,frontispiece3 ,joseph sold by his      
brethren4       ,,children  ,,of ,,the  
,,old ,,testament      ,,thomas ,,nelson
 ,,and ,,sons1 ,,ltd4  ,london1         
,edinburgh1 and ,new ,york  #aijh       
,,contents4     ,,joseph ,,the ,,dreamer
   ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,benjamin   ,,the
 ,,child ,,moses   ,,ruth ,,the         
,,gleaner   ,,the ,,child ,,samuel      
,,david ,,the ,,shepherd ,,youth        
,,king ,,david',s ,,little ,,boy        
,,elijah ,,and ,,the ,,widow',s ,,son   
,,the ,,shunammite',s ,,boy   ,a        
,,little ,,jewish ,,maid     ,,list ,,of
 ,,illustrations   ,joseph sold by his  
brethren 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,frontispiece
  ,the babe among the bulrushes  ,ruth  
and ,naomi  ,the child ,samuel  ,david  
and ,goliath  ,naaman at the house of   
,elisha     ,,children ,,of ,,the ,,old 
,,testament4   ,,joseph ,,the ,,dreamer4
  ,two boys1 ,joseph and ,benjamin1 sons
 of a rich ,eastern shepherd1 lived in  
their father's wide tent in the great   
valley of ,hebron4  ,joseph was about   

seventeen years of age1 and tall and    
strong1 so that he could drive sheep1   
herd cattle1 and work in the harvest    
field4  ,benjamin was a little          
red-cheeked boy of five1 with merry     
brown eyes1 and his brother ,joseph     
loved him very dearly1 for their mother 
was dead4  ,the father of the boys1     
whose name was ,jacob1 had thousands of 
sheep and hundreds of camels1 asses1 and
 cattle1 so that he was looked upon as a
 very rich man2 and he had ten grown-up 
sons1 who roamed about the country      
feeding the sheep in the green valleys  
and by the water-brooks4  ,joseph was   
dearly loved by ,jacob1 because the boy 
had been born when his father was an old
 man2 and that was one reason why his   
older brothers hated ,joseph and did all
 they could to annoy him4  ,perhaps they
 feared that their father would leave   
all his wealth to his favourite son1 and
 you know that this sometimes makes     
quarrels among brothers and sisters4    
,now ,jacob showed his special love for 

,joseph by making him a coat of many    
colours--a long tunic with stripes of   
red1 green1 blue1 and yellow1 having a  
coloured fringe at the knee1 and a      
bright shawl to bind it closely round   
his waist4  ,joseph was very proud of   
this coat1 but the others hated both it 
and him1 believing that he would get the
 best of everything from their          
father--all but ,reuben1 the eldest1 who
 loved the lad1 and smiled kindly when  
he saw his gay tunic4  ,one day at the  
harvest-time the sons of ,jacob were all
 at home1 cutting down the yellow grain1
 and taking it away on the backs of     
asses to the threshing-place4  ,joseph1 
of course1 worked with them1 but they   
were always finding fault with him1 and 
trying to vex him4  ,he knew1 however1  
that his father loved him1 and this made
 him able to bear their unkindness with 
patience4  ,besides1 his mind was filled
 with boyish thoughts of how great he   
would be1 and what he would do1 when he 
grew up to be a man4  ,he was very      

strong for his years1 and joined with   
the women in tying the grain into       
bundles1 and loading it on the asses2   
and it was very hard work1 indeed1 out  
there in the scorching ,eastern sun4    
,but rest came at night4  ,when ,joseph 
lay down with his little brother on a   
heap of straw at the back of the tent1  
he slept soundly1 and dreamt the golden 
dreams of youth4  ,he dreamt one night  
that they were all binding sheaves once 
more out in the sunny field1 and his    
brothers' sheaves rose up and bowed down
 to his sheaf4  ,joseph took it all in  
earnest1 and next day he told the dream 
to his brothers1 perhaps as they were   
sitting at their midday meal in the     
shade of a spreading tree2 but he soon  
knew from their angry faces that they   
saw nothing pleasant in it1 and when his
 story was told they called out to      
him1--  ,shalt thou1 indeed1 reign over 
us8  ,they were jealous of him1 and1 of 
course1 this did not make them any      
kinder to the young lad4  ,but ,joseph  

remembered what his father had told     
him--that dreams were sometimes messages
 from ,god2 and he believed that his    
dream was a message1 and that he would  
one day be greater than all his         
brothers4  ,they also believed in       
dreams1 and feared that what the boy had
 dreamt might come true1 so that they   
began to hate him all the more4  ,in    
those days people thought that the stars
 had a great deal to do with their      
lives2 and certain men said that they   
could tell what would happen to a       
new-born child when he grew up by       
looking at the stars which were to be   
seen in the sky at the time of his      
birth4  ,now ,joseph looked often at the
 stars1 and wondered who placed them    
there1 and what they had to do with him4
  ,and one night as he lay asleep in his
 father's tent he had another dream1 and
 this time it was about the stars that  
could be seen through a slit in the     
tent1 gleaming and sparkling in the dark
 blue sky4  ,he dreamt that the sun and 

the moon and eleven of the largest of   
the twinkling stars came and bowed down 
to him4  ,he told this dream also to his
 angry brothers1 as well as to the old  
man his father1 who gently checked him  
for his vain thoughts4  ,he had1        
however1 a soaring mind1 and had more   
dreams still1 of which we are not told1 
so that his brothers gave him1 partly in
 mockery1 the name of ,joseph the       
,dreamer4  ,now at certain seasons grass
 was somewhat scarce in the ,vale of    
,hebron1 so at one time ,jacob sent his 
sons away with their sheep and cattle to
 seek food in other valleys where the   
grass was longer green4  ,they went     
along the hills to the beautiful ,vale  
of ,shechem1 fifty miles away2 and after
 some time had passed the old shepherd  
began to wonder if they were all well1  
for he had not heard from them for some 
days4  ,it was his usual custom when his
 sons were away from home to send a     
messenger to them with cheese1 butter1  
and wine1 and other nice things to eat2 

and this time he asked ,joseph to go4   
,now1 a camel ride of fifty miles was   
not an easy undertaking1 for there were 
robbers in these parts1 and the old man 
was much pleased when ,joseph said he   
was not afraid to set out on the        
journey4  ,mounted on a strong camel1   
with side baskets filled with cakes of  
figs1 dried raisins1 parched corn1 and  
leather bottles of oil and wine1 the    
young lad rode away4  ,he was dressed in
 his favourite coat of many colours1    
protected by his long cloak1 while a    
bright kerchief covered his head1 and a 
spear and club hung at his saddle4  ,and
 as his father watched him going along  
the yellow track and over the hill      
towards the ,bethlehem road1 he sent up 
a prayer for his safe return4  ,when    
,joseph came in due time to the ,vale of
 ,shechem1 he wandered about asking the 
few people he met for his brothers2 and 
at last he was told by a certain man    
that he must ride to a place called     
,dothan1 where there were two wells1 for

 his brothers were there feeding their  
flocks4 ,this he did1 and in due time   
came to the spot where his brothers were
 resting4  ,who is this coming over the 
hill from ,shechem8 said the brothers to
 each other1 as they shaded their eyes  
with their hands to watch ,joseph coming
 down the track into the plain4  ,they  
expected more riders to follow him1 but 
no more came1 and they wondered who the 
lonely traveller could be4  ,after a    
time the newcomer urged his camel into a
 trot across the plain1 and they soon   
saw that it was ,joseph4  ,behold1 this 
dreamer cometh6 cried one4  ,now they   
had their father's favourite in their   
power4  ,let us slay him for his dreams1
 and throw him into some pit1 said      
another2 and we will say that some wild 
beast has eaten him up4  ,but ,reuben1  
one of the ten1 would not hear of       
hurting the lad1 though he agreed to    
their putting him into a pit2 for he had
 made up his mind that when the night   
came he would help the lad out again1   

and send him home to his father4        
,shouting to his brothers in his joy at 
finding them1 ,joseph urged on his      
camel2 but no answering shout came back 
again1 and his heart sank within him4   
,his camel knelt on the ground1 and     
leaping off its back1 he turned to his  
nearest brother for the kiss of welcome2
 but a strong arm warded him off4  ,he  
turned to another in surprise1 only to  
meet with the same cold dislike4  ,he   
told them what his father had sent1 and 
took out the presents from the          
camel-bags1 giving them the old         
shepherd's kind messages4  ,but it was  
all of no use4  ,he could not make      
friends of these dark1 bearded men1     
whose flashing eyes spoke only of their 
bitter hatred towards the young lad     
their brother4  ,seizing him roughly1   
they stripped him of his coat of many   
colours1 and leading him to a deep hole 
in the ground called a pit1 they pushed 
him in4  ,what would become of his      
dreams now8  ,let him die there of      

thirst and hunger1 they said1 as they   
turned to feast upon the good things the
 lad had brought to them with such a    
joyful heart4  ,meanwhile ,reuben had   
gone away1 so as not to see his brother 
treated cruelly2 and now the men feasted
 together in sullen silence1 for they   
were by no means happy4  ,while they sat
 eating they watched a string of camels 
come over the hills to the north1 and   
draw nearer and nearer across the plain2
 and before long they saw that the      
travellers were a band of merchants     
taking slaves and spices to the distant 
land of ,egypt4  ,slaves6  ,that was the
 very thing2 and a flush came over the  
face of ,judah as he said to his        
brothers1--  ,what shall we gain if we  
kill our brother8  ,let us sell him to  
these men4  ,let us not harm him1 for1  
after all1 he is our brother4  ,so they 
helped ,joseph out of the pit and showed
 him to the merchants1 who saw that he  
was a handsome lad1 such as would bring 
a good price in the slave-market in     

