Sympathy For The Old Troll

There once was an old troll who dwelt in a cave.
The old troll was monstrous — morally depraved.
For many years the troll was alone,
The Troll was alone with a heart like a stone.

The cave in which he dwelt was cold, dark, and damp.
In the deepest pit of the cave, the troll kept camp.
The old troll was helpless of any escape,
From his cold, dark, cavernous grave.

There was also a young boy named Evan,
Who heard stories from his elders of the old troll's transgressions.
The old troll would pillage villages in his younger age.
He would fight off soldiers with all his rage.

Though the sins of the troll were vile and harsh,
The state of the troll broke Evan's heart.
For Evan served a great King,
Who can change the heart of even the vilest thing.

The King gave him a great commission,
To seek out lost hearts, and souls in horrible conditions.
The King gave Evan a lamp to help him on his missions,
The lamp gives Evan guidance and much better vision.

The King also gifted Evan a sword,
To protect him as he explored.
In a dangerous world, where there is reason to be alarmed,
Evan had his sword to protect him from harm.

The King gave Evan one other thing he would need:
A small bag full of seeds.
The little seeds that Evan possessed,
Were to be laid down after a quest.

The way to the Troll’s cave was through miles of wilderness;
The wilderness was filled with harshness, evil, bitterness.
Though the troll was so vile, and the mission was so scary,
Evan left home to guide the troll to the King's sanctuary.


Evan gathered his gifts, and thought of one thing,
His good, mighty, and gracious King.
The thought of his King made Evan brave,
So he could find the old troll who dwelt in a cave.

In the wilderness, there were mighty beats,
One was a lion who sought after a feast.
Yet Evan held tightly to his sword,
When he heard the big lion roar.

Another was a serpent — deceiving and cunning,
With just a few of its words, travelers go stumbling.
Yet Evan knew the serpent was a fiend,
And he pressed on, remembering his King.

There were also wolves — wild and untamed,
They were to be avoided and called out by name.
Just like the serpent, the wolves were deceiving,
They were hard to pick beacuse for they wore sheep's clothing.

Yet Evan stayed wise and remembered his King,
When the beasts came his way, he gave his sword a swing.
The beasts ran away with the swing of the sword,
And Evan continued marching forward.

Finally, Evan arrived at his goal,
The deep, dark cave; the home of the troll.
Though the cave was deep and damp,
Evan did not fear but pulled out his lamp.

The light of Evan's lamp pierced through the cave's darkness,
The light guided Evan's feet through the cave's harshness.
Evan found the troll in the deepest pit of the cave,
Then immediately he proclaimed,

"I know the way out of this cave old troll,
I know a sanctuary that will heal your burdened soul.
Old troll, in your past you have caused much pain,
Though I plead, do not be dismayed.

Though your iniquities are indeed colossal,
I have come to tell you about the gospel.
The King I serve he commits no vice,
Yet for his people, he paid the price.

My King reigns victorious over death and sin,
Now sinners' redemption has been accomplished through him.
You can be rescued from this miserable place,
No sinner who approaches the King will be turned away.

Evan then saw the old troll stand,
The troll was one of the tallest things in the land.
The troll looked straight at the young fellow,
Then gave out a great bellow,

"I shall decline,
It is in this cave in which I reside.
In this cave, I find great joy,
So I reject your offer, you foolish boy,

You see, it was I myself who dug this hole.
It is in my nature to dig beneath the Earth's coal.
We are two different creatures, you and I.
We have two different ways we want to live by.

I am pleased with my lawless life.
Rules and regulations give me strife.
Young man, do not feel bad that I live in this hole,
What is miserable to you, is lovely for an old troll,"

Evan was shocked and dismayed.
How can this creature live happily in a cave?
When all the joys in life come from one thing,
The good, mighty, gracious King.

Then Evan replied, with fury in his eyes, "You are the fool old troll,
I thought I could rescue your endangered soul,
Yet, I should have known,
You have a heart like a stone.

Old Troll can you not see,
That this cave is lesser than the sanctuary of the King?
The sanctuary is full of love, peace, and glee,
Yet you would rather die than bend your knee."

The Old Troll chuckled at Evan's frustration,
"Young boy, you care for my salvation.
You have a kind heart, that I do see,
However, I do not need your sympathy."

Evan's fury then turned to sorrow,
Why must the road to the King be so narrow?
Evan turned his back and let out a sigh,
Though before he left, he gave a reply.

"You are happy in this miserable cave,
You take pleasure in digging your own grave.
I will return to the home from which I was sent,
I just hope that one day you will repent."

Then Evan left and the Troll was alone,
Yet the Troll became weary of his heart of stone.
The Troll became aware of the wretch he became,
Then he felt a great weight of shame.

The Troll became broken and cried a lament,
“From my sins, I wish to repent.
Yet who can forgive a monster such as I,
Now in this cave, I must die.”

Though There was one thing that the Troll did not know,
Evan had dropped a seed on a stone.
At the drop of a seed, the King made his way,
To find the Old Troll who dwelt in a cave.

Into the wilderness, the King progressed,
No beast or fiend gave the King stress,
Even lion, the serpent, and the wolves,
All hid away when the King entered the woods.

When the King found the wretched cave,
The King went in to find its wretched slave,
Neither the darkness nor the harshness of the cave,
Could keep the King from the monster he was to save.

The King found the deep pit,
And the Old Troll sitting in it,
When the King was in the Troll’s sight,
The Troll had a great fright.

Yet the King reached out his hand,
To guide the Troll to a greater land,
To the cave, the Troll was no longer a prisoner,
For the great King saves sinners.