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BIBLE STORIES

The Boy with the

Loaves and Fishes
ILLUSTRATED BY STEPHANIE McFETRIDGE BRITT

Digitized by the Internet Archive

in

2010

http://www.archive.org/details/boywithloavesfisOOblyt

^A^ ^?vCi^^B^1o^
BIBLE STORIES

The Boy wiiH^thi

Loaves and Fishes
ILLUSTRATED BY STEPHANIE McFETRIDGE BRITT

THE BOY WITH THE tlOAVES AND

FISHES

produced by

1998 Angus Hudson Ltd.

/Tim Dowley & Peter Wyart trading as
Three's Company
Text copyright 1949 and 1998 Enid
Blyton Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright

Worldwide co-edition organized and

The Enid Blyton Signature

is a

registered

Angus Hudson

Ltd.,

Concorde House,
Grenville Place,

London

NW7 3SA

Printed in Singapore

Trademark^^' of Enid Blvton Ltd., London.

First

published

in

1998 bv Candle Books,

England
Published in the United States of America
by Harvest House Publishers, Eugene,
Oregon 97402

Although the boy with the

loaves and fish is mentioned
the Bible, w^e don't

about him. This is a story of

his life might have been

what
ISBN

56507-854-3

All rights reserved.

publication

may

like.

No

part of this

be reproduced or

transmitted in any form or by any means,

electronic or mechanical, including

photocopying, recording, or stored in any

information storage or retrieval system,
without either prior permission in writing
from the publisher or a license permitting
restricted copying.
Scripture quotes are taken from the Holy
Bible,

New

Copyright

International Version,

by the
Used by

1973, 1978, 1984

International Bible Society.

permission of Zondervan Publishing

House. The "NIV" and "New International
Version" trademarks are registered in the
United States Patent and Trademark Office
by International Bible Society.

Designed and created by

Company,
Dryden Street,
London WC2E 9NW

Three's
5

Illustrations by
Stephanie McFetridge

Britt

in

know much

The

Boy^^qijl;^^

Loaves and the Fishes

There was once a small boy who lived up in the
hills that rose above the Sea of Galilee. He lived in
a little white house with his mother and father

and

little sister.

He helped

on the hills, and he fetched

water for his mother and sometimes looked after
his little sister. Often he went fishing by himself,
catching the fish in his hands for he had no net.
his father

One day he caught two httle fish, and he was

very proud of himself. He took them to his
mother.
''Will

smiled

you cook these

at

for me?''

he asked

her.

She

him.

cook them for you," she said. "And

you shall eat them tomorrow. There will only be
enough for you because they are so small."
So she cooked the two little fish and put them
"Yes,

will

aside for the

boy

>

^
r

Now the next day the Uttle boy was out on the
hills

with his

little sister

when he suddenly saw

many people. The little boy had never seen

so many people in the hills before.
He was astonished. ''Where did they all come
from? And why are they here?'' he thought.
great

"I'm going to ask what's happened," the boy

told his sister.

He ran off to the crowds. "What's happened?"

he asked. "Why have you all come here?"

-y^'

"We're looking for Jesus/^ said a woman. ^'He

set off in His boat across the lake with His
disciples. So we've walked around the lake to find
Him. He must be somewhere here. Have you seen

Him?"
''Who is Jesus?'' asked the little boy.
"Oh, haven't you heard of Him?" said another
boy. "He's a wonderful man. He can do miracles! He
can, really! And there's another thing He can tell
the most marvelous stories. That's why I've come

today.

love stories."

"So do

I,"

said the boy. "I wish

wonderful

man and

hear His

could see this

stories.

think

I'll

an3~^sk^y mother if I may."

He ran Kome and rushed into the house so
ipther looked up in surprise.

C^

go

<

X\
\(

^>a

N
"Mother! Have you heard of a man called
Jesus?'' panted the boy. ''He's somewhere in the
hills nearby today Mother, may I go and hear

Him too? He tells

so

want

to see

stories

and does

miracles.

do

Him."

