In a beautiful land far away is a kingdom that is governed by a wise and generous ruler called the High King.
The High King loves the people of his kingdom from the oldest to the very youngest.
He watches over and takes good care of them.
The people live happily and content in peaceful villages, along clear cool streams, and among bountiful fields.
Under the vigilant eye of the High King is the Royal Academy.
It is a special place where children can learn and be trained in the ways of the High King.
The Academy, majestic and regal, is filled with children from all over the kingdom.
This is the story of one of those children and the adventures he had in the Royal Academy.
Your Majesty, you sent for me?
Yes, Michael. Come forward. It's time to select another student to attend the Royal Academy.
Would it please Your Majesty to send for the book now?
It would please me very much.
May we have the Book of Names, please?
Here is my choice. Caleb the Tiller's son. Now let's have a look at this young man.
At once, Your Majesty. Everything is ready, Your Majesty.
So with great joy, the High King, along with his helpful aide Michael, look over the countryside to find the newly selected student.
Aha! It's the lad Caleb, the Tiller's son.
I've done all my chores and finished my lesson. May I go into the village now?
Yes, son. Run along.
Bye.
Fresh fruit?
What? Meat pie?
Not knowing what lies ahead, Caleb and his dog Lance go off into the village.
My, that looks like fun. I wish I could learn to juggle.
Lance, no! I didn't mean to.
Hey, stop that! Come here, you!
Lance, I didn't mean I wanted you to bring me that.
Hey! Give me back my pin.
You mean this thing? Sorry. Here, catch.
Thank you, thank you.
He's all boy.
Try not to get us into any trouble.
Get your meat pies!
What? I mean pies!
Are you hungry, boy?
How about a pie, young man? Only three coppers.
I wasn't talking to you.
Let's find something that doesn't cost so much.
My father gave me just one penny to spend in the village.
Meat pies, cheese, sausage!
I'll have a pennies worth of sausage, please.
A pennies worth? Right away, young sire. Catch.
Lance, no need for both of us to be hungry.
Let's sit and rest a while. It's fun to watch people that come to the village, isn't it?
Look, there's a couple of the High King's elite guard.
I wonder if that means the Prince is in town. Wouldn't it be great if we could see the Prince?
Oh, sire, you dropped something. You dropped your... Wow, a jewel-studded cup.
Anybody found a silver cup? Lad, a traveler, a gentleman, has just reported losing a valuable cup. Have you seen such a thing?
Me, sir? No, I haven't.
Well, if you should find a jeweled cup, you will let me know, won't you?
I... I surely will, sir.
Perhaps you've chosen the wrong lad, your majesty.
I'm not just looking at what he is, Michael, but what he can be. I'm looking deeper into his heart.
Don't look at me like that. It's not like I stole something. I mean, I just found it. It was lying there.
If I didn't pick it up, someone else would have. Probably. Come on, let's go.
They're ripe, juicy, just pick. Everybody should eat an apple every day.
Listen to that, Lance. We should eat an apple every day. It's our duty.
Wow. They'll never miss just one apple.
I like this. Whoops.
Whoops. Whoops. I'll give you whoops.
Come on, Lance. Time to go.
Get him. Stop him.
Watch out, lady.
He stole my apple. Get him.
Stop him. Stop him.
You!
I'm sorry, sire. May I give you a hand?
There he goes. Stop him.
Stop him. Stop him.
Stop him.
Excuse me, ma'am.
Hey!
I've seen enough.
Shall we take the tiller's son off our list?
No, no, not yet. This lad has some rough edges, but let's see what he's really made of. Bring him to the Academy.
Immediately, your majesty.
Send for Aster at once.
Catch him.
He's a thief.
Someone stop him.
There he is.
Phew.
Where'd that guy go?
Oh, forget it.
Well, I can't put up with this. I've got to get back to my job.
Who's gonna help me pick all my apples up?
Phew.
Whoa.
That was a close one. Thanks, big fella. I think we can make it home from here.
Hello, mother. Hello, father.
Well, he's home early. Tell us about your day.
I don't think mother and father would want to hear about this day.
