A Boy’s Essay on the Life of Samson

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXII, Issue XIV, 2 April 1904, Page 61

A Boy’s Essay on the Life of Samson

The following is an extract from an elementary schoolboy’s essay on Samson:- -••The life of Samson which I has to give. Samson was the wonderfullist man you ever seed. He was so mighty strong that he thought no more of lions and bears than boys do of cats and things. If you think he was a giant, that’s just where yer wrong, coz he wasn’t a bit big-

ger than yer father is. But mind yer he had very long hair, and that’s just where it was. It went right down his neck and under his coat, and then all the way down. That's how it was. Samson became very sinfull, for he got a

rourtin a young woman who was a relation of the wicked Phillistins. Men

should never court young women from other countries,, except they are good. Never mind abart them being nice looking. if they are not good. Why this young woman actshully wurshipped them ugly little imiges wot yev seed misshenaries bring in bags and put in a row on tlie table. As Samson was going acourtin one fine night a lion sprung at him from over a garding. And see yer. Samson just cote it by the chin, and gev it such a crak betwixt its eyes that it dropped down dead, like as yev seed cows behind butchers shops. You’ll never know how strong he was. When they got marrid behold Samson arskt a riddle while the Phillistins was all eating their dinners around him. He told them that if they could guess it, he would give them without joking 30 new suits of close apiece. Didn’t they try after that; coz they knowd that if they found it out they’d never have to buy no more new close. But they couldn't riddle it with all their thinkin. Then that nasty imige woman went and told them wot it was. So Samson had to give all of them 30 new suits. How they would larf while they was a carrying them home, speshully when they was trying them on. But Samson never forgived the imige woman, and he woodnt be man-id to her no longer. You woodnt think this strong man wood have gone and got marrid to anuther imige woman. Behold, he did. and the next one was wurser than the first. A reeai badun this one was. Her name it was Deliler. Never mind her uth.er name. Deliler was alius a worrying Samson to tell her wot made him so mighty strong. He told her all sorts of things abart switches and ropes, but when she’d tied him with them and cried. ‘Here they are a comim ’ Samson just sprung up and killed them right oft’ as usuerl like Hies. At last mighty Samson told her abart his long hairs. Then this bad imige woman got Samson nicely otl* to sleep, and clipped all his hair off as short as yours with a big pare of sizzers, she’d got lent her. And then the nasty woman nudged him. and cried out a gigglin. Here they are a comin.’ But poor Samson couldn’t do nothin this time; and when they bustled him away to a big dark prison with his hands tied behind him. he said it served him right for tellin

what he knowed. Poor Samson nearly cried. Then they put out both, his eyes, and forced him to turn a bigstone wee I all day long. () that bad imige woman: that second one. that was her.” And so on in the same style down to the hero’s death.