"Very well," said his mother, smiling at the

excited little boy "Just wait a minute, though, and
let me pack you some food to take with you.
Look, here are five little loaves you can have
and wouldn't you like to take the two little fish
you caught yesterday?"
The boy could hardly wait for his mother to put
his food into a small basket. He took it from her,
said goodbye, and ran off quickly.

The crowds were even bigger when he got up

he asked anxiously. 'T
haven't missed Him, have I?"
''He's over on that grassy hillside," said a man.
"His disciples are with Him."
to them. 'Ts Jesus here?''

He had really come to

these hills for a rest because He was tired. But
when He saw the crowds streaming along. He
Yes, Jesus

was

was

there.

sorry for them.

"They are

like

sheep without a shepherd,"

said to His disciples,

people.

'^

*"s_

and He went

to

He

meet the

The

boy suddenly saw Him. He knew

doubt that it was Jesus. He had never

little

without a
seen such clear, steady eyes before, such a
wonderful face, or heard such a voice. So that was

man of wonders and

The little
boy took a deep breath and gazed at Him.
If only he could do something for this man. If
only Jesus would look at him and smile at him!
But Jesus had so many people to see that He

Jesus, the

miracles!

didn't even look in the boy's direction.

1-^,1

**^.

14

r i^'
V'^

The

disciples

went here and

there

among

the

crowds, looking for sick, crippled, or blind people

to bring to Jesus. The little boy saw them taken to
Him, saw Him put His hands on them and talk to
them.

And suddenly they were well again. They

could see! They could walk and run! They broke
into shouts and songs of joy and went down the
hill,

praising God.

Then Jesus sat down and began to teach. Jesus

told some of His stories, and the boy strained his
ears so that he wouldn't miss a word.

''What wonderful

stories!''

he thought.

'T shall

remember each one and tell them to my mother

and my little sister. They will love them."
The boy had forgotten all about the food in the<
little basket his mother had given him.

The day went by and the sun began to sink.

Hundreds of people were still there in the hills,
excited and happy. But they were beginning to
get tired now, and most of them were very
hungry, for they had not brought any food with
them. They had walked a very long way, and now
that they were hungry they wondered if there
was anywhere to buy food.
But there were no stores in the hills.
The disciples went to Jesus.

we

send these
people away and tell them to go into
the villages and buy bread?"

''Master,''

they said, "shall

'4'e musiifeed them/'

said Jesus.

"But Mastey we don't have enough money to

buy fooa\fg/so many/' said Philip, who was in
charge of the money that the disciples had. ''Do
you wish us to go and buy food for the crowds?"
"Has no one here any food?" asked Jesus. "Go
and see." So the disciples went around the hillside, asking the same question ovei\^n#Dver
again.

<i^

"Has anyone food here?

Who has brought

food?"
But the people shook their heads.
"Has anyone food here?" came the voices of the
disciples, and the little boy heard the question
too. He suddenly remembered the basket of food

he had brought
small
"I

the five

little

loaves and the

two

fish.

would

so

much like

thought the small boy.

"I

them to Jesus,"
do so want to do

to give

Him, even if it's only a small thing."

Suddenly he pushed his way through the
crowd and went up to one of the disciples.
"I have a little bread," he said. "And look, there
are two small fish as well. You can have them."
The disciple took the basket and led the boy up
something

to Jesus.

for

"Master," he said, "there

is

a lad here with five

loaves and two fish."

Jesus smiled at the

from the

boy and took the basket

disciple.

"Tell the

down in groups so that

them easily," He said to His

people to

we may feed

sit

boy watched. "What was Jesus

going to do?" he wondered.
Jesus took the five loaves from the basket and
broke them. He looked up to heaven and blessed
the bread He had broken. He gave it to His
disciples. Then He divided the little fish and gave
those to them as well.
The disciples came up one by one to get the
food, and to the little boy's wonder and
amazement, Jesus always had plenty for them.
disciples.

The

little

He went on breaking up

the bread

more and more.

'There is no end to my bread and

and the

fish,

giving out

thought the
so

little

much? Jesus

little

is

boy.

fish!''