They'd be upset if they knew about me stealing the apple, but I would sure like to tell them about this cup that I found.
Don't look at me like that, Lance.
Is this the home of the tiller?
It is.
I am Aster, captain of the Royal Guard. Is your son here, tiller?
Yes, he is.
I would like to speak with him on behalf of the High King.
Is there something wrong?
The High King has sent his men to arrest me. Oh, I should have never taken that apple.
But there's no need for them to know about the cup.
And so the High King has asked me to bring young Caleb to the Royal Academy.
We have dreamed of this day. He'll be so excited.
I'll get the lad.
Come out here, son. There's someone to see you.
Is this about that apple?
This is about you being chosen to attend the Royal Academy.
But I can't go to the Academy.
What? Not go? Don't be foolish, son.
It's not that I don't want to go. I just can't.
Why not, son?
Well, who'll help father till the field?
Don't worry about that, dear.
But...but...
You just go and make us proud, son.
Ruff!
Up you come, boy. And now we must be off.
Goodbye, son.
God be with you.
Come on, Lance.
Ruff! Ruff!
And so a very reluctant Caleb and his dog set off toward the castle with the High King's guard.
Soon the trees seemed greener and the air smells fresher.
Even the sky above them appears to be shining brighter.
Caleb soon forgets all about the stolen apple and cup.
He is on his way to the place where every child in the kingdom dreams of.
The Royal Academy.
It is there he will prove himself worthy to become one of the King's men.
Wow! I've never been this close to the castle before.
That's where the Prince lives, isn't it?
Yes, it is.
Do you think maybe someday I might even see him?
It's possible. He's been on a long journey, but we expect him back very soon.
Who is that man?
His name is Windright.
You will come to know him as a teacher, a counselor, and above all, a friend.
So, Aster, this is the young man that you were talking about.
Aster, this is the young man the High King has chosen to be with us.
This is the lad. His name is Caleb.
Caleb, in the name of the High King, myself, and all the students,
it pleases me to welcome you to our Academy.
Thank you, sir.
And my dog's name is Lance.
I think we need a friendly dog like Lance around here.
Aster, you do intend to show Caleb around the Academy.
Oh, yes, sir.
This is Woodridge Hall. You'll be having your meals here.
The large building is the Hall of Books, and the smaller ones are classrooms.
What's going on over there?
Oh, that's something you'll also like, our sporting field.
You'll practice archery, fencing, and other games of sport
while you're learning about discipline and teamwork.
Here's a class in session.
Thrust. Parry. On guard, on guard. Footwork, footwork.
Very good.
Wow, sword fighting. I can do that.
Hey, let me play, too. Give me a sword.
This is not playtime, young man. These students are fencing.
They're learning grace, footwork, sportsmanship.
Sounds like fun.
Okay, I'm ready.
Better put on a face mask. This is an advanced class.
Thanks, but I don't need that.
I think Master Caleb is about to be taught his first lesson, Lance.
On guard.
On who?
Oops.
Ah, too shabby.
That was Caleb's lesson in fencing.
Now, let's see how he handles the humility part.
You're pretty good, Stella. Where did you learn to do that?
I learned fencing here at the academy.
Why, why, you're a girl.
Oh, she is, lad.
And one of our best students, too.
No shame in losing to her, young man.
My name is Miranda. What's yours?
I'm Caleb, and this is my dog, Lance.
Hi.
Hi. You're very good with a sword, Miranda.
I was just lucky.
Caleb will be joining the academy.
Then you should meet your classmates.
Miranda, why don't you do the introductions?
All right. Caleb, this is Eric.
Hi, Caleb.
Hi, Eric.
Ow. You've got a grip like a blacksmith's tongs.
Eric is the strongest boy in the academy, and the gentlest.
That's good to know.
And this is Duke.
Hi, Duke.
Yes, charmed, I'm sure.
His name isn't Duke, Caleb. He is a duke, and just a bit stuffy.
These guys look like twins.
We are.
How can anyone tell you apart?
Easy. I'm the smart one.
I'm the good-looking one.
You are not, I am, are not, and two.
