The Bible Hour Fish Ponds Fiasco

In previous posts Mother's comprehensivet knowledge of Scripture was mentioned. Her teaching techniques were to read us two stories before our afternoon nap (which I often faked). She chose a Bible story and a story from children's literature. My favorite fiction was the wicked little Peter Rabbit. I fantasized about his escapades.

Her favorite Bible story source was Hurlbut's Story of the Bible. [I have the book she used 60-plus years ago!] The Bible story book is written like any storybook, except some of the names were hard to pronounce.

Mother often added "color" to the stories so they came alive. I and my siblings asked penetrating questions about the stories. Mother always had an answer.

After our naps and my faked nap, we would playact some aspect of these stories. Most of our antics were amusing to Mother. We baptized our dolls in the dog's water bowl, served the Last Supper morning, noon and night, and dozens of other child imaginary Biblical scenes.

One of my favorite stories was Gideon and his 300-man army . I did not key in on the "victory of the Lord" with a small army. I was intrigued how Gideon chose his army by the way they drank water from a water source. The chosen men lapped water like a dog from one cupped hand, while the other hand held weapons.

One part of our back yard was off limits to me and my siblings - a fish pond, today's koi pond predecessor. It was about one foot deep with lily pads and goldfish. A net covered the pond so if we accidently fell, the net would prevent us from drowning

I wanted to see if I'd be a good soldier in the Lord's army, so with my dog Snooky by my side I knelt down to try lapping water. I watched the dog, then I tried to mimic his lapping. My little hand would only hold two teaspoonfuls, so I didn't get many laps through the sieve-like hand. Practice did not last long...

Mother caught me in the act, and interceded with a paddling. I was mystified why trying to be a good soldier was wrong. It was the off-limit fish pond, but I thought the Lord's work superceded and negated the fish pond off-limits order. Snooky innocently watched the paddling, but he escaped spanking.

Another fish pond got me trouble. Our city park, two blocks from home, had two fish ponds with a wishing well drinking fountain, all off-limits to me and reinforced every time I went to the park. The park attendant lived on the grounds. His granddaughter and I became friends in the second grade.

I was allowed to walk to the park and play with my friend. I usually carried a toy, or played with hers. One day we baptized our the dolls in the fish pond. I was sure the Lord was proud we knew how to do it and say just the right words.

Alas, when I returned home and proudly told Mother we were doing the Lord's work, [I was no good at lying anyway], it was another paddling, plus I was no longer allowed to go play with my friend in the park. Later her parents bought a home one block from us; I just trotted down the alley to play with her. They had no fish ponds, just cats.

Bible stuff was a puzzlement, when I was very young. Somehow it appeared my parents authority was higher than God's and not vice versa. So much for being called by the Lord.

I wonder if my fish pond excursions caused me to have a great fear of water, as I never learned to swim and have an unhealthy fear of water to this day!