Samson was not the captain of an army, like Joshua and Barak and Gideon. He fought the Philistines alone. He used to go out by himself, when they were not looking for him, and surprise them. The favorite stories of the Israelites were the adventures of Samson, as the favorite stories of the Greeks were the adventures of Hercules. One time, they said, he caught three hundred foxes and tied their tails together, and in each knot he put a lighted torch, and away went the foxes with the firebrands into the standing corn, and burned it down. Another time, the Philistines were after him, and he let his neighbors tie him with ropes and leave him on a rock. And three thousand Philistines were in pursuit, and when they saw him they gave a great shout and rushed upon him; and he burst the ropes, and picked up a dry bone, the jawbone of an ass, and fought the Philistines with it so that they fled like frightened sheep. Once he was in the town of Gaza, which had stout walls around it. And they thought that they had him fast. But in the night, he took the great gates of the city, and picked them up, and the posts with them, and carried them off. And when the Philistines awoke in the morning, Samson was gone, and there were the gates away up on the side of a hill. But at last, after Samson’s wife was dead, he fell in love with another Philistine woman, whose name was Delilah. And she was a false friend. For the Philistines said to Delilah, “Come now, get Samson to tell you the secret of his strength, that we may have the mastery of him, and we will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver.” And she promised to do it. So Delilah said, “Tell me, Samson, what is the secret of your strength? What is the way to bind you so that you cannot get loose?” And Samson answered, “If I were bound with seven new bowstrings I should be as weak as any other man.” And Delilah said, “Oh, Samson, let me try; let me see if I can tie you so that you cannot get free.” And Samson held out his arms, and she tied seven new bowstrings tight about him with hard knots. And the lords of the Philistines were in the next room, waiting. And Delilah cried, “The Philistines be upon thee, Samson!” And he started up, and broke the bowstrings as if they were strings which had been scorched in the fire. So the secret of his strength was not known. But the next day, Delilah teased Samson again to tell the secret. “You mocked me, yesterday,” she said, “and told me lies. Now, truly, Samson, how may you be bound so that you must stay bound?” And Samson said, “If I were to be tied with new ropes which have never been used, then I should be as weak as any other man.” So Delilah took new ropes and tied him fast. And the lords of the Philistines were in the next room, waiting. And Delilah cried, “The Philistines be upon thee, Samson!” And he broke the ropes as if they had been thread.