{"id":862,"date":"2026-03-07T18:56:02","date_gmt":"2026-03-07T09:56:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/primitivechristianitystudy.org\/?p=862"},"modified":"2026-03-07T19:15:39","modified_gmt":"2026-03-07T10:15:39","slug":"ancient-boy-soran%e2%91%a6%e3%80%80saita-village","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/primitivechristianitystudy.org\/?p=862","title":{"rendered":"Ancient Boy Soran\u2466\u3000Saita Village"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The warm sunshine of spring melted away the heavy snow at last.
In the forest, the trees began to stretch out their new leaves all at once. The bright green of young leaves makes people’s heart dance with joy. It is the color of life. From the brown earth and the dark branches of trees, fresh green life began to appear.<\/p>\n

Saita Village was a new settlement that had been built by people from Tomo\u2019s hometown, Sak Village. Only four families lived there so far. Soon more houses would be built, and more people from Sak Village would slowly move there.<\/p>\n

Tomo and Soran had been staying in a brand-new house for one week.
Today was the Sabbath again.<\/p>\n

\u201cSoran! Come out! I\u2019ll teach you how to shoot a bow and arrow!\u201d<\/p>\n

It was Takeru calling him\u2014the boy who loved archery and whom Soran had met when he first arrived in the village.<\/p>\n

Soran looked at his mother. When she nodded, he happily ran outside.<\/p>\n

The sky was bright and blue. For children, it was impossible to stay inside on such a beautiful day. A warm breeze blew across the village.<\/p>\n

All the houses in Saita Village looked new. They were built close together on land near the eastern shore of the sea. Two large oak trees stood at the southern entrance of the village.<\/p>\n

Many trees around the village had been cut down, and the cleared land was now used as fields where millet and other grains were planted. To the south was the mouth of a river flowing into the sea.<\/p>\n

On the west side of the village stood many chestnut trees. Beyond them stretched a deep forest. A path led through the forest to huts where charcoal was made.<\/p>\n

There was also a small hill nearby. If you climbed it, the view must be beautiful.
To the north, the black sandy beach stretched far along the coast.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday is the Sabbath, right?\u201d Soran asked. \u201cIs it okay to shoot arrows?\u201d<\/p>\n

Takeru was already bouncing with excitement.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell\u2026 just practice should be okay, I think,\u201d he said with a big grin.<\/p>\n

Then Soran noticed another boy sitting quietly on a tree stump. It was the same boy he had met when he first arrived in the village\u2014Satoshi.<\/p>\n

\u201cActually\u2026 it\u2019s not really allowed,\u201d Satoshi said. \u201cBut the village chief pretends not to notice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sometimes Satoshi\u2019s words came out slowly, but he didn\u2019t mind at all. He believed that when he grew up it would get better. Until then, he simply spoke in his own easy way.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur new chief, David, suggested a rule a long time ago,\u201d Satoshi continued. \u201cNo work on the Sabbath. Everyone has followed it since the days of Sak Village. People say that rule made everyone happier. I think so too. On the Sabbath we have time to think\u2014not about food or things we own, but about God. And singing and dancing are allowed. That\u2019s why it\u2019s fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

Satoshi seemed very happy about the Sabbath.<\/p>\n

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The boys walked together down to the beach.<\/p>\n

If they practiced there, it would be easy to find the arrows in the sand. Not a single arrow could be wasted.<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst, we make a target,\u201d Takeru said.<\/p>\n

He began piling sand into a small mound. Soran and Satoshi helped, and soon the mound was about as tall as their waists.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis will be the target,\u201d Takeru said.<\/p>\n

He took off one of his straw sandals and placed it sideways near the top of the sand pile.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll start from about ten steps away.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWatch this,\u201d Takeru said.<\/p>\n

He slowly set an arrow on the bowstring.<\/p>\n

Whizz!<\/p>\n

The arrow flew straight and stuck right in the middle of the sandal.<\/p>\n

\u201cHit!\u201d Satoshi shouted.<\/p>\n

\u201cWow!\u201d Soran cried.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell\u2026 not bad,\u201d Takeru said proudly. \u201cBut if I ruin my sandals too much, my mother will scold me.\u201d
He stuck out his tongue playfully.<\/p>\n

Next it was Satoshi\u2019s turn. His arrow missed the sandal, but it sank deeply into the sand mound.<\/p>\n

Now it was Soran\u2019s turn.<\/p>\n

He had never used a bow before. In his old village, boys were not allowed to use bows until they turned ten. And to be honest, Soran did not like killing animals with arrows.<\/p>\n

But like any boy, he had always dreamed of shooting arrows skillfully.<\/p>\n

With a sand target and a sandal, he had nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n