"How can so little become

doing a miracle with

loaves and two

my five

little fish!''

There were five thousand people

sitting

on the

and they were all fed. The disciples sat

down to eat at last, and Jesus sat too, with the
small boy beside Him eating his own share.
"Master," said the boy shyly, "I caught these
fish. And my mother baked the bread."
"I am glad you brought them and
gave them to Me," said Jesus,

hills,

smiling at the small boy.

0nS0m

When everyone had

eaten what they wanted,

Jesus called His disciples

and

told

them

to

go

around and pick up all the scraps.

Nothing must be left to litter the lovely hillside
and spoil it. The little boy looked at the baskets
that were filled and counted them. 'Twelve!" he
said. 'Twelve baskets full of scraps. And yet I
only brought my own small basketful. Truly this
is a very wonderful miracle. What will my
mother say?''
It was time for everyone to go home. The sun
had set and soon it would be very dark. Jesus
needed to rest, and He wanted to pray to His
heavenly Father. He went silently into the hills,
alone.

The boy watched Him go. He had seen Jesus.

He had listened to His stories. He had helped
Him by giving Him his food. He was the happiest
boy in the world!

Now he must tell his mother all about

it.

He ran

up the hilly paths, panting. He was tired but very

happy He came to his house at last. His mother
was anxiously looking out for him.
''Mother, I saw Jesus! And do you know what
happened to the five little loaves you baked and
the two fish you cooked for me? Jesus took them
and blessed them and Mother, there was
enough to feed five thousand people! I saw a

miracle done with

"I shall

my own bread and fish!

never forget

this day,''

been the greatest day of

he

my life!"

said. "It's

Here

is

the story as

Jesus Feeds the Five TJiousaud

these people to eat?"

test

He asked

this

him, for he already had

mind what he was going

in

to do.

Philip answered him, "Eight months'

wages would not buv enough bread for
each one to have a bite!" Another of his
disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's
brother, spoke up, "Here is a boy with
five small barley loax'es and two small
fish,

but

many?"

how

far will thev

told in the Bible:

Jesus said, "Ha\'e the people

When Jesus looked up and saw a great

crowd coming toward him, he said to
Philip, "Where shall we buv bread for
only to

it is

go among so

sit

down." There was plenty of grass in

that place, and the men sat down,
about five thousand of them.
Jesus then took the loaves, gave
thanks, and distributed to those who
were seated as much as they wanted.
He did the same with the fish. When
they had all had enough to eat, he said
to his disciples,

are

left

"Gather the pieces that

over. Let nothing be wasted."

So they gathered them and filled

tweh'e baskets with the pieces of the
fi\'e

who

barley loaves

left

over by those

haci eaten.
J oil II

6:5-13

Bible Stories for Children

by Enid Blyton
TJie

Boy with

"Jesus
little

is

the Loaves

and Fishes

doiu^^ a Diimclc with

my

ISBN 1-56507-854-3

five little loaves

and two

fish!""

People followed Jesus everywhere because thev knew Jesus

them. One day a small boy ran to his mother. "May I go
see Jesus? He tells stories and does miracles!" he asked
excitedly. "Yes," his mother said. After she packed him a
lunch, the boy ran to find Jesus. He sat quietly and listened to
Jesus tell wonde'rful stories. He saw Jesus help people get well.
But people were getting hungry. "Does anyone have food?"
the disciples asked. "I have a little bread and two small fish,"
the boy offered. Then Jesus did something amazing. Discover
how Jesus uses even small gifts to honor God and help all the
lo\'ed

people.
Enid Blyton, born in London in 1897, is one of the most renowned
children's authors in Great Britain. She wrote more than 700 children's
books of adventure, folk and classic tales, and Bible stories. Her books
ha\-e been more widely published in the last 50 vears than those of anv
other children's author in Great Britain.

Stephanie McFetridge Britt, an American artist, li\es in Hawaii. She has

many popular children's Bible storybooks, including the

illustrated

inno\ati\-e

Mc

Too! series.

ISBN 1-56507-854-3

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