During the 1940’s, a pup named Judy was born in Shanghai, China. Judy was a “Pointer,” which is a kind of dog that often lifts one paw and looks in a certain direction to try and “point” something out. Although Judy never learned to “point,” she was very good at many other jobs.
In the navy, sailors sometimes like to have a dog as a pet for everyone on the ship. This dog, or “mascot” as it is called, sails with the ship and is a friend to all. When Judy was young, the sailors on the British ship the HMS Gnat voted to get a a mascot. The captain of the ship bought Judy from a Chinese pet store. Snd soon she was sailing around, exploring the world with her new sailor friends.
On board the Gnat, Judy was given a blanket to sleep on. She was also trained not to go into the kitchen, since the cooks didn’t want a dog around. Once while Judy was living on the HMS Gnat she fell overboard into the water. To save their beloved mascot, the sailors brought the ship to a full stop. They lowered a motorboat over the side and sent it out to fetch Judy. In the logbook which the sailors were required to keep, they wrote down that they were practicing a “man overboard” exercise! Another time, when some river pirates were trying to sneak up on the HMS Gnat in the dark, Judy barked loudly to warn her sailor friends. Thanks to Judy, the crew woke up in time to chase off the pirates, and the ship was saved!
Though small, Judy helped the sailors in big ways. When enemy planes were headed toward her ship, Judy heard them before anyone else and barked loudly to let the crew know.
After sailing on the HMS Gnat for a while, Judy was moved to another ship called the HMS Grasshopper. Once again, Judy’s excellent hearing warned the sailors when enemy planes were flying the “unfriendly skies, since she could hear the planes before the men ever knew they were coming.
Judy was also very good at keeping her crew calm when they sailed into battle. But one day disaster struck the HMS Grasshopper. The ship was hit by bombs and began to sink! Judy was trapped below deck as the ship went down. Her friends thought she was lost forever.
Brave Judy did not give up, however. Using her sharp doggie senses, she wriggled and swam and found a way out of the sinking ship. She paddled and kept paddling through the dark waters until she was rescued. But now a new problem arose! Though Judy and many of her sailor friends had survived the shipwreck, they found themselves stranded on a desert island. Even there, Judy found ways to help her friends. On the island, she used her special skills to find fresh water and also to keep the men safe. What an amazing dog!
After many more dangerous adventures together, Judy and her sailor friends were captured by enemy soldiers. As prisoners of war, they were taken to a camp, which served as a jail for men the enemy caught. Dog’s weren’t allowed in the camps, but Judy’s friend Frank smuggled her in. He couldn’t leave his loyal doggie friend behind!
In the camp, clever Judy soon learned how to sneak extra food for the prisoners. She warned them when the prison guards, who were not very nice, were coming to where the prisoners were. One day, the guards took all the prisoners and loaded them up into a ship. This was a scary thing. None of the prisoners knew where they were going, or why! Through it all, Judy still wanted to be with her dear friend Frank. Sensing that there was great danger, she hid silently in a sack on Frank’s back for hours.
During that terrible war, sailors on both sides were always trying to sink the ship of the other. Even a ship filled with prisoners wasn’t safe! As luck (or bad luck) would have it, the prisoner ship Judy was on sank just like the HMS Grasshopper did! Once again, Judy found herself in the deep ocean waters. And once again, Judy survived. She even helped sailors in the water by bringing them things to hang onto! Amazingly enough, and against all odds, Judy and Frank found each other again! To Frank and all of the sailors, even in the hardest of days, Judy was a faithful friend. The Bible says a good friend “sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24). Judy never left her friends’ sides, even through impossible odds. She teaches us to be faithful and give comfort when others need it most. With God’s help, you can be a loyal friend like Judy!
Today’s Action Plan:
- Thank God for examples of devotion like Judy that inspire us.
- Draw Judy sailing with sailors to remember to stand by friends.
- Share Judy’s story and discuss ways you can comfort those who need encouragement.
Note: If you would like to read Judy’s entire story, there is a book about her named “Judy: A Dog in a Million.” If you aren’t able to buy it at this time, you might be able to borrow it through your local library.
