Honor Your Father & Mother - written by Alfred (a short story for kids)

Once upon a time in a place called South Africa there lived a little 12 year old boy named John. He was athletic and loved to watch every Hollywood action film he came across. He was the only child of two wonderful Christian parents and had been going to church ever since he was born.

One Sunday in children’s church, the children’s church Pastor preached a sermon titled ‘Honor your father & mother.’ It was a sermon well crafted with stories, illustrations and scriptures to appeal and relate to the children who listened to them. John could distinctly remember the Pastor telling them that honoring your father & mother is the only commandment in all the 10 commandments that comes with a promise. It promises long life.

That really interested John. If he wanted to live long then he should obey his Mum & Dad.Some months later, a new way to have fun hit some of the young people of South Africa. Every once in a while a new way to have fun hits the young people of South Africa. It isn’t always safe or sensible but what is generally accepted as cool is cool to some people.

In this case, the new cool thing was called ‘Train Surfing.’ It’s basically a game where someone illegally climbs and stands on top of a moving train that is going at top speed and then the person pretends to be surfing the train like a surf board. Of course one can easily fall off so it’s all about maintaining balance.

John’s Mum knew that John was the adventurous type and just might try train surfing, so she told John never to train surf as soon as she knew what train surfing meant.

John happily promised his mother that he wouldn’t train surf.

In spite of John’s adventurous spirit he held himself and fought the urge to train surf.

One day while playing with his friends, his friends said they wanted to do some train surfing next. John was like, he’s not going – matter of fact he can’t go because he made his Mum a promise that he would never go train surfing.

John’s friends began to pressure him into disobeying his mother’s instruction. They tease him and tempt him until he gives in. After all his mother won’t know. Nobody would tell on him, besides he knows what he’s doing and it’s not as if other kids don’t disobey their parents sometimes. It’s not like if he’s the only one. Who knows? Maybe even his Mum disobeyed her Mum when she was younger some of the time.

John followed his friends to go train surfing.

A few minutes later, while surfing John slipped and fell off the train. He fell to his death.

THE END.