XXII THE SECRET OF STRENGTH

AMSON was not the captain of an army, like Joshua and Barak and Gideon. He fought the Philistines alone. He used to go out by himself, when they were not looking for him, and surprise them. The favorite stories of the Israelites were the adventures of Samson, as the favorite stories of the Greeks were the adventures of Hercules.

One time, they said, he caught three hundred foxes and tied their tails together, and in each knot he put a lighted torch, and away went the foxes with the firebrands into the standing corn, and burned it down.

Another time, the Philistines were after him, and he let his neighbors tie him with ropes and leave him on a rock. And three thousand Philistines were in pursuit, and when they saw him they gave a great shout and rushed upon him; and he burst the ropes, and picked up a dry bone, the jawbone of an ass, and fought the Philistines with it so that they fled like frightened sheep.

Once he was in the town of Gaza, which had stout walls around it. And they thought that they had him fast. But in the night, he took the great gates of the city, and picked them up, and the posts with them, and carried them off. And when the Philistines awoke in the morning, Samson was gone, and there were the gates away up on the side of a hill.

But at last, after Samson’s wife was dead, he fell in love with another Philistine woman, whose name was Delilah. And she was a false friend. For the Philistines said to Delilah, “Come now, get Samson to tell you the secret of his strength, that we may have the mastery of him, and we will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver.” And she promised to do it.

So Delilah said, “Tell me, Samson, what is the secret of your strength? What is the way to bind you so that you cannot get loose?”

And Samson answered, “If I were bound with seven new bowstrings I should be as weak as any other man.”

And Delilah said, “Oh, Samson, let me try; let me see if I can tie you so that you cannot get free.”

And Samson held out his arms, and she tied seven new bowstrings tight about him with hard knots. And the lords of the Philistines were in the next room, waiting.

And Delilah cried, “The Philistines be upon thee, Samson!” And he started up, and broke the bowstrings as if they were strings which had been scorched in the fire. So the secret of his strength was not known.

But the next day, Delilah teased Samson again to tell the secret. “You mocked me, yesterday,” she said, “and told me lies. Now, truly, Samson, how may you be bound so that you must stay bound?”

And Samson said, “If I were to be tied with new ropes which have never been used, then I should be as weak as any other man.”

So Delilah took new ropes and tied him fast. And the lords of the Philistines were in the next room, waiting.

And Delilah cried, “The Philistines be upon thee, Samson!” And he broke the ropes as if they had been thread.

Again, the next day, she asked him the same question. And Samson said, “If the seven locks of my hair were woven into a web, I could not get away.” And Delilah was weaving cloth upon a loom, and while Samson was asleep she wove his long hair into the web and cried again, “The Philistines be upon thee, Samson!” And straight he waked, and stood up, and pulled away the web and the loom together.

Then Delilah said, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when every day you mock me and lie to me! Tell me true, what is the secret of your mighty strength?”

And Samson told her true. “If they cut off my hair,” he said, “then I shall have no strength at all.”

And Delilah knew that this time he had told the truth, and she called for the lords of the Philistines. “Come only this once,” she said, “and you shall have him.” And they came, and brought the silver pieces with them.

And Samson slept, in the heat of the day, with his head upon Delilah’s knees. And the men came in softly and cut off the seven locks of his hair. Then Delilah cried, “The Philistines be upon thee, Samson!” And he awoke, and saw the Philistines coming, and he stretched forth his great arms, and they were like the arms of any other man. And the Philistines laid hold upon him, and put out both his eyes.

So the Philistines brought Samson down to Gaza, and bound him with brass fetters, and put him in prison, and made him grind their corn. But his hair began to grow again. And at last, one day, the Philistines made a great feast in the temple of Dagon, their god. And there were crowds and crowds of people, and all the lords of the Philistines; there were people even on the roof. And they brought Samson from the prison that they might look at him, and laugh at him. And a lad led him by the hand. And by and by Samson said to the lad, “Lead me to a pillar.” Now the temple roof rested on two huge pillars, quite near together. And Samson cried to God and said, “O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, only this once, O God, that I may be avenged upon the Philistines for one of my two eyes.” And he thrust out his great arms where he stood between the pillars, and pushed them hard with all his might, and they fell, and the roof fell with them upon the Philistines, and upon their lords, and upon Samson. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.