And now, last but not least, well, maybe the least.
Or at least the smallest, or, oh dear, this is Tiny.
Tiny? What if I just called you Rocky?
I think it fits you.
Rocky, I like that. I wouldn't mind it at all if you called me Rocky.
I think I'm going to enjoy being here at the academy.
I'm sure you will, Caleb.
Now, come with me. There is more to show you.
This is where you'll stay, Caleb.
I'm sure we will be very comfortable, sir. Thank you.
Ah, that means it's meal time. So wash your hands and report to the dining hall.
Huh? I just washed my hands yesterday.
That was a great meal. Now we can go to an archery class.
Bows and arrows. Let's go.
There's Windright. It's Windright.
Oh, boy, Windright.
Caleb, come on.
Hi, Windright. Are you going to be with us for a while?
Yes, yes.
Are you going to tell us a story?
Yes.
I did what you told me, Windright, and it worked.
Good, good. My, my, what enthusiasm.
And welcome to our newest member, Caleb and his dog, Lance.
Well, do you suppose Lance would listen to a story if I were to tell one?
Yes.
All right, all right.
There's a story here in the great book that I think would be just right for today.
Everybody settle down. The story is about how important it is to be honest in everything we do.
It is the story of a man named Achan and how his dishonesty brought about shame and defeat to all the people of Israel.
After Moses passed his leadership on, it was Joshua's time to lead the Israelites into the land that God had promised them.
So with the sacred Ark of the Covenant going before them, Joshua and the Israelites set off to conquer the promised land.
Now when they got to Jericho, they found the gates of the city were tightly closed.
No one was going in or out.
The king and the people of Jericho were very afraid because they had heard that God had promised their land to the Israelites.
But when Joshua saw the great walled city, he knew the Israelites would need help from God.
So he called upon the Lord, and the Lord answered him.
The Lord has promised that if we obey him, he will deliver the city into our hands.
This is what the Lord has said.
We must march around the city once a day for six days.
The priests will blow the trumpets, but no one else can make a sound.
No shouting or talking.
The children of Israel did exactly as the Lord commanded.
They marched around Jericho once a day for six days.
No word was spoken.
The only sound was the trumpets blowing.
For six days you have marched to obey God's orders.
Today you must march around the city of Jericho seven times.
Did he say seven times?
That's right. Seven times.
Look at those people. They're marching around the city again today.
What do you think they're up to?
I don't know, but they're up to no good.
I'm afraid you're right.
Now, everybody, everybody give a loud shout, for the Lord has given you the city.
Remember what the Lord said.
You are going to see many things of gold and silver,
and there will also be articles of bronze and iron.
All of these things belong to the Lord and must go into the Lord's treasury.
If you take any of these things for yourself, you will be destroying yourself,
and you will bring great trouble on all of us because God will judge us.
The Lord has given you the city.
Oh, my. Oh, my.
Remember, Achan, it all belongs to the Lord.
Come on, let's start hauling this stuff back to camp and put it in the Lord's treasury.
Gold, silver, all I've ever wanted.
Yes, I'll just take a little.
I'm sure the Lord won't mind.
Well, maybe just a little more.
No one will see it, and besides, I deserve it.
I've fought long and hard for this day.
Now I'm going to take what's mine.
Come on, boys, just a little deeper for that gold.
There, that's good.
Now, put it all in.
Oh, very good.
And now, you have a rich father.
Windright?
Yes, Eric?
Why did Achan steal when he knew he shouldn't?
He knew it was wrong.
Ah, but that's just it, my boy.
Achan thought he could get away with stealing because Achan didn't believe what God had said.
When people steal, they never think they'll be caught,
but there's always someone who sees, and there's always a price to pay.
But Jericho is not the end of this story.
Now Joshua and the Israelites were ready to capture the nearby city of Ai.
Eliakim, Eliud, I want you men to go up and spy out the region of Ai.
We need to know how strong the city is
and know how many soldiers we will need to send to take it.
So, what do you think, Iliad?
It's too quiet. This could mean trouble.
What trouble? It's always trouble with you, Iliad.
After the way we conquered Jericho, Ai will be easy.
