As a child, Cuthbert loved to play games with his friends. He was strong and very agile and would often boast of his ability to beat older children at sports such as wrestling, running and jumping. Later in life he once told a certain Bishop Trumwine about an incident in his childhood that changed his life. It happened when he was about eight years old (AD 642).

One day a large crowd of boys were playing games in a field. Cuthbert was among them, thoroughly enjoying himself. Suddenly an infant who was no more than three years old began to severely reprimand him. Cuthbert could not believe his eyes. This little boy stood before Cuthbert in front of the astonished crowd of children and spoke to him as if he were Cuthbert’s father He told Cuthbert that he should not be wasting his time in games, when God was preparing him for something far more important. Cuthbert laughed, along with th8 other boys, but the little infant then threw himself on the ground and sobbed uncontrollably. Cuthbert began to become concerned and tried to cheer him up, but as he did so the child looked at him and once again told him to give up idle play and prepare himself for the ministry to which God was calling him. The crowd of onlookers were particularly astonished when he referred to Cuthbert as a 'most holy priest and bishop’.

This experience made a great impression on Cuthbert and he clearly carried an expectation that the good things of the kingdom of God were not just for adults, but for children as well. He had experienced prophetic gifting in an infant, and he was in no doubt that such gifts were available to the very young.