The Prince’s Poison Cup by R. C. Sproul

A young girl doesn’t want to take her medicine because of the taste. When her grandpa comes over, she asks him, “Why is my medicine so yucky if it’s going to make me well?” Her grandpa offers a story to help her understand.

There was once a great King of Life who make a beautiful park for his people to dwell. In the center of the park was a fountain from which they were instructed not to drink. One day, the king’s enemy appeared in the park and convinced the people that drinking the water would make them great like the king. They believed and drank the water. After they drank it, they no longer felt love for the king, and so moved away from the park and built a city- The City of Man.

The king gave the prince a difficult mission: if he would go to The City of Man and drink from the poisoned fountain in the center of the city, the king’s subjects would be healed and could come back to the park. The road to the City of Man was hard and once he entered, the prince was treated terribly. Although his friends all deserted him, the prince came to the fountain and drank a cup of the poison. It tasted bitter and burned his throat. He wanted to spit it out, but because of the promise he made to his father, he drank it all. Then he died.

Suddenly, the King of Life appeared and brought his son back to life. The fountain of poison changed to clear, sweet water. The prince then offered this water to the people, and some came forward with changed hearts. Then, those people began to visit the park once again.

This beautifully illustrated picture book is a very clear and understandable allegory of creation, the fall, and redemption through Christ.  Sproul’s children’s books are a bit lengthier, but if your child’s attention span can make it about 10 minutes, it is a lovely read. Because it is an allegory, there are some things that we cannot fit perfectly into scripture, but Sproul does a wonderful job of creating a captivating story for children while pointing to Christ’s redemptive work. It is dripping with Biblical truth and I highly recommend it for your family!

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There are 13 questions and answers included at the back of the book for discussion!