,egypt1 where red-cheeked boys were of  
greater value than black boys of the    
desert2 and they bought him for twenty  
silver pieces1 which they counted out to
 ,judah upon the ground4  ,tied with a  
rope like a dog to his master's camel1  
,joseph was led away by the dusky       
merchants on their slow march to ,egypt4
  ,they did not heed his cries and      
tears1 for they bought and sold boys and
 girls1 as other men bought and sold    
sheep and cattle1 almost every day of   
their lives4  ,when night drew near1 and
 ,reuben came quietly towards the edge  
of the pit and called his young         
brother's name1 he got no answer but the
 sighing of the wind in the grass4      
,believing that the lad was dead1       
,reuben tore his clothes in his grief1  
and ran quickly to his brothers' tents2 
but they hid the truth from him1 and    
having dipped ,joseph's tunic in the    
blood of a goat which they had killed1  
they brought it to his father4  ,this   
have we found1 they said4  ,tell us now 

whether it is your son's coat or not4   
,then the old man knew it at once1 and  
said1 ,it is my son's coat2 an evil     
beast has devoured him4  ,joseph is     
without doubt rent in pieces4 ,and in   
his bitter grief he tore his garments   
after the manner of his people1 while   
his sons and daughters tried in vain to 
comfort him4  ,i will go down to the    
grave1 he said1 mourning for my son4    
,,the ,,story ,,of ,,benjamin4  ,i4     
,joseph was bought from the merchants by
 an officer who had command over the    
soldiers of ,pharaoh1 the ruler of      
,egypt2 and after a time of trial he    
prospered so well that he became one of 
the chief officers of the king1 having  
among other tasks the care of the royal 
granaries or storehouses of corn4  ,now 
,joseph1 who was very wise and          
thoughtful1 caused great storehouses of 
brick to be set up in all the cities1   
and he told the people to place in these
 granaries one-tenth of the yield of    
each year's harvest4 ,this he did to    

guard against any time of famine which  
might fall upon the land4  ,for seven   
years of plenty this was done1 and after
 that there came upon the land and upon 
all the lands round about seven years of
 famine2 and only in the land of ,egypt 
was there corn for the people4  ,and    
when the people cried to ,pharaoh for   
bread he said1 ,go unto ,joseph2 what he
 saith to you1 do4  ,then ,joseph opened
 all the storehouses1 and sold corn to  
the ,egyptians4  ,and from all the      
countries round about people came into  
,egypt to buy corn4  ,far away in the   
,vale of ,hebron the famine was sore1   
and the sons of ,jacob did not know what
 to do4  ,then when things were at their
 worst news came to ,jacob that there   
was corn in ,egypt4  ,so he sent his ten
 sons away with their empty sacks and   
their asses to buy corn for their       
families4  ,they wished to take their   
young brother ,benjamin with them1 but  
their father would not allow them4  ,he 
had lost ,joseph1 he said1 and he would 

not risk ,benjamin with them4  ,having  
crossed many a weary mile of yellow sand
 and barren rock1 they were stopped by a
 high wall set with forts and gates     
guarded by soldiers2 and they had to say
 what they wanted before they were      
allowed to pass into ,egypt4  ,for days 
they walked by the side of the great    
river ,nile1 along the road to ,memphis1
 where the king's stores were1 and at   
length they saw the city upon an island 
in the river4  ,stepping into broad     
ferry-boats with their animals1 they    
were taken over1 and went up the long   
road1 lined on each side with the       
figures of winged lions in stone1       
towards the wide market-place of the    
great city4  ,there they made known what
 they wanted1 saying that they had come 
from ,hebron to buy corn2 and their     
names and business were written down on 
a tablet1 which was taken to the keeper 
of the granaries4  ,word soon came that 
they must go before the keeper2 and they
 were warned to be careful what they    

said1 for he was one of the king's chief
 officers4  ,taking off their sandals   
and cloaks at the steps1 the ten ,hebrew
 shepherds went between the pillars at  
the door and stood waiting4  ,within sat
 a young ,egyptian1 dressed in a robe of
 white linen1 and wearing a great black 
wig of horsehair with many small plaits4
  ,his scribes sat at tables below him1 
writing down any orders he might wish to
 give4  ,an ,egyptian soldier told the  
sons of ,jacob to go forward4  ,then the
 ten men went in and knelt down humbly  
before the young ,egyptian2 nor did they
 rise until he gave them leave4  ,he    
looked at them and frowned1 and they    
were afraid4  ,where do you come from8  
the officer asked sharply4  ,from the   
land of ,canaan1 to buy corn1 was the   
humble answer4  ,you are spies6 he cried
 in a passion4  ,you have come to spy   
out the weakness of the land4  ,what is 
your calling8  ,who are your friends8   
,the ten ,hebrews could scarcely speak  
for terror4  ,they had heard terrible   

stories of how these fierce ,egyptians  
never allowed spies to get out of their 
country alive4  ,no1 my lord2 thy       
servants have come to buy food1 said    
one4  ,we are all one man's sons1 cried 
another4  ,we are honest men2 thy       
servants are no spies1 pleaded a third4 
,but the great ,egyptian only listened  
with a frown to their whining voices4   
,no1 he replied firmly2 you have come to
 spy out the weakness of ,egypt4  ,is   
your father alive8  ,have you another   
brother8  ,why was this man so angry    
with them8 they wondered4  ,we belong to
 one family of twelve brothers1 ,judah  
replied4  ,we have a father1 an old man1
 and another brother1 the child of his  
old age1 and he alone is left of his    
mother's children1 and his father loves 
him much4  ,we are the sons of one man  
in ,canaan1 and truly the youngest is   
now with our father1 and one other is   
dead4  ,was he still angry8  ,they      
lifted their dark eyes to the stern face
 of the young ,egyptian4  ,i see you are

 spies1 was the harsh reply1 but his    
voice was softer4 ,in this way ,i will  
prove you4  ,by the king's life1 you    
shall not go back unless your younger   
brother is brought here to me4  ,send   
one among you to bring him1 and the rest
 of you shall be kept in prison until he
 returns4  ,so shall ,i prove whether   
what you say is true4  ,if you will not 
do this1 then by the king's life you are
 spies indeed6  ,he waved them away with
 his hand1 and the ,egyptian soldiers   
pushed them out at the door1 telling    
them that they must come away at once to
 prison4  ,as they sat on the earthen   
floor of the prison looking at each     
other in silence1 they felt amazed and  
full of sorrow1 thinking that they would
 never see their tents and their little 
ones again4  ,for they did not know that
 the king's officer was their own       
brother ,joseph1 and that instead of    
being angry1 he was really filled with  
joy at seeing them after twenty years of
 separation4  ,as for his angry words1  

he was only trying them1 and meant      
nothing but kindness1 as we shall see4  
,,ii4  ,joseph's brothers were to be    
kept in prison until they settled who   
should ride back in haste to ,hebron to 
bring ,benjamin down into ,egypt2 but   
,joseph's heart was tender1 and after a 
while he began to think that perhaps he 
had been too harsh with them4  ,one man1
 he told himself1 could not carry enough
 corn to feed all the starving families 
in ,hebron1 and it might be dangerous   
for him to ride back alone4  ,his old   
father1 too1 would be anxious4  ,so he  
sent word to the prison that the        
brothers might all go home but ,simeon1 
who must stay in prison until the rest  
came back with their young brother4  ,he
 also gave orders that they were to have
 their corn-sacks filled1 and that each 
man's money was to be secretly tied up  
again in the mouth of his sack4  ,all   
the brothers were glad but ,simeon1 who 
begged them to come back as quickly as  
they could2 and riding on their high    

camels1 with their well-laden asses tied
 to each other in a long line1 they left
 the ,egyptian city1 thankful to get    
away1 and went back to their old father 
in ,hebron4  ,jacob was glad to see them
 again1 but he would not believe their  
story about ,simeon being left behind2  
and he refused to let them have         
,benjamin1 for he said that ,joseph was 
once taken and never came back1 and that
 the same fate would befall the other   
son of his old age4  ,when they said    
that the ,egyptian ruler had ordered    
them to bring their young brother down1 
their old father only asked1 with       
flashing eyes1 why they told the        
,egyptian that they had another brother4
  ,they replied quite truly that he     
asked them the question4  ,jacob did not
 believe them1 and this made him all the
 more determined not to trust ,benjamin 
with them4  ,but the corn which they had
 brought was soon finished1 and the old 
man urged his sons to go back to ,egypt 
for more4  ,they refused to do so unless

 they could take ,benjamin with them2   
and after holding out for a long time1  
at last their father yielded4  ,he bade 
them make up a little present of honey  
and dates and simple country things for 
the terrible ,egyptian1 hoping that the 
great man would not be unkind to his    
youngest son4  ,then with hands upraised
 he asked ,god's blessing upon his sons1
 and with a sorrowful heart saw them    
ride away4  ,mounted on strong camels1  
and followed by a string of asses with  
the empty corn-sacks on their backs1 the
 ten brothers left the ,vale of ,hebron1
 and rode slowly across the hot desert  
to one of the gates of the great        
,egyptian wall4  ,again they came to the
 island1 and were ferried over to the   
city as before4  ,the camels knelt in   
the wide marketplace1 where ,joseph had 
been sold as a slave twenty years       
before1 to wait while one of the        
brothers went to tell the doorkeeper of 
,joseph's house that the ten shepherds  
of ,canaan had returned with their      

youngest brother4  ,after waiting for a 
time they were told that the king's     
officer would see them4  ,joseph was    
glad when he heard that his brothers had
 come back again1 and that they had     
brought his youngest brother with them4 
,pulling his black wig down over his    
brow to hide his pleasure1 he ordered   
them to be brought in2 and when they    
came and knelt before him1 it was not on
 ,judah or ,reuben1 but on the young man
 ,benjamin1 that he fixed his searching 
eyes4  ,his brother had grown so much   
that he hardly knew him for the little  
boy who used to run about the camp      
holding his hand as he took him to see  
the little lambs and the small black    
kids at play4  ,take these men to my    
house1 for ,i shall dine with them      
to-day1 was all ,joseph said4  ,the     
brothers were amazed when the meaning of
 the ,egyptian words was made known to  
them4  ,and when the gates of the       
courtyard closed behind them1 they      
thought they were prisoners again1 and  

sat down on the stone pavement to sigh  
and mourn4  ,but at noon there came a   
loud knocking at the gate1 and the red  
and green chariot of the great ,egyptian
 drove in1 and soon they were summoned  
to stand before him4  ,with their simple
 presents in their hands1 they went     
through the garden and into his         
beautiful house1 and kneeling1 laid the 
gifts at his feet4  ,is your father     
well8 the great man asked in a kindly   
voice4  ,the old man of whom you        
spoke--is he still alive8  ,thy servant 
our father is alive and in good health1 
they answered humbly4  ,is this your    
younger brother1 of whom you spoke8 he  
asked again1 speaking as if he did not  
know one from another4  ,benjamin       
answered with a low bow2 and ,joseph    
said1 ,may ,god be gracious to thee1 my 
son6 ,then ,benjamin looked up at him1  
and ,joseph felt the tears coming into  
his eyes2 and rising from his chair1 to 
the surprise of the men1 he left the    
hall4  ,they did not know why he had    

