adapted from Exodus 7-12 by Marsha Tomlin Anderson

Jed thought he was safely hidden from view . . . until three Egyptian boys jumped him from behind. "He’s a Jew!" they shouted.

A boy named Alexander pushed Jed backward and said, "You were spying on us, weren’t you?"

"No, I wasn’t," Jed lied.

"Make him tell us about the crazy man called Moses," another said.

"What about him?" Jed asked, straightening.

"He’s claiming your god will turn the Nile River into blood if Pharaoh doesn’t free your people."

"So?" Jed asked matter-of-factly.

"Your god is no match for my father’s magic," Alexander replied.

Jed’s eyes widened with horror as he glanced upward. "Don’t say that!"

"Why not? We’re not afraid of your god. Meet me here tomorrow morning, and you’ll see who’s the greatest."

Jed broke away and ran. From a distance he shouted, "Yeah, you’ll see!"

The next morning, Jed and Alexander watched Moses and Aaron demand the Israelites’ freedom. When Pharaoh laughed, Moses simply walked to the riverside, touched his rod into the water and turned it into blood. The people withdrew in fear.

Jed faced Alexander with a know-it-all smile. Alexander returned the grin. "Wait," he said, looking toward his father.

Alexander’s father stood confidently before Pharaoh’s court. He calmed the crowd by turning more water into blood.

"Ha!" Alexander exclaimed loudly, elbowing Jed in the side. "I told you!"

Seven days later, Moses warned: "The Lord says, ‘Let My people go, or I will plague the whole country with frogs.’ "

When Pharaoh refused, Aaron stretched his rod over the waters and immediately frogs appeared.

"Moses doesn’t give up, does he?" Alexander smirked. "If he wants frogs, my dad will give him frogs."

Alexander’s father laid a cloth over an empty table, waved his hands and said some magic words. When he lifted the cloth, tiny frogs hopped off the table in every direction.

Jed’s mouth fell open. He leaned forward to get a better look. "I don’t believe it!"

"See, I told you," Alexander said, thumping Jed’s chest with the back of his hand.

Jed didn’t say anything. He just turned and ran home.

"Has Moses deceived us, Father?" Jed asked. "How is he different from the magicians?"

Jed’s father put his arm around his son and said, "It’s the magician who has deceived you, Jed. Why didn’t he make the bloody waters of the Nile clean? And what did he accomplish by producing more frogs? Why didn’t he make them disappear?"

"I didn’t think of that," Jed answered.

His father shook his head and said, "Wait and see, Son. It’s not over yet."

Because Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, God sent swarms of gnats to darken the skies.

Alexander pointed his finger at Jed and shouted, "If it weren’t for your people, this wouldn’t be happening!"

"What’s the matter, Alexander?" Jed asked. "No magical gnats?"

Alexander rose to leave. "Just wait! My dad can do anything!"

"Oh yeah! Well, tell him to make them disappear," Jed shouted back.

The next morning the gnats were gone. "Hooray!" Jed shouted. "It must be over." He ran outside and threw up his arms with excitement. But then he stopped and ran back into the house.

"Father, what if Alexander’s father made the gnats disappear?"

Rising to his feet, his father said, "Let’s go see."

They rushed to find Alexander. The minute they stepped outside city limits, they were overtaken by flies. They couldn’t find Alexander anywhere.

Moses and Aaron continued appearing before Pharaoh. Each refusal brought a new plague upon the Egyptians. Their animals got sick and died. An epidemic of sores spread among the people. A massive hailstorm destroyed their gardens, and locusts devoured what remained. A strong wind drove off the locusts, but it also brought a crippling darkness that lasted three days.

The final plague would be the worst. Unless a family—Israelite or Egyptian—put the blood of a lamb on their doorframe, their firstborn would die when the angel of the Lord passed over the land.

Jed watched his father prepare the lamb. "Oh no!" Jed said with a start. "Father, what if Alexander is a firstborn child? Will he die?"

Reading his father’s sad expression, Jed hurried to his friend’s secret hiding place.

"Alexander?" Jed called softly.

"Go away, Jed," he sniffed.

"Who do you think is the greatest now?" Jed continued.

Looking up, Alexander answered honestly. "Your God, Jehovah."

Jed let out a deep sigh of relief. "I’m so glad you said that. Remember what Moses said to do? Get your father to put the blood of a lamb around your doorframe tonight."

A glimmer of hope spread across Alexander’s face. "I’ll try," he answered.

"Hurry! There’s not much time," Jed said, helping Alexander to his feet.

"Tell me, how will I get my father to do it?"

"Jehovah has proven himself faithful. Tell your father this promise is for everyone who believes. Now run as fast as you can. It’ll be dark soon."

	Q: What do pigs write letters with? A: Pig-pens. Alejandro P., 12, California Clubhouse Jr. Click here to subscribe