\u201cWow\u2026 it takes more strength than I thought!\u201d he said while pulling the bow.<\/p>\n

The bow shook in his hands.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere goes!\u201d<\/p>\n

He released the arrow.<\/p>\n

Whoosh!<\/p>\n

The arrow flew in a completely different direction and splashed into the sea.<\/p>\n

\u201cHit!\u201d Satoshi shouted loudly.<\/p>\n

\u201cA direct hit\u2014on the sea!\u201d Takeru laughed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes! I caught the ocean!\u201d Soran shouted proudly.<\/p>\n

The three boys burst into laughter.<\/p>\n

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When the boys returned home hungry, the village families were gathering for a meal.<\/p>\n

Because it was the Sabbath, no cooking was done that day. Everyone had brought food prepared the day before. All the villagers gathered in the village square.<\/p>\n

It was a welcome celebration for Tomo and Soran.<\/p>\n

David, the new village chief, stood up to speak.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never thought I would see my sister Tomo again. Yet she has returned to us\u2014with her wonderful son. No matter how much I thank God, it will never be enough. I feel as if I have been lifted up to heaven. It is as if the happy days of our youth have returned.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cChief David looks younger!\u201d someone shouted.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d David laughed. \u201cI feel ten years younger! No\u2014perhaps fourteen years younger, to the day when the people of Sak Village saved my life. Tomo found me lying in the snow. Her father, the village chief, raised me as if I were his own son. That day I promised to give my life for the village. Today I promise it again. I want Saita Village to become a true village\u2014a safe and happy place where the people of Sak Village can come to live together in peace. A place like the Kingdom of God.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re counting on you, David!\u201d
\u201cYou\u2019re a fine man!\u201d
\u201cHahaha!\u201d<\/p>\n

Everyone laughed happily.<\/p>\n

David was taller than anyone else in the village. His body was strong and muscular. Soran noticed how thick David\u2019s arms were and stared in amazement.<\/p>\n

The next day he would learn why.<\/p>\n

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Early the next morning, David came to fetch Soran.<\/p>\n

\u201cSoran, will you help me today?\u201d<\/p>\n

Tomo smiled and said, \u201cGo on. Have a good day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Soran followed David north along the beach. The sand there was darker than usual.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you know why the sand here is so black?\u201d David asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not sure,\u201d Soran answered honestly.<\/p>\n

\u201cFar to the north, a big river flows into the sea. In the mountains upstream there are rocks containing copper and iron. Rain and rivers break those rocks into tiny pieces. The metals flow down the river and wash up here on the shore.\u201d<\/p>\n

David reached into the bag slung over his shoulder and carefully took out a rock about the size of both his hands.<\/p>\n

He rolled it across the sand.<\/p>\n

Immediately tiny black grains stuck to the rock. They clung together like the spines of a sea urchin.<\/p>\n

\u201cIron sand,\u201d David said. \u201cThis rock is called magnet stone. It pulls the iron sand toward it. With this, we can gather iron sand and make iron.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s beautiful,\u201d Soran said. \u201cCan I touch it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Soran touched the rock, the tiny iron grains fell away softly.<\/p>\n

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Next, David took Soran to a large work hut on the north side of the village.<\/p>\n

Inside were many strange tools Soran had never seen before.<\/p>\n

David lit charcoal in the furnace and pumped air into the fire using a tool called bellows. The fire burned hotter and hotter. Soon he placed a piece of iron in the flames.<\/p>\n

When it turned red with heat, he grabbed it with iron tongs and placed it on a large block of metal called an anvil.<\/p>\n

Then he began hammering.<\/p>\n

Clang! Clang!<\/p>\n

The loud ringing sound made Soran jump and cover his ears.<\/p>\n

David glanced at him with a smile and swung his hammer again and again with his powerful arms.<\/p>\n

Soon he began to sing in a strange rhythm as he worked.<\/p>\n

\u201cEn-ya! Kora-ya!
En-ya! Kora-ya!
Dokkoisho!
Dokkoisho!\u201d<\/p>\n

The words sounded funny, but Soran quickly learned them and joined in.<\/p>\n

\u201cEn-ya! Kora-ya!
En-ya! Kora-ya!
Dokkoisho!
Dokkoisho!\u201d<\/p>\n

With every beat of the hammer\u2014<\/p>\n

Clang! Clang!<\/p>\n

Sparks flew.<\/p>\n

Soran watched with wide eyes as the lump of iron slowly stretched and flattened.<\/p>\n

Clang!
Clang!
Clang!<\/p>\n

It felt like watching a kind of magic.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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