done so4  ,but if they had seen him in  
his own room weeping like a child for   
very joy1 they would have been more     
astonished still4  ,the meal was served1
 and the ten brothers were surprised    
when the ,egyptian ruler set them at a  
table all in the order of their ages2   
but even yet they did not know who he   
was4  ,joseph sat at a table by himself1
 with a beautiful silver wine-cup before
 him1 and he sent plates of choice food 
to each of his brothers2 but he sent to 
,benjamin five times as much as to any  
of the rest4  ,next morning they were   
sent home with their asses laden with   
well-filled corn-sacks4  ,they were very
 glad to get away so quickly1 and they  
wondered as they went why the great     
,egyptian had been so kind to them4     
,but even yet the thought that he might 
be none other than ,joseph had not      
entered their minds4   ,,iii4  ,now     
,joseph had told his overseer that as he
 filled the brothers' corn-sacks he was 
to put their money into them again1 and 

also to take his own beautiful silver   
cup and put it into the mouth of        
,benjamin's sack4  ,this was done for a 
purpose1 as we shall see4  ,next day1   
when the brothers had set out on their  
journey1 the overseer was sent for by   
his young master1 who ordered him to put
 horses into his chariot1 to ride after 
the ten ,hebrews1 and to ask them why   
they had stolen his master's silver cup4
  ,cracking his whip as he went1 the    
,egyptian drove along the road1 and soon
 overtook the returning travellers4     
,checking his horses1 he stepped out of 
his red chariot and sternly asked why   
they had returned evil for good by      
stealing his master's precious silver   
cup2 and he smiled when he saw the fear 
in the faces of the dusky ,hebrews1 and 
laughed when they all said that they    
knew nothing of the cup4  ,he did not   
believe them1 he said1 and would search 
for the cup himself2 and he laughed     
again when they said he could search at 
once1 and if he found it with any one of

 them1 he could put that man to death   
and make all the rest of them the slaves
 of his master4  ,of course the silver  
cup was found in ,benjamin's sack2 and  
pointing his finger at him1 the         
,egyptian said that he would take him   
back to be his master's slave1 but as   
for the rest of the men1 they could go  
on their journey to their homes4  ,the  
brothers wrung their hands at these     
words1 and their hearts sank within     
them4  ,judah had promised his father   
that he would bring ,benjamin back again
 safe and sound1 and now the lad was to 
become the slave of this terrible young 
ruler6  ,after all1 the man's kindness  
of the day before was only intended to  
make them feel the pain all the more    
when he seized their young brother to be
 his slave4  ,they could not return to  
their old father without him4  ,they    
would go back to the ,egyptian city1    
they said1 and all go to prison together
 rather than part with ,benjamin4  ,in  
those days1 when ,hebrews were overcome 

with grief they tore their clothes1 that
 all might see how sorrowful they were2 
and ,judah was the first to seize his   
tunic and tear it down the front from   
neck to hem1 and the others did the     
same4  ,in a mournful procession they   
followed the ,egyptian's chariot back to
 the city2 and the people gazed at them 
as they passed1 and laughed4  ,when they
 reached ,joseph's house and entered the
 courtyard1 they sent in a very humble  
message1 begging that he would see them4
  ,and when they came into his presence 
they knelt before him with bowed heads1 
till their brows touched the coloured   
pavement4  ,what is this that you have  
done8 he asked4  ,do you not know that  
such a man as ,i can find out secret    
things8  ,joseph wished to frighten     
them1 but in his heart he was glad that 
his brothers had not gone away1 leaving 
,benjamin behind in slavery4  ,they were
 kinder now than on that day so long ago
 when they sold him to the dark         
merchantmen in the far-off ,vale of     

,dothan4  ,in a pleading voice ,judah   
told the terrible ,egyptian that all of 
them were now his slaves4  ,but ,joseph 
replied that he only wanted the man who 
stole his silver cup2 the rest could    
return to their father4  ,then ,judah   
had more to say4  ,holding up his hands 
for mercy1 he told the story of how they
 had begged their old father to let     
,benjamin come2 adding that if they     
returned without him1 the old man would 
die of grief4  ,and to ,joseph's        
surprise1 he begged that he would let   
him stay behind and be his slave for    
ever in place of his young brother1 and 
let ,benjamin go home to his father4    
,at times while ,judah was speaking     
,joseph looked at ,benjamin1 and        
sometimes he turned away his head lest  
they should see the tears in his eyes4  
,and when his older brother offered to  
be his slave for ever1 the young        
,egyptian suddenly ordered every one to 
leave the room but the ,hebrews2 and he 
remained silent1 with his head turned   

away1 while his ,egyptian friends and   
servants went slowly out4  ,as soon as  
they were all gone he sprang to his     
feet1 and held out his hands to his     
brothers1 calling to them in ,hebrew1-- 
,i am ,joseph6  ,is my father indeed    
alive8  ,the men gazed at him in        
amazement4  ,what would this terrible   
,egyptian do next8  ,who was this who   
knew about their brother whom they had  
sold into slavery8  ,they were dumb with
 wonder4  ,come nearer to me1 ,i beg of 
you1 he pleaded4  ,it was the voice of  
,joseph that rang in their ears4  ,they 
came nearer1 and gazed up at the great  
man4  ,these cheeks were too ruddy for  
an ,egyptian1 and these brown eyes--were
 they not the eyes of ,joseph6  ,i am   
,joseph1 your brother1 whom you sold    
into ,egypt6 he cried4  ,they could no  
longer doubt that he spoke the truth to 
them2 and as they came forward he       
clasped them in his arms one by one1    
weeping for very joy4 ,then seeing in   
their eyes the deep sorrow for their    

past unkindness1 he added1--  ,be not   
grieved nor angry that you sold me into 
,egypt1 for it was ,god who sent me     
hither to save many lives in the years  
of famine4  ,i am lord of the king's    
palace and ruler of all ,egypt4  ,then  
he took his wondering brothers home with
 him to stay in his fine house1 where   
his ,egyptian wife and their little     
children lived2 and after a time he sent
 them away1 laden with presents1 and    
with wagons to bring down their children
 and their old father ,jacob into       
,egypt4  ,for they were all to come     
down1 he said1 and live in the golden   
and fruitful land of ,goshen1 and he    
would watch over them there4     ,,the  
,,child ,,moses4  ,i4  ,jacob and his   
sons stayed in ,egypt until the old man 
died4  ,then ,joseph carried his body   
back to ,hebron in a great funeral      
procession1 and having buried him beside
 his wife1 who had been dead for a long 
time1 came back again to ,egypt4  ,the  
,hebrews expected to return to ,canaan  

soon1 but that was not to be4 ,in course
 of time ,joseph and his brothers died1 
but still the ,hebrews1 or ,israelites1 
as they were also called1 stayed on in  
,egypt1 and in time grew into a great   
nation4  ,then a new king came to the   
throne1 who was afraid of their numbers1
 and made slaves of them all1 forcing   
them to make bricks and build for him   
great walls1 forts1 and buildings of all
 kinds4  ,they were taken in gangs1     
guarded by soldiers1 to the place where 
the brown river clay was thick2 there   
they dug it out with spades1 trod it    
with their feet1 and worked it with     
their hands until it was wet and soft4  
,then they shaped it with little square 
boxes into brown bricks for building4   
,other workers placed the bricks in     
baskets and carried them away to the    
boats in the river1 for the boatmen to  
take up to the great cities where the   
walls were being built4  ,some of the   
,israelites toiled at building these    
high brick walls1 storehouses1 forts1   

and even cities for the great king2 and 
it is not unlikely that some of the     
,pyramids1 which we now see standing on 
the banks of the ,nile1 were built by   
these poor slaves in the days now long  
gone by4  ,others1 again1 were driven   
out to the fields to drag wooden ploughs
 up and down like cattle1 to dig with   
small wooden spades1 and to clear the   
land of stones2 and when the harvest    
came1 they cut down the crops and       
threshed out the grain1 and carried it  
off to their master's storehouses4      
,others had to stand on the bank of the 
river all day long1 filling buckets with
 water and emptying them into little    
drains that ran away into the fields4   
,and over all these slaves were         
slave-drivers1 who stood beside them    
with long whips to lash them if they did
 not work hard enough4  ,so the poor    
,israelites were very unhappy1 and often
 prayed to ,god that they might be set  
free again2 for they were the lowest    
labourers in the land1 toiling for those

 who gave them no money for their work4 
,but for all this they increased more   
and more in numbers1 until the king was 
afraid that they might some day side    
with his enemies and fight against him1 
and then he would be in great danger2 so
 he treated them more cruelly still1 and
 at last ordered all the boy children   
that were born to the ,israelites to be 
thrown into the river4  ,illustration3  
,the babe among the bulrushes4  ,there  
was great weeping and sorrow amongst the
 ,hebrew mothers when they heard of the 
king's cruel order4  ,and they did many 
strange and brave things to save their  
little ones1 and did indeed save many of
 them2 but many others perished1 so that
 there was grief instead of joy in the  
poor ,hebrew huts whenever a baby boy   
was born4  ,now1 ,jochebed1 one of those
 ,hebrew mothers1 lived in the city of  
the great king1 so close to the side of 
the blue ,nile that the white walls of  
the royal palace were reflected in the  
water4  ,she had a little baby boy1 so  

beautiful that she told her husband he  
must not be thrown into the river where 
the crocodiles were1 for she herself    
would save him alive4  ,she had two     
other children--,miriam1 a girl of      
fifteen1 and ,aaron1 a little boy of    
three--and she told them that they were 
not to tell any one they had a little   
baby brother in the house lest the      
king's soldiers should come and take him
 away and throw him into the river4 ,and
 she kept her little baby carefully     
hidden in the house1 running to him     
every time he cried lest he should be   
heard outside1 and trembling each time a
 soldier passed her door4  ,for three   
months she was able to keep her child   
hidden from the slave-drivers4  ,often  
did she pray to ,god that he might never
 be found2 and she loved her baby all   
the more because of the danger he was   
in4  ,but at last a day came when his   
mother could keep him hidden no longer4 
,with a sorrowful heart she saw that she
 must get him away1 although at the     

