SAMMY was a little African boy. Some of the tribes nearby were very fierce; they were head-hunters, and often ate some of their victims. At nights little Sammy would shiver in his hut as he heard stories of their evil deeds.
It was a custom among these headhunters that when a boy grew to young manhood and wished to be married, he was first expected to kill and eat a man. So whenever a young man was about to be married, the people of Sammy’s village would tremble for fear of being killed.
The missionaries had a station nearby and Sammy eagerly attended the mission school. There he learned that Jesus, the Son of God, the Creator of all things, loved him and that He had once come to this earth and died on the cross for sinners such as he. Sammy loved to learn and to sing about Jesus, the Friend of little children.
One day Sammy had to go to market. As he walked along the forest path with his little bundle over his back, he overtook an old man who was glad of Sammy’s company. They walked on and on and Sammy was beginning to get tired. Night came on and Sammy began to feel afraid. The old man was afraid too.
Suddenly they looked back and saw three men with spears coming up behind them. “Run for your life,” cried the old man to little Sammy, “and shout to Mohammed to help you.”
“No, I’m going to ask Jesus to help me,” said Sammy.
“Your Jesus can’t help you,” cried the old man again. “Ask Mohammed to help you, and run, little boy.” Poor Sammy ran, but it was too late. One of the men hurled a spear which pierced his little back and he fell unconscious on the ground.
Both Sammy and the old man were lying wounded on the ground. The cannibals came up laughing, and thought of how they could prepare their feast that night. They picked up Sammy and carrying him into the mountains they dropped him still unconscious into a crevice in the rocks. They put a big stone on top of him, and left him for dead.
But the Lord Jesus was looking down on poor Sammy and He had heard his cry. By-and-by the little fellow woke up and remembered what had happened. He knew the men would come back to take him and eat him. So he prayed again, “Please, Jesus, help me to get away from these wicked men!” Then he thought he must try and get out from under that big rock. He wiggled, and he struggled—oh how his back hurt!—but the Lord Jesus helped him and little by little he squeezed his little body out from under that big rock. Then oh joy! he was free. Down the hill he ran and disappeared into the forest. On he ran until weak from loss of blood he came to a river. He tried to wade across but the current was strong and almost swept him away. All the time he thought, “Oh, if those head-hunters catch up with me again.” Sure enough they had come back and were following the bloodstained trail.
Sammy prayed again, “Oh, Lord Jesus, please save me.” The river swept him away, but just then a native on the other side of the bank plunged into the water and pulled him to safety. Kind friends took Sammy to the missionary who washed his wounds and bandaged him up. Soon little Sammy was well again, and went on to learn more and more of the wonderful love and power of the Lord Jesus who saves and keeps all who put their trust in Him. He loved to speak of him to other children and to tell them the story of his escape from cannibals.
Not long after, the cannibal headhunters were captured, and one of those evil men confessed that Sammy would have been his seventh victim, if he had eaten him. Sammy asked what happened to, the old man who had told him to cry to Mohammed but they told him he had been killed and eaten. Mohammed didn’t hear his cry. Mohammed himself was dead and how could a dead man help any: one who prayed to him. But the Lord Jesus both died and rose again, and He lives in heaven a Prince and Saviour—a living Saviour who loves and takes care of all who trust in Him.
ML-11/22/1964