The Boy in the Grass Boat

20 The Boy in the Grass Boat Long ago, in the land of Egypt, a slave girl gave birth to a baby boy. She loved this boy very much. But she was also afraid. She believed the king would come and find her baby and kill him before he had the chance to grow. The girl decided to do something to save her child. It broke her heart to part with her new son, but there was nothing else to do. So, the slave girl made a fine basket out of the reeds and plants that grew along the river's edge. With sadness, she put her baby safely into the little basket that was really like a small boat, and she cast it out on the water. As she stood watching the small boat disappear down the river, tears filled her eyes. But she knew that what she had done was good. It was the only way. “ If it is the will of God, my child will survive, " she thought.

At the same time, a relative of the king was walking along the riverbank with her servant. Suddenly, she noticed a small basket caught in the long weeds. “ Go and see what that is, " she said to her servant, who did as she was commanded. She returned with the basket and the baby boy inside. The king's relative looked inside and saw the smiling baby boy. " What a wonderful boy this is! " she exclaimed. " How did it come that he is alone and abandoned here in the river?" she asked herself. But it did not matter. The woman had already decided to keep the boy as her own. After all, she was a good woman and could not allow the baby to die alone in the river. The king's relative took the boy back to the palace, where she raised him as her own. She did not know it then, but this fortunate child would grow up to become the king's favoured child. The boy in the grass boat was destined to do great things. He would, in fact, one day lead his people out of captivity. He would lead them to freedom in their promised land.