moment she could not tell how to do so4 
,then she weighed him in her arms1      
measured him with her hands1 and made up
 a plan to save him such as only a      
mother's heart could devise4  ,she had  
seen a fair ,egyptian princess coming   
down from the palace every morning to   
bathe in the river at a place not far   
from her hut2 and she thought that if   
this princess could only see her lovely 
baby boy she would save him4  ,so this  
,hebrew mother went down to the river   
and gathered an armful of strong reeds4 
,with these she wove a stout basket long
 enough and wide enough to hold her baby
 boy4  ,then she painted it inside and  
out with black bitumen1 until not a drop
 of water could get in4  ,she lined it  
next with soft cloth of red and green1  
as mothers line their cradles1 and then 
it was ready to be placed on the water  
and save the life of her little boy4    
,,ii4  ,the morning sun shone brightly  
on the broad surface of the ,nile1      
turning the ,pyramids on the banks into 

dull gold1 and lighting up the palaces  
of the city2 and while the white-robed  
priests went up to the temple roof to   
beat the brass gong and chant their hymn
 to the morning1 the poor ,hebrews      
flocked in thousands out of their little
 yellow huts1 to do their heavy tasks   
amongst the wet1 brown clay by the      
riverside4  ,taking ,miriam with her1   
,jochebed1 the ,hebrew mother1 stole out
 of her hut1 carrying a little black    
basket shaped like a boat1 with         
something asleep in it1 hidden under her
 wide blue cloak4  ,crossing the fields1
 she went down to the riverside and     
along the path until she came to the    
beach of golden sand where the          
red-feathered hoopoes strutted in the   
sun--the place where the princess came  
to bathe1 not far from the lilies of    
white and yellow4  ,as they went she    
told ,miriam what she was to do when the
 princess came1 and then stepping down  
to the water's edge at a place where the
 lilies grew thick1 she opened the      

basket1 kissed something in it1 and     
covered it over again4  ,stepping into  
the water1 she gently put down the      
little basket to float among the        
water-flags1 where the princess could   
not help but see it as she came along   
the path on the bank above4  ,with tears
 running down her cheeks1 this ,hebrew  
mother turned away1 praying1 as she     
went1 that all would be well with her   
little child2 while ,miriam1 going a    
short way off1 sat down on the sand to  
watch until the lovely princess came4   
,slaves in red tunics1 with swords at   
their sides1 bowed low down to the earth
 as they opened the palace gates to let 
out a bright throng of girls1 laughing  
and singing as they went on their way   
down to the river2 and the wind blew    
aside their thin robes of white and pink
 and soft blue1 showing bare feet thrust
 into little slippers of red and yellow 
leather4  ,foremost of the band walked  
the young princess1 holding a white bud 
of the lotus lily and smelling it as she

 went1 while slave girls kept the hot   
rays of the sun from her head with fans 
of peacock feathers4  ,she1 too1 had red
 slippers on her feet1 and her neck and 
arms shone like pale copper2 but she    
wore no chains or rings1 for she was    
going to bathe1 and her brown eyes      
looked with pleasure upon the cool      
waters of the broad river4  ,she did not
 notice the ,hebrew girl sitting on the 
sand as she walked along the river's    
bank2 but in a few moments she saw a    
strange little black object floating    
among the green flags1 and at once sent 
some of her maidens to bring the strange
 thing to her4  ,running down to the    
water1 the girls lifted out the little  
dripping basket1 wondering what was in  
it that made it feel so heavy2 but soon 
a little cry from within told them1 and 
they went quickly with their burden to  
the princess1 to ask what they should do
 with it4  ,the dark eyes of the ,hebrew
 girl were watching them as she sat     
playing at odd and even with round      

stones from the river--a favourite game 
of the children of ,egypt4  ,she saw    
them bring the basket to the princess4  
,she saw her smile1 and noticed her     
pleased cry when they opened the lid2   
and she heard her speaking kindly to the
 little child1 which was crying loudly4 
,the girls were crowding round the open 
basket1 looking in at the child2 and    
when they placed the basket upon the    
ground and looked about them in doubt1  
,miriam knew that her time had come1 and
 went timidly forward4  ,this is one of 
the ,hebrew children1 the gentle        
princess said1 with pity in her voice1  
as she looked at the baby's red cheeks1 
so different from the brown cheeks of   
the ,egyptian babies4  ,the little boy  
still wept loudly1 and the princess's   
heart was touched1 for he would not stop
 crying4  ,what was to be done8         
,running with bare feet upon the hot    
sand1 ,miriam1 clad in the rough red and
 blue of a ,hebrew slave girl1 drew near
 to the princess1 and kneeling down at a

 little distance1 said1--  ,shall ,i run
 and call a nurse from among the ,hebrew
 women1 that she may nurse the child for
 thee8  ,the princess knew that such    
baby boys were to be thrown into the    
river2 but perhaps the meaning of it all
 dawned upon her as she talked with her 
maidens1 for she turned with a smile to 
the kneeling girl1 and said simply1 ,go4
  ,with light feet and a beating heart  
,miriam sped away to the spot where her 
mother was hiding1 calling to her in    
,hebrew as she went to come quickly4    
,the princess and her maidens looked    
with amusement at the ,hebrew woman as  
she came swiftly forward and knelt      
before them2 and the whole of the       
mother's little plot was clearly seen in
 her blushing cheeks and tear-filled    
eyes4  ,this clever little slave girl   
had found a ,hebrew nurse very1 very    
quickly6  ,take this child away and     
nurse it for me1 and ,i will give you   
your wages1 the princess said to the    
kneeling woman2 and she smiled again    

when the little child ceased weeping and
 held up his little chubby arms as soon 
as this ,hebrew woman's face bent over  
him4  ,she was indeed the mother1 but   
the princess would tell no one1 for     
thenceforth the boy was to be as her own
 child4  ,when the little child grew up 
this good princess took him into her    
lovely palace to be her son2 and she    
called him ,moses1 because that name    
meant that he was taken out of the      
water4  ,and there is a pretty story    
told about this same princess by an old 
,jewish writer1 though it is not to be  
found in our ,bible4  ,he says that the 
princess was so proud of the boy that   
one day she brought the little fellow to
 her father the king1 that he might see 
how beautiful he was4  ,the king took   
off his golden crown and put it on the  
child's curly head2 but the little boy  
took it off again1 and putting it upon  
the ground1 tried to stand upon it1     
which amused the king and his courtiers 
very much4  ,the old ,jewish writer says

 that this showed how the little boy    
would one day force this king to set    
free the ,hebrews1 which indeed he did1 
as the ,bible tells us4  ,for ,moses    
became1 when he grew up1 the great      
leader of the ,israelites1 who led them 
out of ,egypt to the promised land of   
,canaan1 where in time1 after much      
fighting1 they founded a kingdom of     
their own4     ,,ruth ,,the ,,gleaner4  
,in the days before there was a king in 
,israel a woman called ,naomi1 whose    
name means the pleasant1 lived in the   
little village of ,bethlehem2 and when  
at one time food was scarce1 she left   
the place with her husband and two sons1
 and went over into the land of ,moab1  
where there was plenty of food to eat4  
,for ten years she lived in that land1  
and there her sons married ,moabite     
girls4  ,then heavy trouble came upon   
,naomi1 for she lost not only her       
husband1 but her two sons also4  ,in her
 sorrow ,naomi's heart turned to        
,bethlehem1 with its cluster of white   

houses among the hills of her own       
country4  ,but before going back she    
bade her daughters-in-law return to     
their mothers' houses1 where they would 
be happy4  ,they both wept1 and ,orpah1 
the elder1 kissed ,naomi and went away2 
but ,ruth clung to her and refused to   
go4  ,entreat me not to leave thee1 or  
to return from following after thee1 she
 said2 for whither thou goest1 ,i will  
go2 and where thou lodgest1 ,i will     
lodge3 thy people shall be my people1   
and thy ,god my ,god2 where thou diest1 
,i will die1 and there will ,i be       
buried3 the ,lord do so to me1 and more 
also1 if aught but death part thee and  
me4  ,so they went back together to the 
village of ,bethlehem1 and ,naomi in her
 sorrow said to her old friends1 when   
she met them once more1 ,call me not    
,naomi 'the pleasant1' but ,mara 'the   
bitter2' for ,god hath dealt bitterly   
with me4  ,ruth wore the dress of the   
village girls1 of deep green and bright 
red1 with a white veil streaming over   

her shoulder1 and a row of coins upon   
her brow2 and she was pleasant to look  
upon as she went up and down the stony  
path which ran from the gate in the wall
 to the women's well1 carrying her      
pitcher to get water4  ,as she moved    
along the path her eyes often strayed   
over the plains of dry grass and the    
fields of golden grain2 for it was the  
rich harvest time1 and she was very     
poor4  ,rising one morning before the   
clouds were red over ,hebron1 she went  
down into the valley where the          
harvesters were at work1 and followed   
the reapers and binders1 picking up as a
 gleaner all the stray heads of barley  
she could find4  ,as the binders were   
women she kept near them2 and they      
talked kindly to her1 for they knew her 
and had heard her sad story4  ,now when 
,boaz1 the farmer1 came down to the     
village to see how the work went on in  
his field1 he called out1 ,god be with  
you to his reapers2 and they answered1  
,may ,god bless you4  ,turning to the   

women1 he asked the name of the strange 
maiden1 and spoke kindly to her1 calling
 her his daughter1 and telling her to   
keep close to his women1 where no one   
would touch her1 and not to leave his   
fields4  ,if she was thirsty1 she might 
drink from the water-bottles from which 
the reapers could drink when they       
wished4  ,kneeling before him with head 
bowed down1 as if this farmer were a    
king1 ,ruth thanked him for his kindness
 to a stranger2 and the man replied that
 he had heard of her goodness to ,naomi1
 her mother1 and praised her4           
,illustration3 ,ruth and ,naomi4  ,when 
the midday heat was great the reapers   
gathered in a shady place1 and ,boaz    
bade ,ruth come and share their bread   
and light wine1 and he gave her parched 
corn1 as much as she could eat4  ,in the
 afternoon they rose to work again1 and 
,boaz told the reapers to let the girl  
glean among the sheaves1 and pull out a 
handful here and there2 and she gleaned 
there till the sun went down over the   

