lot of time. This snow is going to be whipped into a blizzard soon. Come, follow me.”

With that, Colin took off running through the trees; straight through low limbs and intertwining branches as if they weren’t there, and Frisky sped after him through the underbrush, never stopping to wonder what his master might be doing here, where they were going, or what for.

“What’s up?” Kento asked the next morning as Earl entered the schoolyard.

“It’s Frisky. He ran out last night and hasn’t come back since.”

“That’s strange. Has he ever done that before?”

“No.”

“Well, at least it’s stopped snowing. I’m sure he’ll be okay. Frisky’s a clever dog, he can take care of himself. Do you want to come over after school and finish those airplanes?”

Just then Susan walked up. “Hello! How’s everything? Listen, what would you think about meeting at the Lodge this afternoon after school? It isn’t raining or snowing anymore, and I heard Chris has a new game we can play.”

Earl shrugged sullenly.

“What’s the matter?” Susan asked him, and Kento explained Frisky’s disappearance. The school bell interrupted their conversation, and they agreed to meet at the Lodge.

“Maybe we can think of something to do about finding him,” said Susan, “if he isn’t back by then.”

Earl gave her a hopeful smile, and the three went to their classrooms.

Frisky stirred lazily as the morning sun’s first glimmers warmed his face. Opening his eyes, it took him a moment to recollect where he was and how he had gotten here, tucked under a rock. In front of him was nothing but trees and undergrowth covered with a thick fresh layer of snow from the night’s blizzard.

A squirrel darted out from behind some trees and scampered into a snow-covered clearing. It stopped and stared at Frisky, then disappeared up a tree.

A bird chirped overhead, and Frisky felt something stir beside him.

He rolled over to see who he had spent the night beside—a chubby little boy, about two years old, with curly blond hair tangled with twigs and dirt. Frisky had no idea who he was, where he had come from, or what he was doing alone in the middle of the forest. He only knew that Colin had led him to the boy and that he was meant to stay with him.

The boy stirred and turned; sticks and leaves stuck to his knitted sweater as they did to his hair.

“Momma,” he whimpered.

Frisky stood up and shook himself, then he lay back down next to the little boy to keep him warm.

“Psst! Frisky!”

It was Colin again. “Hello, boy,” he whispered. “How’s everything?”

Frisky responded with an excited bark.

“My dear Frisky, still ever faithful and obedient! I knew I could count on you. Thank you for watching over little Alessandro and keeping him warm last night. He should be fine now, but we have something else to do. Come.”

Frisky jumped up and looked back with concern at the boy.

“He’ll be fine,” said Colin. “Jesus is watching him, and the sun is rising and will keep him warm. He needed you there during the night to keep him warm. We’ll be coming back for him. Let’s go.”

Then, just as he had the night before, Colin dashed into the forest without having to brush a branch from his face. Frisky hesitated, and then took off after his master.

A few minutes later, Frisky came to a paved road leading through the forest. Off to its side down an embankment sat a car. It had careered off the road and smashed into an oak tree.

The door to the driver’s seat had swung open, its window shattered, and Frisky could see the driver unconscious in his seat, his blood-spattered head slumped to one side. The man showed no other obvious signs of injury.

Frisky looked around for Colin, but he was nowhere to be seen. Still, he knew that this was where Colin had led him and that he was meant to help the driver in some way.

He padded around the car and seeing the back passenger door was open on the other side, Frisky noticed a child’s seat in the back and several toys scattered around. Frisky sniffed and his keen nose recognized that little Alessandro had come from there.

Frisky barked, hoping to awaken the man, but he remained motionless. He then tried to jump up on him and perhaps get his attention by pawing him, but there was still no response—the man remained unconscious. However, as a result of Frisky’s activity, something fell out of the man’s jacket pocket. It was a mobile phone.

While Frisky was unaware of what it was, he did know that humans used them to speak into and hold conversations with. He stared at it for a few moments and resumed nudging the unconscious man. Then he heard a buzz and saw the cell phone vibrating on the floor between the seats where it had fallen.

“Push the flashing button, Frisky,” he heard Colin say, though he could not see him.

Frisky looked at the vibrating piece of plastic with some hesitation. Nevertheless, he rested a paw on the phone, hopefully over the flashing button.

“Hello? Hello?”

Frisky’s ears pricked up at a woman’s tinny voice speaking through the tiny speaker, and with his paw, tried to scoot the cell phone closer to the man.

“Marco? Is that you? Hello? Where in the world are you, Marco? Hello?”

“Woof! Woof!” Frisky barked back.

The woman’s voice went quiet, then Frisky heard a thud through the speaker. She had put her phone down.

“Wait!” Frisky could hear another distant voice saying. “Did someone answer?”

“I don’t know … it stopped ringing, then I heard a dog barking.”

