“Entice him and see wherein his great strength lieth that we may overcome him.” They agreed to give Delilah a great quantity of silver for betraying Samson into their hands. Delilah agreed to do this and asked Samson what made him so strong, and how could he be bound so that he could not be taken.
Samson did not know her purpose and at first would not tell her what made him so strong. His strength lay in his long hair which fell down over his shoulders, but nobody knew it but Samson. Finally Delilah teased him so much that he told her he had not cut his hair nor shaved his beard all his life, and that all his strength lay in his hair. One day she caught Samson asleep and cut off all his beautiful hair, and when he awoke he was as weak as any other man. Then the Philistines came and took him away and Delilah was paid her money for betraying poor Samson.
The Philistines then put out his eyes, and took him over to Gaza and made him grind in the mill. There he worked for a long time and the Philistines made sport of him. One day they were having a great offering in the temple. So they took the blind Samson up to the temple and set him between its pillars. But by this time his hair had grown out again and his strength had returned to him.
So while the temple was full of people Samson wrapped his mighty arms around the pillars and pulled them down and the temple fell in, and he and all his enemies were buried together.
THE BOY WHO CRIED WOLF
No one believes a story teller even when he tells the truth.
There was once a shepherd boy named Peter. He was a good shepherd boy. Early every morning he carried his sheep to the cool green pastures and watched over them all day. His faithful shepherd dog, Watch, was always along with him and helped him in every way. If any of the little lambs got lost or hurt, Watch would find them and bring them to Peter. Peter was very fond of his sheep and was very kind to them. He enjoyed going to the fields every day and caring for them, to see that none of them were lost or eaten by the wild beasts. But sometimes Peter was lonesome, and being a boy wanted to play as well as work.
One day when Peter was feeling rather cross he said to himself: “I am tired of doing nothing but care for these sheep. I wonder what I can do to have some fun?”