hills4  ,now the corn that she gathered 
was too heavy for her to carry away as  
it was1 so she sat down and beat the    
barley out between two stones1 and tying
 it up in her veil1 put it on her head1 
and went home with a light step4  ,naomi
 was astonished when she opened out her 
store in the little house2 for she had  
gleaned more than a bushel of barley4   
,when she told ,naomi where she had     
been1 her mother said that ,boaz was a  
relative of her own2 and the elder woman
 was glad indeed to hear that he had    
given ,ruth leave to glean in his fields
 during the whole of the harvest time4  
,and so it came about that every day at 
the red dawn ,ruth went singing down the
 rocky pathway to work with the reapers 
in the warm ,eastern valley2 and as the 
wheat harvest followed close upon the   
barley harvest1 she worked for many     
days1 returning home at night with her  
ruddy cheeks burnt brown with the sun1  
to lay her heap on the floor of her     
mother's house2 for they were laying up 

a little store with which to bake bread 
in the months of wind and rain that were
 before them in the coming winter4  ,but
 as time went on they did not need to   
live in poverty1 for ,boaz married ,ruth
 at the end of the wheat harvest2 and   
this ,moabite girl became the           
great-grandmother of ,king ,david1 the  
most famous king of ,israel1 and one of 
the ancestors of ,jesus ,christ our     
,lord ,himself4     ,,the ,,child       
,,samuel4  ,i4  ,when the ,israelites   
had made their home in the promised land
 of ,canaan1 they did not forget the    
,god of their great ancestor ,jacob2 but
 they set up on a hill called ,shiloh a 
tabernacle1 or place of worship1 where  
they came to offer sacrifice to the ,god
 of their fathers4  ,here the priests of
 the tabernacle killed bullocks and rams
 and goats1 and burnt their flesh on the
 great altars1 believing that these     
offerings were pleasing to ,god2 and    
here the people came also to the chief  
of the priests whenever they had        

disputes with their neighbours1 for the 
high priest was a judge in ,israel4     
,now1 at one time there lived in a      
little cottage on the hill of ,ramah1   
not far from what is now ,jerusalem1 a  
certain man named ,elkanah1 whose wife  
,hannah had a little boy named ,samuel4 
,the child was dearly loved by his      
parents1 and especially by his mother1  
who had made up her mind that her son1  
when he grew up1 should become a priest 
of the ,god of ,israel4  ,the child     
,samuel grew1 amid sunshine and wind1 at
 his father's home on the hill of       
,ramah1 watched by his mother with      
loving care2 for when the time came1 he 
was to be given to the priests in the   
great tent of the tabernacle on the hill
 of ,shiloh4  ,three times the mother   
and child saw the blossoms cover the    
twisted branches of the olive trees and 
fade again2 three times the valley was  
filled with golden wheat swaying in the 
wind1 and the song of the reaper was    
heard in the fields4  ,three happy years

 in ,ramah1 and the little child could  
run about1 and talk1 and shout1 and take
 care of himself when the camels and    
oxen were near2 then ,hannah said she   
must how give him up to the priests4    
,so with her husband she rode away upon 
a sure-footed ass1 down the hills to the
 great festival at ,shiloh1 through     
rocky passes and across foaming streams2
 and her face was sad1 for the little   
child of three sitting in her lap she   
would not bring back again4  ,she took  
with her a sack of meal and a leather   
bottle of wine1 while a servant led a   
young bull4  ,the animal was to be      
killed and burnt1 while the meal and    
wine were to be given to the priest at  
the tabernacle2 for these things were   
all to be offered as gifts to ,god4     
,before long they saw the tabernacle on 
the hill of ,shiloh1 with its broad     
tent-roof of red sheepskins1 as well as 
the hundreds of little black tents of   
the tribesmen1 some grouped into camps  
with a flag1 others clustered round the 

springs and pools of water under the    
trees2 and soon ,hannah and her boy     
mingled with the crowds thronging into  
the walled space about the tabernacle4  
,with beating heart the mother saw the  
bull killed and her meal and wine given 
to the busy priests4  ,taking her child 
by the hand1 she led him forward to the 
doorway of the tabernacle1 where sat    
,eli1 the aged chief priest4  ,the      
little child clung to his mother's      
dark-red robe as he stood with naked    
feet before the old man1 the hem of his 
sleeveless tunic scarce reaching to his 
knees1 and his head uncovered4  ,oh my  
lord1 said the mother1 ,i prayed for    
this child as a gift from ,god1 and ,god
 gave me my desire2 and now ,i give him 
again to ,god as long as he shall live4 
,then she pushed forward her beautiful  
boy2 and as ,eli looked at the mother   
and child he was pleased1 and drawing   
the little child to himself1 he blessed 
the waiting woman4  ,with bowed head and
 falling tears she went out at the tent 

door1 leaving behind her the greatest   
treasure of her life4  ,before long the 
black tents were taken down by the women
 of the tribes1 the crowds of men and   
animals passed away through the openings
 in the hills1 and the festival was     
over4  ,and ,hannah rode up with her    
people back to ,ramah1 but not before   
she had kissed her sweet boy once more1 
weeping as she did so1 and telling him  
in soft ,hebrew words that she would    
come again to see him4  ,the priests    
took the little child1 and over his     
short blue tunic they drew a white linen
 dress like their own4  ,after that he  
lived with them in one of the houses    
near the tabernacle on the hill of      
,shiloh1 and they taught him how to read
 from the old yellow rolls of the       
,bible2 and he served them1 doing what  
he was told1 as a little child should4  
,and there were other brown-eyed boys of
 ,israel there1 left by their mothers1  
and all beautiful as little angels      
without wings4  ,four times a year the  

,israelite tribes gathered round this   
hill of ,shiloh1 to bring gifts1 and    
offer worship to ,god1 and hold councils
 of war4  ,then little ,samuel was glad1
 for his mother came to see him2 and he 
ran gaily about1 now looking at the     
leaping fires on the brass altar1 now   
watching the clouds of sweet smoke      
rolling out from behind the blue        
curtains of the holy place of the       
tabernacle4  ,sometimes he was told to  
pour olive oil into a flickering lamp2  
sometimes he would sing in the choir1 or
 carry a golden bowl or a priest's      
shoes2 but he was never allowed to go in
 behind the thick veil of purple1 blue1 
crimson1 gold1 and white1 which hid the 
sacred place known as the ,holy of      
,holies1 where the gold-winged cherubs  
were4  ,did his mother forget little    
,samuel8  ,other little children were   
born to her1 but still she remembered   
him1 away among bearded men in that     
large1 dark tent2 and this is how she   
showed her love for him4  ,she gathered 

of the finest of the lamb's wool1 and   
having dyed it purple1 spun it into     
threads2 and with her loom of strings   
hanging from the roof she wove a little 
blue gown without a seam and without    
sleeves1 to reach from his chin to his  
knees2 and she worked it round the broad
 hem with flowers and bells1 and fruit  
of red and yellow and brown4  ,and each 
time she went to the great yearly       
festival she took a little blue coat    
with her1 making it longer and longer as
 the child grew into a boy1 and the boy 
became a ruddy youth2 and with it1 too1 
would go a little white willow basket   
with honey-comb and cheese1 sweet cakes 
and pressed figs1 such as she knew that 
,samuel loved4  ,thus she showed her    
constant love for the child who had left
 her side1 but would never leave her    
heart4  ,and the child-priest grew1 not 
only in stature1 but in favour with ,god
 and men4   ,,ii4  ,the great tent of   
the tabernacle on the hill of ,shiloh   
had thick curtains woven in colours of  

blue1 purple1 and scarlet1 and a high   
roof covered over with red and brown    
skins to keep it warm and dry2 the sides
 were of stone1 and the doors of wood1  
with carved wooden pillars4 ,a thick    
curtain of purple1 scarlet1 and gold    
hung down inside1 dividing off the ,holy
 of ,holies at the end from the rest of 
the place1 where the priests went about 
every day1 attending to the altar of    
incense and the golden lamps4  ,and     
there was a special golden lamp1 with   
seven branches1 which always stood close
 to this great purple curtain4  ,all was
 dark in the ,holy of ,holies behind    
that heavy curtain1 and there stood the 
,ark1 a box about a yard long1 plated   
with gold and having a wreath of gold   
round it1 under the outspread wings of  
two golden angels4  ,inside that box    
were two flat stones1 on which were     
written the ,commandments that ,god had 
given to ,his people1 the children of   
,israel4  ,the priests had charge of the
 tabernacle1 and of all that was in it2 

and they took special care of the ,ark1 
which was the chief treasure of the     
nation4  ,now it was ,samuel's duty to  
shut the wooden doors of the tabernacle 
at night1 and sleep close to the great  
purple curtain and watch--a very trying 
thing for one so young in such a large1 
silent place4  ,one night as he lay     
there asleep on his mat before the      
purple curtain1 with the great lamp     
burning low and red1 and shadows        
flickering about the silent place1 he   
was suddenly roused by what sounded like
 ,eli's voice calling him4  ,at once he 
answered1 ,here am ,i1 and ran to the   
side of the aged priest4  ,but the old  
man told the wondering boy that he had  
not called him1 and with gentle words   
bade him lie down again1 calling him his
 son4  ,samuel went back to his mat1 but
 after a while he heard the voice once  
more2 and again he thought it was ,eli1 
and ran to his bedside1 saying that he  
did call him4  ,eli now saw that ,god   
was calling the boy1 and told him to go 

and lie down1 and if he heard the voice 
again1 to answer1 ,speak1 ,lord2 for    
,thy servant heareth4  ,then the boy    
,samuel1 in wonder and fear1 returned to
 his sleeping-mat before the great      
purple curtain1 and lay down with the   
light shining upon him4  ,once more he  
heard the voice calling1--  ,samuel1    
,samuel4  ,speak1 ,lord2 for ,thy       
servant heareth1 he replied in a        
trembling voice4  ,then ,samuel heard a 
voice1 which told him that ,god meant to
 punish ,eli for not checking his sons1 
who were very wicked men1 and had done  
many things which were wrong in ,his    
sight2 also that ,he had chosen him to  
be the leader and judge of the people of
 ,israel after ,eli4  ,the boy slept    
again1 the temple lamp burned low before
 the great curtain1 and the place was   
silent until the gray light of morning  
stole in4  ,then ,samuel rose1 and as he
 unbarred the wooden doors of the       
tabernacle and opened them wide1 the    
dawn was breaking over the hills in     

clouds of crimson and gold1 filling the 
holy place with the light of a new day4 
,the breath of morning was in his face  
as he looked out to the east and the    
rising sun2 and he felt a changed boy1  
for he had received a message from ,god 
,himself--a call to lead the people of  
,israel2 yet he feared to tell ,eli of  
his vision1 so great and so terrible4   
,but after a while the old priest awoke1
 and calling him to his bedside put     
questions to him2 and when he heard that
 he had had a vision1 he bade the boy   
tell him all1 both good and bad1 and    
,samuel did so4  ,illustration3 ,the    
child ,samuel4  ,the story grieved the  
old man1 but even yet he did not check  
his sons1 who were now too strong for   
him2 and for some years more they went  
on in their wicked ways1 and he still   
remained the chief priest4  ,but as he  
grew older and weaker ,samuel grew      
stronger2 and when he became a man1 he  
became known through all the land for   
his wisdom1 and the people said that    

