All through the heat of the desert afternoon, Galen and Ziklag sat in the shelter of the Philistine tents and stared thoughtfully across the Valley of Elah. The boys had exhausted all ideas of how to change Goliath’s mocking insults into such admiration for Galen that he would be allowed to carry the giant’s shield. In the cool of the evening, when both armies had gathered on their hillsides, facing each other, Goliath would again shout his taunts across to the Israelites.

Zik changed his position as the sun erased his shady spot. Lowering his voice, he said, “I don’t blame the Israelites for not accepting Goliath’s challenge. The Israelites only have wooden weapons, while our people use iron and bronze. So we’re not only the best warriors anywhere, but we’re equipped with the finest weapons in the world.”

Galen nodded absently, his eyes sweeping the small valley, with its famous terebinth trees and seasonal wildflowers. A shimmering silver string along the valley floor marked a small stream. Galen shifted his gaze to the right, where the Israelite camp showed movement.

Galen mused, “I think they’re getting ready to eat. When they finish, they’ll come out and form up as they always do when they know Goliath is about to make his usual challenge.”

“Then we’d better go to my tent,” Ziklag replied, standing up. “You know how my mother likes to have us show up on time when she’s ready to serve the meal.”

A heavy sigh escaped Galen as the memory of his own mother flooded his aching heart. He was grateful that Zik’s family had taken him in and had been kind to him after his parents and brother died. Still, nothing would ease the pain of having lost his entire family when disease carried them away. Galen still sometimes felt guilty because he alone had recovered.

As the evening cooled, Galen and Zik approached Goliath’s tent. Inside, Goliath’s armor bearer had already laid out the giant’s coat of mail, helmet, greaves, spear, and javelin. The armor bearer’s job was to follow after Goliath on the battlefield and finish off anyone he cut down. Leander looked up from where he was carefully oiling Goliath’s huge shield.

From his great height, Goliath looked down at Galen and Zik and laughed. “So, the ant dares show up in spite of the inglorious spectacle he made of himself earlier today!”

Galen pretended he didn’t hear Goliath’s mocking tone or see the smirk on Leander’s face. “I came,” Galen began, taking a quick breath, “to ask to be your shield bearer for this evening.”

Galen heard a surprised snort of derision from Leander, but Goliath narrowed his eyes. He thoughtfully regarded Galen for a few seconds before answering. Then he shrugged his mighty shoulders. “Why not?”

Leander made a startled, choking sound. Goliath half turned toward him and winked. Galen knew he wasn’t supposed to have seen that, but it didn’t matter. He had something to prove to both Goliath and Leander, and it was only natural they would see him as a pest.

The giant turned back to Galen and raised a huge arm that rippled with oversized muscles. “Yes, why not?” he repeated. “Those fools across the valley won’t fight. They will continue to cower like women.”

Behind him, Zik whispered so softly that only Galen could hear. “He’s saying that to mock you again.”

Galen acknowledged his friend’s warning with the barest nod. Galen knew it was a sad victory for him because Goliath didn’t think him worthy to go anywhere near a fight. Yet his determination made him risk even more ridicule.

“Thank you,” he told the giant, but his eyes shifted to the great shield. It was metallic and circular-shaped, with leather-wrapped wooden handles inside to hold it. For a fleeting moment, fear surged through Galen and instantly dried his mouth like the desert sand.

Goliath motioned with a hand as large as Galen’s head. “Pick it up,” the giant rumbled.

Unconsciously licking his lips, Galen nodded and crouched beside the shield. He heard suppressed laughter from Leander, but Galen concentrated on the job before him. Flexing his fingers, he slid his right arm through the leather straps. His eyes confirmed what he had been told. Shields were commonly made from a wood or wicker frame and covered with oiled leather. But Goliath’s circular shield was of wood and polished leather covered with bronze and reinforced with metal at the edges, making it very heavy.

Galen lifted one end so that he could better grasp a wooden and leather handle designed to give greater control. Even that small effort alarmed Galen because he realized that the shield weighed more than he had expected. He hesitated.

With a curse, Goliath rumbled, “Go on! Pick it up!”

Galen braced his legs and back to provide maximum power. He had better control with the leather-wrapped wooden handle, so he closed his fingers firmly and jerked hard.

He was astonished at how the massive weight threatened to throw him off balance while he struggled to lift the edge of the shield from the floor.

Leander exclaimed with obvious delight in his tone, “All the way! Lift it all the way off the floor!”

Straining every muscle and with great determination, Galen desperately tried to tilt the shield on edge to support it before setting it fully upright. It was useless. The dead weight threw him off balance.

He released his grip on the handle, but it was too late. The shield thudded back onto the ground, and Galen fell awkwardly on top of it.

Goliath laughed so hard that Galen felt the shield vibrate beneath him. The giant taunted, “Galen, why don’t you go join the women?”

“Yes!” Leander added through his laughter. “Join the women, because you’ll never be man enough to become a warrior!”

His face flaming with embarrassment, Galen blindly staggered out of the tent, with Zik following. Mocking laughter chased after them.

It wasn’t long before Goliath and his shield bearer, followed by his armor bearer, walked out in front of the assembled Philistine soldiers to issue his nightly challenge to the Israelites. Galen believed everyone had heard of his humiliation with the shield.

He chose to sit at the back edge of the crowd, where he hoped to have some degree of freedom from the scornful laughter and jeering insults. He would have preferred to be alone in his misery, but Zik joined him in silent support.

Goliath, his full armor and helmet flashing, grandly strode out in front of the assembled Philistines. He cupped his huge hands around his mouth and shouted across to the opposite hillside, where the Israelites were gathered, as usual.

“Why do you come out and line up for battle?” Goliath’s words echoed across the valley and then faded away.

He took a deep breath and called out again in his great booming voice, “Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects. But if I kill him, then you will become our subjects and serve us.”

Zik whispered, “I’ve heard him say that so many times, but it still stirs my blood to hear it again. Listen. Now he’s going to say something more.”

Goliath shouted across the valley. “This day I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other!”

Again, the giant’s words echoed across the valley and faded into silence. There was no answer from the Israelites. The stillness became so strong that Galen thought he could hear his own blood pounding against his eardrums. He was still sick at heart because of his inability to lift Goliath’s shield.

I’ve got to show Goliath I’m going to be a man and a great warrior! Galen thought in despair. But how can I prove that to him?

The answer came as silently as a thought, but with the power of a blow from Goliath’s great arm. Galen suddenly reached out and clutched Zik’s arm. “Come on! I know what I can do!”