The Story of Tamar the Widow

Genesis 38:12-26

In Beth's neighborhood lived a woman named Old Florence. Old Florence was a widow because her husband had been killed by an out-of-control laundry machine many years before.
Although Old Florence was a nice woman who gave candy to the children, many people made fun of her because she lived all alone. They said that she was ugly and that her husband had been glad that the laundry machine had killed him so that he wouldn't have to look at her ugly face any more. People also said that Old Florence was worthless because she didn't have any children.
All of this made Beth very sad. One day, she went to her mother and said, "Mother, I don't want to play with my friends because they always talk mean about Old Florence. Why does anyone even care that she doesn't have any children?"
"It is very important for a woman to have children, Dear One," said Beth's mother. "Here, let me tell you a story about another widow who had no children."
And this is the story she told:

One day, there was a widow named Tamar. Because she was a widow she always wore funeral clothes. Tamar was upset because no babies had ever grown in her tummy, and her father-in-law, Judah, would not let her have sex with her brother-in-law Shelah because he thought that Tamar was bad luck.
One day, Tamar saw that Judah was going on a trip to Timnath so she took off her funeral clothes and put on another outfit and a veil. Then she sat out in the open on the road to Timnath and waited for Judah.
When Judah saw Tamar, he did not recognize her and assumed that she was a women who let men put their penises in her for money because she had a veil on. So he walked up to her and said, "Can I put my penis in you?"
"What will you give me if I let you put your penis in me?" asked Tamar.
"How about a baby goat?" asked Judah.
"Okay," said Tamar. "But you better let me keep your jewelry and your walking stick until you bring me the goat. That way I know that I can trust you."
"That sounds like a good idea," said Judah. Then he gave Tamar his jewelry and his walking stick and put his penis in her so that a baby grew in her tummy.
After that, Tamar put her funeral clothes back on.
Judah asked his friend Adullamite to bring Tamar the baby goat, but Adullamite couldn't find Tamar. Adullamite asked a man who lived on the road to Timnath, "Where is that woman who lets men put their penises in her for money who used to be standing by the road?"
"There is no woman who lets men put their penises in her for money around here," said the man.
So Adullamite went back to Judah and said, "I can't find her. Should I try again?"
"No," said Judah. "It would be embarrassing for us to ask more than once. At least we tried."
About three months later, someone came to Judah and said, "Tamar pretended to be a woman who lets men put their penises in her for money and you started a baby growing in her tummy."
"That's too bad," said Judah. "We'd better get her and set her on fire."
When Judah's servants brought Tamar to him, Tamar said, "I've got your jewelry and your walking stick to prove that you made this baby grow in my tummy."
"Those are my things," said Judah. "I suppose that what she did was wrong, but I was wrong not to let my son Shelah put his penis in her." And Judah never put his penis in Tamar again.

Beth thought about this for a moment. "Wow," Beth said, "Tamar sure worked hard to make sure she could have a baby, didn't she?"
"Yes she did, Dear One," said Beth's mother. "Now do you see what is wrong with Old Florence? She must not have tried very hard at all. I'm sure that when your time comes, you'll work just as hard as Tamar did."
Beth smiled and hugged her mother. "I sure will, Mother," she said. All her questions had been answered, so she ran out to play with her friends.