,samuel was a friend of ,god1 who had   
guidance from the ,most ,high for ,his  
people4  ,so he continued to live at    
,shiloh as ,eli's chief helper until the
 old man passed away2 and so the little 
boy of the tabernacle became in due time
 the chief prophet1 the ruler1 and the  
judge of ,israel4     ,,david ,,the     
,,shepherd ,,youth4  ,i4  ,now it       
happened in the days of ,samuel that the
 tribes of ,israel made up their mind to
 choose a king to rule over them4       
,their choice fell upon a leader whose  
name was ,saul1 and who was made the    
first king of ,israel4  ,king ,saul was 
a brave man and a wise leader1 who made 
the name of the ,israelites feared by   
all their enemies round about4  ,but    
after a time he acted in a way          
displeasing to ,god1 and was reproved by
 ,samuel in ,his name4  ,saul1 however1 
went on in his sinful ways1 and this    
filled the heart of the prophet ,samuel1
 who was now an old man1 with sore      
trouble and distress4  ,samuel lived1   

among his young men on the little hill  
of ,ramah1 mourning because of ,king    
,saul's sinful ways4  ,but there came a 
time when ,god told him--perhaps in a   
vision--to mourn no longer4  ,he was to 
fill a small horn with oil and go to the
 village of ,bethlehem1 and there anoint
 one of the sons of ,jesse the shepherd 
to be the next king2 but at first the   
old man was afraid to go1 lest ,king    
,saul should hear of it and kill him4   
,then one day he left ,ramah early in   
the morning1 riding on an ass1 with a   
young man behind him driving a cow2 for 
he gave out that he was going to offer a
 sacrifice to ,god4  ,their path lay to 
the southwards1 and on by the camel road
 into the ,hebron hills4  ,it was a long
 ride1 in hot autumn weather1 along     
these stony paths glistening in the     
,eastern sun4  ,the watchers on the     
walls of ,bethlehem saw ,samuel1 while  
he was yet a long way off1 riding slowly
 up the rough path1 with his servant    
driving a cow before him2 and they were 

alarmed1 for the old prophet was the    
chief judge in the land4  ,then the     
leading men of the place hastened out   
through the gate in the wall to meet    
him1 and ask if he came to them in      
peace4  ,he answered that he had come to
 offer a sacrifice1 and bade them wash  
themselves in the stream1 and put on    
clean clothing1 that they might join him
 in it4  ,riding through the low arch in
 the walls1 he asked for ,jesse1 a      
wealthy shepherd of the place1 who had  
hundreds of flocks and herds2 and when  
he found him1 he ordered him and his    
sons to wash and dress and come to the  
feast also4  ,jesse thought he was      
highly honoured1 for he had eight sons1 
and he was pleased that they should show
 themselves before the great prophet and
 judge of ,israel4  ,a fire of sticks   
was kindled upon the flat rock outside  
the village walls1 on which the         
sacrifices were always made2 and the    
prophet killed the cow he had brought1  
and cut it in pieces for burning4  ,part

 of the flesh was then placed upon the  
wood1 and as the old man raised his     
hands to heaven the flames leapt up and 
burned the flesh2 and all the time the  
men of the village stood round him in   
their rough cloaks and striped          
kerchiefs1 looking on in silence at this
 solemn act of worship4  ,women in their
 tunics of coarse blue and red1 with    
strings of coins in their dark hair1    
stood apart at a distance1 for they were
 not allowed to share in the worship of 
the men4  ,the feast was to come next1  
at which the women would be allowed to  
serve the men2 but before ,samuel would 
permit it to begin1 there was something 
else1 that must be done4  ,calling      
,jesse to him1 he said that he wished to
 see his sons4  ,jesse knew at once that
 something important was about to       
happen2 but the people did not know1 and
 wondered why the feast was delayed1 and
 what it all meant when ,jesse called   
his sons forward by their names1 and    
bade them walk slowly1 one at a time1   

past the aged prophet4  ,first came the 
eldest1 in striped cloak and gray tunic1
 carrying his thick war-spear in his    
hand2 and when ,samuel marked his height
 and his fine face1 he said1--  ,here1  
surely1 is the chosen king4  ,but the   
voice of ,god within him seemed to      
whisper1 ,nay1 ,i have rejected him4    
,god sees not as man sees2 for man looks
 upon the outward appearance1 but ,god  
looks upon the heart4  ,then ,samuel    
told ,jesse that his eldest son was not 
chosen1 and he passed on4  ,jesse next  
called up his second son1 who walked    
slowly past the prophet1 with sweeping  
cloak and club in hand1 armed for the   
fight4  ,neither hath ,god chosen this1 
,samuel said to the father2 and the     
second son passed on4  ,jesse then      
called forward the third1 who also      
walked past the old prophet with head   
erect1 and spear in hand1 hoping that he
 would be chosen4  ,neither hath ,god   
chosen this1 was all that the grim old  
man said of him4  ,the people sat in the

 sunshine1 on the slope of the hill     
outside the village walls1 shading their
 eyes and looking on in silence1 until  
seven of the sons of ,jesse1 dressed and
 armed like chiefs1 had gone slowly past
 the old man with the keen black eyes2  
but ,samuel made no movement1 and ,jesse
 was deeply grieved4  ,god hath not     
chosen these4  ,are all thy children    
here8 ,samuel asked1 turning sharply to 
the shepherd1 who trembled as he        
replied1--  ,there remains yet ,david2  
but he is my youngest son1 and is       
watching the sheep4  ,david was too     
young to be thought of in this important
 business4  ,he was down in the hollow  
with his shepherd's staff and dog and   
sling1 playing upon his harp1 and       
watching from afar the fire and smoke   
and crowds1 as he kept his father's     
flocks4  ,send and fetch him1 for we    
will not sit down to the feast until he 
comes1 was the stern reply4  ,the       
brothers were angry at this useless     
waste of time2 but one of them was soon 

leaping down the stony path to the      
valley1 shouting with his hand to his   
mouth1 and waving a stick in the air to 
attract his young brother's attention4  
,the people waited in the sunshine1 and 
soon they saw ,david1 with his tunic    
pulled through his leather belt so as to
 leave his legs free1 running swiftly up
 the hill1 for he was very fleet of     
foot4  ,he came in his shepherd's torn  
and soiled garb1 and had to wash at the 
brook before he was fit to stand before 
the prophet4  ,when at length he drew   
near1 ,samuel saw a young man1 not tall1
 but clearly of great strength1 with    
light hair1 ruddy cheeks1 and bright    
eyes2 and he thought the youth very good
 to look upon as he stood before him    
dressed in his striped tunic and leather
 girdle1 from which hung his shepherd's 
club1 sling1 and knife4  ,samuel looked 
at his frank face1 and as he looked ,god
 said to him1--  ,arise1 anoint him3 for
 this is he4  ,going forward1 the old   
man bade the shepherd youth kneel down  

and uncover his head4  ,and ,david did  
so1 taking off his bright kerchief1     
little knowing what was about to happen4
  ,then raising his horn before the     
astonished people1 ,samuel poured the   
sweet-smelling oil upon the young man's 
head1 saying as he did so that ,god had 
chosen this young man to be a prince in 
,israel4  ,upon this the people raised a
 great shout of joy1 and ,samuel gave   
the signal for the feast that was to    
follow4  ,then the men all sat down on  
the ground about the large wood fire1   
while the women came forward to serve   
them4   ,,ii4  ,david1 the shepherd of  
,bethlehem1 was not a mere boy when the 
prophet ,samuel called him from watching
 his sheep to pour scented oil upon his 
head1 and tell him1 before all the      
people of the village1 that he would one
 day be a prince in the land4  ,he was  
already a village hero1 for one day he  
had killed a lion that sprang upon one  
of his sheep as they fed in the valley  
to the south1 near the desert country4  

,he had also killed a bear that tried to
 seize one of his young lambs2 for      
,david was so strong that he could break
 an iron bow with his hands1 and so     
swift on his feet that he could catch a 
wild deer in a race over good ground4   
,he was not so tall as his fighting     
brothers1 but he was stronger1 and knew 
how to use the sword1 bow1 club1 sling1 
and spear2 for all the young men of the 
villages learned the use of these       
weapons in their sports and games4  ,the
 lad was also fond of music1 and could  
play and sing4  ,sitting in the shade of
 a shadowy rock1 or at the mouth of a   
dark cave1 as he watched his sheep      
wandering to and fro in the sunshine1 he
 often played strange music upon a rude 
harp made by himself2 and he would sing 
songs of his own making about the white 
flocks and herds1 the green hills and   
cool streams1 the red-cheeked women at  
the well1 and the young men of the      
village where he had his home4  ,he was 
called the sweet singer1 and his skill  

on the harp was well known in the       
villages round about ,bethlehem4  ,when 
he left his own village and went to live
 with ,samuel's young men at ,ramah1 to 
learn to read and write1 he learned also
 to play upon the pipe and guitar1 the  
tambourine and large harp1 and to sing1 
not songs of love and war1 but praises  
of ,god and of ,his goodness to men4    
,under the teaching of ,samuel his heart
 opened towards ,god as a flower to the 
sun4  ,yet he did not always stay at    
,ramah1 but often came back to his home1
 to help his father1 and to watch the   
sheep with his brothers1 who thought him
 too forward and did not like him much4 
,king ,saul was now very unhappy1 for   
the aged prophet ,samuel would not see  
him1 and the king felt that ,god was not
 with him2 and he often had fits of     
sickness when he was in deep trouble1   
and only music could soothe his mind4   
,hearing that a harper was wanted for   
the king1 one of ,david's friends       
praised his playing1 his wisdom1 his    