“So the signal is getting through?”

“I suppose,” the woman answered.

After some crackles and thuds in the speaker, a man’s voice sounded.

“Hello! Is anybody there? Is anybody hearing this? Please answer.”

“Woof! Woof!” Frisky barked back.

“Did your husband happen to be traveling with a dog?” Frisky heard the man ask.

“No … we don’t have a dog.”

“Well, somebody does, and that somebody has your husband’s cell phone. Now that it’s been picked up, the phone company should be able to triangulate the signal for us. Harry, get ahold of CellCom and tell them we have a signal! Hold tight, Mrs. Bentoni, we should soon have a location.”

What followed sounded like the woman sobbing.

That afternoon when the Squad gathered in the Lodge, Frisky’s disappearance was the first topic of their conversation.

“That’s funny,” Karen said once Earl had recounted all that he knew. “I had a dream about Frisky last night. I rarely remember my dreams, but this one was so vivid, and so … friendly. Colin was in it too. He looked much younger than he did when I visited him with you, but I knew it was him from the way he and Frisky were playing together in this garden. It was such a nice dream, and I woke up feeling all warm.”

“Oh no!” said Earl. “What if your dream means that Frisky has died and is now in heaven with Colin?”

“N-no. That’s not the feeling I got from the dream at all. I believe that, wherever Frisky went, he’s fine, and that maybe Colin is looking after him.”

“Do you think he’ll come back?” Earl asked.

“I’m sure he will,” said Christopher. “Maybe he just needed some time to get out and run. With that rain, he’s probably been in the house almost all week, hasn’t he?”

“He has, now that you mention it.”

“See, he’s probably just stretching his legs for a bit,” said Kento. “A very big bit!”

Earl smiled. “I just hope he found a warm place to spend the night,” he said. “It was freezing last night. This morning the little pond in our garden was completely frozen over.”

“But the goldfish were still swimming underneath, weren’t they?” said Kento. “I’m sure Frisky survived as well, wherever he is.”

“I suppose you’re right,” said Earl.

The atmosphere being a little gloomy, Christopher suggested they play his new game. Susan suggested they pray for Frisky first, and so they did, asking Jesus to watch over Frisky and help him to return home by dinnertime.

“Or else, Lord, please give us some sign of where he is and that he’s all right,” Karen added, and the others agreed.

“So what’s the game?” Kento asked.

“It’s a board game my mother picked up during an after-Christmas sale,” said Christopher, and while Susan, Karen, Kento, and Earl examined the contents of the box, he explained the rules,

Midway through the game, Christopher’s mother brought a snack and hot chocolate. By the time they had finished their snack and the game—which Kento had won—it was dark outside. Kento, Karen, and Earl decided to start out for their homes.

“See you all tomorrow,” Christopher said, and he and Susan began packing up the game.

“Do you think Earl will be all right?” Susan asked, once the three had left. “What if Frisky’s still not back when Earl gets home?”

Christopher shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe we can design and photocopy some ‘missing dog’ pamphlets and post them around town.”

Sitting in his bedroom, Earl stared disconsolately at the floor. The four finished paper airplanes had the place of honor on top of his bookshelf, but he didn’t feel like playing with them. It was past dinnertime and there was still no sign of Frisky, and he was beginning to think that something serious had happened; perhaps he would never see Frisky again.

“Telephone for you, Earl!” his mother called.

News of Frisky? Earl wondered as he bolted down the stairs.

“It’s Karen,” his mother whispered, handing him the cell phone.

“Yes? Earl here.”

“Earl! Are you watching this?”

“Watching what?”

“The news—Channel Two. Quick! I think it’s Frisky…!”

Earl hung up, dashed into the living room, and grabbed the TV remote.

“…joyful reunion at the Bentoni house. In what Isabella Bentoni describes as a miracle, her two-year-old son was found unharmed after spending a night in the freezing wilderness of Pine Ridge Forest.”

“What are you watching?” Earl’s mother asked, walking in from the kitchen.

“I think it has something to do with Frisky!”

The woman newscaster continued. “Marco Bentoni was driving back home with his two-year-old son, Alessandro, when his car hit a patch of ice and slid off the deserted road, crashing into a tree. Marco Bentoni was knocked unconscious. Little Alessandro, who was secured in a child-safety seat in the back of the car, was unhurt, but managed to undo the buckles and crawl from the car.

“While Mrs. Bentoni called in missing person reports, the blizzard-like conditions made a search-and-rescue mission impossible, and little Alessandro would spend the next ten hours alone in the freezing Pine Ridge wilderness before being discovered by police the next morning.

“And here is where the tale gets remarkable. Mrs. Bentoni, will you tell us what happened?”

“I had tried phoning Marco several times but was unable to get through. I kept hoping for the best, though I feared the worst. Finally, one of my calls was answered, but all I heard was a dog barking into the phone.”

