All the Tales from the Ark by Avril Rowlands

Author:Avril Rowlands
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lion Hudson
Published: 1999-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

7

Mrs Noah’s Tale

Mrs Noah was not at all happy when her husband told her that God would send a flood to destroy the world, not even when he told her that she and their children and two of every creature in the world would be saved.

‘It’s not that I’m not grateful to God for saving us,’ she said. ‘Mind you, I’m not in the least surprised. You’re a good man and I’m only glad to see that God recognizes the fact. He doesn’t always seem to reward the good,’ she added, with a disapproving sniff.

‘Now, Becky, you mustn’t talk like that about God,’ Mr Noah said.

‘I don’t see why not,’ said Mrs Noah. ‘Anyway, that’s not the point. The thing is, I don’t want to go off in a boat, however well built it is – although knowing your carpentry, Noah, I doubt whether it’ll stand up to much. I don’t like boats and I think it’s a bit unreasonable of God to plan all this without talking to us about it first.’

‘He talked to me,’ Mr Noah said.

‘That’s as may be,’ Mrs Noah replied. ‘But why didn’t God speak to me as well? I could have given him some good advice.’

All Mr Noah could do was shrug his shoulders.

Mrs Noah sighed. ‘God knew you’d give in to anything he said. You’re soft as butter.’

‘Becky, do you think I like leaving our farm like this any better than you do?’ Mr Noah protested. ‘But we can’t go against God’s will. He only wants the best for us.’

‘That’s as may be,’ Mrs Noah said, pursing her lips.

She did not speak of it again, but she thought about it a great deal.

‘It’s not fair,’ she thought. ‘God never speaks to me, although I’m always on at him about one thing or another.’ She frowned. ‘Anyway, I think God should have managed better. If I’d been God, I wouldn’t have let things get in such a mess in the first place. Sending a flood to destroy the world indeed! Such a waste!’

Mrs Noah was not happy on board. It was not so much the animals, or the cramped conditions, or even the rain that bothered her. It was just that she was not a good sailor and to be a sailor’s wife was not what she had intended when she had married Mr Noah. So she spent a lot of time in her cabin, and although she cooked and cleaned and did all the work expected of her, she grew more and more depressed. Mr Noah became very worried and tried talking to her.

‘You never smile, Becky,’ he said. ‘And you always used to.’

‘There’s nothing to smile about!’ she snapped.

Mr Noah sighed. ‘I know this is a lot of work and not much fun, but we should be thankful that we’re alive.’

‘Hmm!’ Mrs Noah retorted.

Mr Noah went away and talked it over with God.

‘She says that she gets seasick, but I don’t think that’s the real problem. I think she just doesn’t trust you the way I do and that’s what’s making her so unhappy.

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