bravery1 and his good looks1 saying that
 ,god was with him2 and when ,king ,saul
 heard this he sent a messenger to      
,bethlehem for the shepherd-harper4     
,now no one ever came before the king   
without a gift in his hand1 so ,jesse   
sent with ,david an ass laden with a    
sack of wheat1 a kid1 and a skin of     
wine1 as a present to ,king ,saul4      
,with his ruddy cheeks1 and his long    
fair hair falling upon his blue tunic1  
,david pleased the gloomy king as he    
stood before him2 and when the youth    
played softly upon the harp1 and sang   
shepherd songs of love1 passing from    
these into songs in praise of ,god1 the 
king loved the youth greatly1 and sent  
word to his father that he would keep   
,david beside him4  ,jonathan1 the      
king's son1 and ,michal1 the king's     
daughter1 also learnt to love the       
shepherd-singer as he went in and out   
before the king4 ,then ,saul made him   
one of his fighting chiefs1 who stood   
daily before him2 and whenever his      

sickness came upon the king he called   
for the shepherd-harper1 and ,david     
played music both sad and gay until the 
cloud passed from the king's mind4      
,sometimes ,david stayed at ,gibeah1    
where the king's house was1 and         
sometimes at ,bethlehem2 and always once
 a year he went home to the great family
 feast of the new moon1 when all his    
father's relatives were gathered        
together4   ,,iii4  ,the fighting       
between ,king ,saul and the ,philistine 
tribes1 who lived near the seacoast1    
never ceased2 for the ,philistines had  
made up their minds to make the men of  
,israel their servants1 and ,king ,saul 
was determined that his people should be
 free4  ,once upon a time the           
,philistines gathered their young men1  
and came1 with their battle-flags and   
drums1 up the great ,vale of ,elah1 the 
valley of oaks1 to attack ,saul's       
people4  ,stopping at the village of    
,succoth1 they chose a secure place1 and
 put up their black tents among the     

thick bushes1 camping about ten miles   
from the round hill of ,bethlehem4      
,illustration3 ,david and ,goliath4     
,then ,king ,saul sent out messengers to
 sound the war-horns up and down the    
valleys1 and gather his fighting-men to 
drive back their old enemies4  ,three of
 ,david's brothers grasped their spears 
and bows1 and joined ,king ,saul with   
the men of the tribe of ,judah2 but     
,david stayed for the time at           
,bethlehem1 to take care of his old     
father and the flocks4  ,in those days  
soldiers had to find their own food1 and
 armies sat down before each other for  
many days before they began to fight4   
,after a time ,jesse sent ,david with   
asses laden with corn and cakes for his 
brothers1 and ten little cheeses for    
their captain2 and ,david led them      
through the hills and down the wide glen
 to the camping-place opposite ,succoth1
 where the king's men looked across the 
valley to their foes on the opposite    
slope1 while the river ran between4     

,then one day the ,philistines sent out 
a champion1 a giant named ,goliath of   
,gath1 who wore a helmet of brass and a 
brazen coat of mail of very great       
weight4  ,he had greaves of brass upon  
his legs1 and a gorget of brass between 
his shoulders4  ,the staff of his spear 
was like a weaver's beam1 and his       
shield-bearer went before him4  ,this   
champion sent a boastful challenge to   
the ,israelites1 bidding them send out a
 man to fight with him4  ,if he be able 
to fight with me1 and to kill me1 then  
will we be your servants1 ran the       
message2 but if ,i prevail against him1 
and kill him1 then shall ye be our      
servants4  ,this challenge he repeated  
for forty days1 but there was no man    
found among the men of ,israel who dared
 to go out against ,goliath of ,gath4   
,then ,saul made it known that whoever  
could kill ,goliath should have great   
riches1 should marry the princess his   
daughter1 and win great honour for      
himself and for his family4  ,now when  

,david reached the place with the food  
for his brothers1 he was amazed to see  
that the men of ,israel were so much    
afraid1 and he asked1 ,who is this      
,philistine1 that he should defy the    
armies of the living ,god8  ,and those  
who stood around told him how the giant 
warrior had come out day after day1 and 
how the king had promised to enrich the 
man who should slay him4  ,then it was  
told to ,king ,saul how ,david had come 
and had asked about the king's promise4 
,so the king sent for the youth2 and    
when he had been brought in1 ,david     
said1 ,let no man's heart be troubled1  
for thy servant will go and fight with  
the ,philistine4  ,but ,saul said1 ,thou
 art not able to go out against him2 for
 thou art but a youth1 and he a man of  
war from his youth4  ,then ,david told  
,saul how he had killed with his own    
hands a fierce lion1 and a bear which   
had stolen a lamb from the flock4  ,the 
,lord that delivered me out of the paw  
of the lion1 and out of the paw of the  

bear4  ,he will deliver me out of the   
hand of this ,philistine1 he said       
simply4  ,and ,saul said1 ,go1 and the  
,lord be with thee4  ,the king then     
armed ,david with his own armour2 but   
the mail was too heavy for the young    
man1 and he said1 ,i cannot fight with  
these1 for ,i have not tested them4  ,so
 he took his shepherd's staff in his    
hand1 and choosing five smooth stones   
out of the brook1 put them in his       
shepherd's bag2 and with his sling in   
his hand he drew near to the            
,philistine4  ,when ,goliath looked at  
,david he was filled with scorn1 and    
disdained him2 for he was but a youth1  
as any one could plainly see4  ,and with
 a frown upon his face he said angrily1 
,am ,i a dog1 that thou comest to me    
with staves8  ,i will give thy flesh    
unto the fowls of the air1 and to the   
beasts of the field4  ,then ,david said 
to the boastful ,philistine1 ,thou      
comest to me with a sword1 and with a   
spear1 and with a shield3 but ,i come to

 thee in the name of the ,lord of hosts1
 the ,god of the armies of ,israel1 whom
 thou hast defied4  ,this day will the  
,lord deliver thee into mine hand2 and  
,i will smite thee1 and take thine head 
from thee2 and ,i will give the bodies  
of the host of the ,philistines this day
 unto the fowls of the air1 and to the  
wild beasts of the earth2 that all the  
earth may know that there is a ,god in  
,israel4  ,and all this army shall know 
that the ,lord saveth not with sword and
 spear3 for the battle is the ,lord's1  
and ,he will give you into our hands4   
,upon this the giant came near to meet  
,david2 and the youth made haste and    
took a stone out of his bag1 and slung  
it with such skill and force that it    
smote ,goliath in the forehead1 and sank
 so deeply that the huge warrior fell   
lifeless to the ground4  ,david then ran
 and stood upon the body of the giant1  
and having no weapon except his sling1  
cut off ,goliath's head with his own    
sword4  ,when the ,philistines saw that 

their champion had fallen1 they turned  
and ran without more ado4  ,then with   
loud shouts the men of ,israel rushed   
across the vale of oaks1 shooting their 
arrows as they ran1 for they were good  
bowmen4 ,scattering the ,philistines1   
they drove them back to their own       
country1 until they took refuge in their
 walled towns of ,gath and ,ekron4      
,after this the men of ,israel returned 
to their enemy's camp at ,succoth1 and  
plundered the tents1 wagons1 sacks1 and 
baggage4  ,when this had been done they 
feasted and rejoiced over the victory1  
and drove off the horses and cattle of  
their foes1 carrying everything up to   
their own towns and villages in the     
hills4  ,and from that day forward      
,david was the hero of all the young men
 of the army of ,saul4   ,,iv4  ,the    
tall1 gloomy king now sent for ,david1  
the hero of the battle of ,succoth1 and 
leaning on his spear among his chiefs1  
,saul told the young shepherd of        
,bethlehem that he must not return any  

more to his father's house1 for he was  
to be one of the chief captains of the  
army4  ,and ,david was glad1 for he     
loved fighting4  ,when ,jonathan1 the   
king's son1 saw the young shepherd      
standing daily among the chiefs in his  
father's tent1 he took a strong liking  
for him2 and as time passed his soul was
 knit with ,david's1 until he loved him 
as he loved himself4  ,and the king was 
pleased that his son and ,david were    
such good friends4  ,one day ,jonathan  
took ,david into his tent1 and there the
 young men promised to be friends all   
their lives till death should part them4
 ,now ,david was very poor compared with
 the king's son1 and had only the rough 
clothing of a herdsman1 thick and       
strong1 but not beautiful2 so ,jonathan 
took off his fine cloak1 his gay tunic1 
his rich belt1 and even his glittering  
sword and bow1 and put them all upon    
,david1 giving them freely to him as a  
present4  ,then the king's son brought  
out other clothes and weapons1 and      

dressed himself once more like a        
soldier-prince4  ,and when the young men
 came out of the tent into the sunshine1
 both dressed like princes1 the people  
saw that they were as brothers2 and the 
king saw it too1 and thought that       
,jonathan was very foolish4  ,but ,david
 was so strong and brave1 and such a    
favourite with the tribesmen1 that the  
king set him over a troop of young men2 
and whenever ,saul went out to fight1   
,david and his band went with him1 and  
this greatly pleased the chiefs and the 
fighting-men of the army4  ,king ,saul  
went on fighting with his old enemies   
the ,philistines1 who came up at certain
 seasons of the year to plunder the     
land1 and had to be chased down the long
 valleys1 and back into their walled    
towns again2 but with ,david's help the 
king was now able to beat them as he had
 never done before4  ,and each time they
 drove the ,philistines down1 the young 
men returned leaping1 running1 dancing1 
and showing off their skill and strength

 on the way2 and the villagers would    
often come out to meet them1 and rejoice
 also4  ,after one of these fights1 as  
the tribesmen came back1 with ,david    
riding beside the tall1 dark king1 the  
young women of the towns came out and   
danced before them on the road4         
,beating their tambourines1 they shouted
 wild songs in praise of the            
fighting-men1 singing and answering each
 other in turn after the manner of the  
,hebrews4  ,king ,saul listened1 and his
 brows grew dark as he heard them       
praising his brave young captain more   
than himself4  ,saul hath slain his     
thousands1 sweetly sang one band of     
maidens4  ,and ,david his tens of       
thousands1 answered another4  ,these    
girls little dreamed what harm they were
 doing with their light-hearted songs4  
,david himself was pleased with the     
praise of the young women1 as we might  
expect2 but as the tall king rode on he 
grew more angry1 saying to himself as he
 spurred forward his horse1 ,what more  