We saw none of their scouts. They won't expect us.
This won't take as many troops as Jericho.
That's good. Let's prepare for battle.
Aren't they going to do all that neat marching stuff for this battle?
Of course they're going to march, Rocky.
What's a battle without all that marching and yelling and blowing horns?
Isn't that so, Windrite?
Well, not always and not when the Israelites set out to attack Ai.
They didn't use many soldiers, they didn't march, and they didn't blow the trumpets.
But of course, none of that would have mattered because they were doomed before they started.
And it was all because of just one man who failed to obey the Lord's command, Achan.
Now in their battle at Ai, the Israelites discovered that the Lord wasn't helping them anymore.
But suddenly the men from Ai were chasing them.
No one knew that Achan was the problem.
They didn't know that Achan's dishonesty was bringing about their defeat.
Lord, why did you ever bring us to this place?
Just to hand us over to our enemies so they could destroy us.
And the Lord said to Joshua, Israel has sinned.
Someone has stolen some of the things that were devoted to me and they have lied about it.
That is why you can't stand against your enemies.
I cannot honor anyone who dishonors me.
And then the Lord said to Joshua, I will not be with you anymore
unless you get rid of the sin that is destroying Israel.
The Lord asked Joshua to call all the tribes of Israel together the next morning.
The tribe of Judah was singled out to come forward.
And the tribe of Judah came forward clan by clan.
Then the Lord singled out one of the clans and it came forward family by family.
The Lord singled out one of the families and they came forward man by man.
And finally the man Achan came forward.
Achan, the man who thought his sins would never be seen.
Now he was standing before Joshua for judgment for being dishonest.
He was judged and found guilty along with all his family.
Whenright, do you think that Achan was always bad and did what was wrong?
No, I don't think so.
It probably started with something small.
Perhaps he found something that wasn't his and kept it, then told a little lie to cover it.
One thing leads to another and before you know it, you can't tell wrong from right.
That makes a lot of sense, doesn't it, Caleb?
Caleb? Where's Caleb? Where'd he go?
He snuck away.
Oh Lance, what have I done?
I stole that Traveler's silver cup.
It's wrong to steal. No one should ever steal.
What am I going to do now?
Well I know that I let everybody down.
I spin my wheels but I keep losing ground.
And I'm not going anywhere while others run the race.
Seems I'm only running in place.
I run away but I can't run from myself.
Can't put the blame on anybody else.
Well it's one step up and two steps back.
Can't keep up with the pace.
Seems I'm only running in place.
And in my dreams the trophy's mine.
The crowd cheers when I cross that finish line.
But I know that I've let everybody down.
It's time to turn this crazy thing around.
And take my head out of my hands.
Wipe the tears off of my face.
I've got to stop running in place.
I've got it! I know what I'll do.
Caleb was right here. Then he was gone.
Lance is gone too.
Winwright, why do you think Caleb left us?
I think he probably had some things to take care of.
We all have times when we have to make decisions.
It's decision time for Caleb, just like all of you.
Are you going to live lives that are honest or dishonest?
Honest lives!
That's right, because here's what happened to the children of Israel and the city of Ai.
Because Israel put away the sin of dishonesty, they won the next battle.
They conquered the city of Ai.
And as long as they obeyed God, His blessings followed them wherever they went.
That was a great story, Winwright.
Remember, kids, honesty is always the right way to live.
Looks like the class is learning another great lesson.
But what about Caleb? Are you sure you picked the right boy, Your Majesty?
Time will tell, Michael.
After his first day at the Royal Academy, Caleb was feeling very ashamed.
But he was determined never to steal again.
Find out if Caleb returns the Silver Cup to its rightful owner and frees himself from his prison of dishonesty
in the next Adventures of the Royal Academy,
where Caleb discovers there is still much to learn about honesty and truthfulness.
Now all my horizons aren't looking very clear, and here I stand alone today.
But there is a small voice, who'll finally lead me home to the truth that sets me free.
I will take the road, but will make me strong, make me grow stronger.
I will take the road, the one that is true, the road that leads me to you.
Thank you.