,By Lachlan Mackenzie
Illustrated by Jeff Anderson
(Christian Focus, 2008), hb., 24 pp.
Ages 3-6
This is another book in the same volume as Spurgeon’s Queen Victoria’s Request. Mackenzie was a colorful Scottish preacher in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. However, this book is not up to the same standard as the Spurgeon one.
In this story a duke has a beautiful daughter, and he expects many men to indicate interest in marrying her at an upcoming celebration. However, before any of the young men arrive a beggar pushes himself forward and asks for her hand in marriage. To the amazement of all she accepts and is to be married the following year on the same day. Many, including her father try to get her to change her mind, not understanding what she saw in this beggar. On the appointed day a handsome prince arrives to marry her and everyone realizes- what the young woman had discerned- that the beggar was the prince in disguise.
The gospel point is not real apparent. I assume we are supposed to see that people will not understand what we see in Jesus. However, this sounds too much like what I call the “poor Jesus” approach to evangelism- “Why won’t you just give him a chance?”
I would recommend you purchase the Spurgeon story and skip this one.