“A dog? So, then what happened?”

“Well, the police were able to use the signal from the phone to pinpoint its location, which led us to the scene of the crash. We found Marco still unconscious, but alive. He had suffered a concussion, as well as a few broken ribs and a fractured leg, but the doctors say he is in good condition and should recover soon. There was no sign of little Alessandro, however. His seat was empty, and the blizzard had obliterated any footprints. All we saw around the car were a dog’s paw prints.

“I feared perhaps they were those of a wolf at first, but one of the policemen owned a golden retriever and said these reminded him of his own dog’s prints. And then we saw him.”

The camera now focused on a dog lying contentedly at Mrs. Bentoni’s feet and a little boy stroking him.

“Frisky!” Earl shouted.

“You’re right!” his mother exclaimed.

Mrs. Bentoni continued speaking: “He was standing a few feet away from the car, barking to get our attention. It was like something out of a Lassie movie. I just knew this dog would lead us to my little boy. So while the police called a paramedic unit to take care of Marco, two of us followed this dog, and wouldn’t you know it—he led us right to little Alessandro! I have no idea how Alessandro got himself out of that child restraint seat; that in itself is amazing.”

“And you have no idea where this dog came from?” the newscaster asked.

“No idea. When we checked his tag, we discovered that his owner lived in Sheldon but had passed away more than a year ago…”

As Earl continued watching, his mother picked up the cell phone.

“Hello. KNTV News? Yes, this is Candice Lomack. I’m phoning about your Bentoni report. That dog belongs to my son. …”

As the car pulled up to the Bentoni house, Earl could already hear Frisky barking from inside, and no sooner had he and his father stepped out of the car than the front door opened and Frisky bounded out. While Earl showered Frisky with pats of affection and Frisky wagged his tail, his father approached a kind-looking woman who was standing on the doorstep with a small child hiding behind her skirt.

“Mrs. Bentoni?”

The woman nodded and smiled.

“My name is Oscar Lomack—Earl’s father.”

“Call me Isabella, and please, come in.”

“Thank you. And thank you for seeing us on such short notice. I must confess, I was hardly able to get my son to bed last night after he saw Frisky on the news.”

“It is I who should be thanking you, Mr. Lomack. If it wasn’t for your dog, we wouldn’t have found Marco, and my child might have frozen out there last night. I … I just don’t know what to say.”

Tears came to the woman’s eyes. “If … if there’s ever anything we can do for you.”

“That’s very kind, but I had very little to do with it. We’re just glad to find Frisky safe, and even more so to know that he was a help in this very special way.”

Isabella looked a little surprised and wiped her eyes. “You … you say your dog is named Frisky?”

“Yes. Why?”

“Did you happen to be missing two dogs?”

“No. Just Frisky. He ran off the night before last, and we had no idea why or where he had gone until we saw the newscast about your husband’s accident.”

“That’s funny. Ever since Alessandro has been home, whenever he speaks of that night, he’s been saying ‘Fisky and Colin.’ How could he have known the dogs’ names?”

“Umm, I don’t know what you think about such things, Mrs. Bentoni, but Colin is… was…”

“Oh dear, Mr. Lomack … I haven’t even offered you anything. Coffee?”

Oscar smiled. “I never say no to coffee.”

Meanwhile, little Alessandro had run out to join Earl.

“Me play with Fisky,” he said, and Earl explained to him that the dog was called ‘Frisky.’

“Fisky,” Alessandro replied, stroking the dog’s nose. “Fisky and Colin help Alessandro.”

“Colin? Did … did you see Colin?” Earl asked, and Alessandro toddled off after a red ball that Frisky had dug out of a pile of snow.

“How’s Frisky doing, son?” Oscar asked.

“Good … er, Dad … Alessandro has been talking about Colin. I think he may have seen him.”

“Colin?” Isabella asked. “Colin is not a dog?”

“No. He was an old man who lived a few houses down from one of Earl’s friends.”

“He had an amazing Japanese type of garden with a huge sequoia tree,” said Earl.

“Oh … you mean Mr. Hedgcomb, the old recluse who passed away last year?”

“Yes. He always wanted us children to call him Colin.”

“You mean to say our little Alessandro saw a dead man?” Isabella asked.

“I don’t know what you think of such phenomena, Mrs. Bentoni,” Oscar replied. “But I believe ‘saint’ might be the word you’re looking for. Mr. Hedgcomb was an old saint of a man—a missionary in his younger years and was a good friend of the children. He was Frisky’s former master, which probably accounts for the dog’s gentle and caring manner, especially when around young children. I have no doubt that God has some special purpose in sparing your husband and child in this miraculous way.”

A few weeks later, a letter arrived in the Lomack mailbox, which Oscar read to his family as they sat around the dinner table.