Riddle, The

Yesterday, I wrote about the parable of the sower as my farmer is hurriedly trying to cut as many soybeans as possible before a predicted rain comes in (may the Lord send it somewhere in need of rain instead). The harvest is in full swing and this time of year always brings to mind the reality of the principle of sowing and reaping.

As I was writing, I wanted so much to include a song from “Antshillvania,” a musical my family was involved in (twice, actually) some years ago. The musical is a fabulous one which uses several object lessons from scripture and contains some of the most powerful lyrics and music I’ve ever heard. It was written with a focus toward children, but the lessons are for all ages.

After an exhaustive search for lyrics from my children (dressed as spiders, they sang the song with a few others), they could remember only a few unconnected lines. Finally, on the internet, we found it! I wish you could hear the music so you could sing along if you could say the words fast enough.

The Riddle “Antshillvania” by Jimmy & Carol Owens

A certain sower sowed some seed one sunny summer day
A snoopy sparrow spied the spoils and shouted, “Seeds! Hooray!”
The sower stopped and shouted “Shoo!” then sighed in sad dismay
As a swarm of sassy sparrows swooped and swiped the seeds away.

A certain sower sowed some seed on shallow stony soil.
Some spunky sprigs came sprouting up but started soon to broil.
The sultry searing summer sun swung sweltering overhead
’Til the sizzling seedlings sadly sagged and sighed, “So long, we’re dead!”

A certain sower sowed some seed. Some settled in the ground
Surrounded by a sticker patch with stickers all around.
The sticky stickers stuck and stabbed and scratched and scraped and tore
‘Til they swallowed all the seedlings up, and soon there were no more. Awwwww!

A certain sower sowed some seed in super soil he found.
And soon some super shoots sprang up and super roots sprang down.
As seasons sent the sun and showers, at last there stood full grown
A shady, shiny orchard where the sower’s seeds were sown.
A shady, shiny orchard where the sower’s seeds were sown.