can he have but the kingdom itself8     
,and he watched ,david from that day    
forward1 to see whether the young man   
was aiming at being king4  ,king ,saul's
 sickness of mind returned from time to 
time1 and day after day ,david stood    
before him1 playing upon his harp and   
singing the king's praises2 but now     
,saul would not listen4  ,david's music 
did not make him well as it had before1 
but rather worse1 for he was full of    
suspicion of his young chief1 and hated 
the sight of him4  ,but the king's      
friends thought ,david's music was the  
best thing to restore the king to       
health4  ,now the dark-faced king was   
never without a weapon near his hand2   
and holding his long spear1 he would sit
 and listen to the young harper1 now    
pleased1 now angry1 for he sometimes    
liked ,david and sometimes hated him4   
,twice he seized a little spear and     
flung it at him1 crying out that he     
would pin him to the wall2 but his aim  
was bad4  ,perhaps he did not mean to   

harm him2 but at all events ,david      
avoided the weapon and ran out4  ,the   
king in his sickness of mind next became
 afraid of his young captain4  ,wishing 
to have him out of his sight1 he set him
 over a band of a thousand fighting-men1
 and bade him live with them at a       
distance4 ,but the men who were under   
,david liked him more than ever4  ,king 
,saul now wished that ,david was dead1  
so fiercely did he hate him2 but he did 
not think it wise to kill him himself1  
so he made a plan to get him killed4    
,he offered him his daughter ,merab for 
a wife1 if he would go down the hills   
and fight the ,philistines in their own 
country2 and the crafty king said this1 
hoping that they would kill him4  ,now  
,david had no wish to marry ,merab1 but 
he loved fighting1 so he went willingly1
 fought stoutly with the ,philistines1  
and came back alive4 ,then ,saul broke  
his promise1 and gave ,merab to another 
man1 who gave him a rich present1 as was
 the custom when a king's daughter was  

wedded2 and ,david was not sorry1 for   
,michal1 ,merab's younger sister1 loved 
the brave young captain1 and he loved   
her in return4  ,saul was pleased when  
he heard of this2 for he hoped ,david   
would be willing to go into greater     
danger to win ,michal as his wife4  ,and
 he sent a messenger to tell ,david that
 he was well pleased with him1 and would
 like him to marry ,michal2 and that as 
he was too poor to give the king a      
present1 he would not ask him for one4  
,but if he would kill one hundred       
,philistines within a certain time1 that
 would stand for a present4  ,we are not
 told what ,michal thought of this cruel
 bargain1 for ,saul hoped and believed  
that ,david would be killed1 but ,david 
himself was well pleased4  ,he and his  
young men went down the long valleys to 
the land of the ,philistines1 where they
 went about killing people1 until they  
had slain two hundred2 and before the   
appointed time was up ,david returned to
 ,saul once more to tell him what he had

 done4  ,this was followed by days and  
nights of rejoicing among the young men 
of ,david's camp4  ,the young women     
decked their hair with flowers1 and     
danced to the sound of the timbrels1 as 
they praised the beauty and goodness of 
,michal1 the king's daughter2 and the   
young men danced and shouted round the  
camp fires1 praising ,david1 the        
bridegroom1 as a mighty man of valour4  
,saul was unwilling to give up ,michal  
to the young captain2 but he now feared 
him greatly1 and could not break his    
promise4  ,so ,david got the young      
princess ,michal to be his wife2 and    
after the death of ,saul and ,jonathan1 
who were both slain in battle1 he became
 king of the ,israelites1 as ,samuel1   
the prophet of the ,lord1 had foretold4 
,,king ,,david',s ,,little ,,boy4       
,sunshine fell upon the walls of ,king  
,david's palace on ,mount ,zion4  ,the  
trees in the royal gardens swayed in the
 breeze1 and the doves fluttered up to  
the windows2 but all was hushed and     

still within4 ,black slaves glided to   
and fro with naked feet1 and the women  
took off their tinkling armlets and     
talked in whispers2 for in a little     
chamber1 with shaded window and         
curtained door1 a dark-eyed mother sat  
watching her child--the king's          
child--whose flushed cheeks showed that 
he was very ill and near to death4  ,now
 when he heard that his boy was so ill1 
the king1 who was now a man of middle   
age1 threw himself upon the floor of his
 room in the bitterness of his grief and
 prayed to ,god to spare the life of the
 child4  ,his friends came and stood    
round and spoke to him1 trying to       
comfort him2 but he would not rise1 nor 
let them raise him up1 nor would he take
 any food4  ,so he passed the dark night
 in praying and in sorrow1 while the    
mother watched the child by the light of
 a small lamp1 and slaves stood outside 
the chamber door to keep silence4  ,the 
morning came1 and sunshine fluttered on 
the trees in the king's gardens and on  

the hills round the town4  ,then the    
king asked for the child1 but the answer
 was that he was no better2 and all the 
people saw that ,king ,david's grief was
 very great1 and they wondered4  ,for   
the monarch had fought in many cruel    
battles1 and beaten his enemies1 and    
caused the death of many men and women1 
and even children1 and he had done many 
cruel things in his lifetime4  ,he now  
had riches and honour and numerous      
children1 and was the great king of     
,jerusalem1 living in a palace1 with    
servants and horses and gardens and     
fountains1 and he had brought the golden
 ark of ,god to be near him in a purple 
tent on ,mount ,zion2 but he had set his
 whole heart on this fair-haired child1 
and the fear that the little one might  
die took the joy out of everything4     
,the peacocks on the walls and the doves
 on the roof missed the little child    
from the garden1 where he used to come  
and feed them4  ,for seven long days and
 seven longer nights the loving mother  

watched him as he lay getting slowly    
worse2 and the king's grief was so great
 that he would not rise from the floor  
to eat by day or night1 and when his    
slaves spoke to him he paid no heed and 
would not answer4  ,he refused to put on
 the fresh clothing they brought for    
him1 or to wash in the brass basins of  
water held out to him1 or to eat the    
food placed on the table at his side2   
but he lay on the floor of his little   
room groaning1 and praying to ,god for  
the little one4  ,after a week of       
suffering the little one passed away in 
the hushed room of the king's palace at 
,jerusalem1 and the weeping mother was  
led away from the bedside of her dead   
child4  ,sorrowing friends went to tell 
the king in his chamber2 but when they  
came to the door of his room they       
stopped and whispered1 saying1--  ,if he
 would not listen to us while the child 
yet lived1 what will his grief be if we 
say that the boy is dead8  ,the king    
heard them talking1 and looking up1 saw 

from their faces what had happened4     
,then he asked if the child was dead1   
and they told him1 expecting that he    
would break out into wild grief2 but he 
did not4 ,rising from the floor1 where  
he had lain so long1 he asked for water2
 and his slaves washed him and brought  
clean1 fresh clothing1 and combed and   
oiled his hair4  ,he spoke to no one1   
but went out into the sunshine and the  
wind2 and they watched to see what he   
would do1 and where he would go4  ,he   
did not linger among the shady walks of 
the king's garden or by the ponds where 
the red lilies grew and the swans shook 
out their white plumes in the sun4  ,his
 friends followed him as he went slowly 
out of the palace gardens and away to   
the great tent of purple and crimson1   
which he liked to call the ,house of    
,god1 on ,mount ,zion2 and they stopped 
outside when he drew the rich curtains  
apart and went in4  ,there in the       
darkness he knelt1 and with hands       
upraised bowed his face to the ground   

before ,god as he poured out his soul in
 prayer4  ,after a time the king came   
out of the great tent again1 and his    
friends and servants followed him as he 
returned to his palace4  ,he had not yet
 spoken1 and they could not understand  
why he did not weep and mourn for the   
child4  ,he asked for food1 and they    
wondered yet more as he ate from the    
dishes which the slaves brought him4    
,what is this that thou doest8 asked one
 of his friends4  ,while the child lived
 thou didst weep for him1 and wouldst   
take no food2 and now that he is dead   
thou dost rise and eat4  ,they thought  
he had been only mourning as he lay for 
days on the floor2 but he had been      
praying1 and now he answered them1--    
,while he was yet alive ,i fasted and   
wept2 for ,i thought1 ',who knoweth     
whether ,god may not be merciful to me1 
and the child may live8'  ,but now he is
 dead1 and why should ,i fast8  ,i      
cannot bring him back to life again4    
,some day ,i shall die and go to him1   

but he will not return to me4  ,whether 
such thoughts as these comforted the    
mother's heart1 we are not told2 but the
 king himself tried to comfort her4     
,after a time she had another little    
boy1 and she called him ,solomon1 the   
peaceful one1 for mothers chose the     
names in those days4  ,and as his nurse 
carried him about the garden1 clad in a 
little blue robe with white tassels1 the
 people said that he too was a beautiful
 child2 and he grew up to be good and   
wise and handsome1 and loved his mother 
dearly4  ,and years afterwards this     
child became the great ,king ,solomon1  
whom all men thought so wise4           
,,elijah ,,and ,,the ,,widow',s ,,son4  
,ahab1 the wicked ,king of ,israel1 was 
sitting in his house at ,samaria1 when  
suddenly there appeared before him a    
wild-looking man1 with long hair and a  
cape of woolly sheepskin on his         
shoulders1 his rough tunic girdled with 
a broad belt of leather1 and thick      
sandals on his feet4 ,elijah1 the       

,prophet of ,god1 was his name4  ,born  
and bred in the wild desert country1 he 
now dwelt amid the hills and valleys of 
,gilead1 across the river ,jordan1 and  
he had come to warn the king that       
trouble was in store for his kingdom4   
,as ,god lives1 before whom ,i stand1 he
 said1 with upraised hand1 there shall  
not be dew or rain for years1 but       
according to my word4 ,and he said more1
 for this king was married to ,jezebel1 
a wicked princess of another nation1 who
 had got her husband to set up images   
and altars to ,baal1 a wooden idol1     
although he knew it was wrong4 ,also1 to
 please his wife1 ,ahab had killed the  
priests of ,god1 and set up priests of  
,baal in their stead2 and so when ,king 
,ahab heard the words of the wild       
prophet he was both angry and afraid4   
,elijah did not wait for an answer1 but 
fled out of the king's house and out of 
the city2 for he knew that when ,king   
,ahab told his terrible wife of what he 
had said1 she would send out men to     

capture him1 dead or alive4  ,she had   
tried to kill every prophet of ,god in  
the land1 and thought indeed that she   
had done so2 but ,obadiah1 the king's   
officer1 had hidden one hundred in caves
 by the riverside1 and kept them alive  
with bread and water4  ,so the wild     
prophet ,elijah1 with his sheepskin cape
 or mantle on his shoulders1 fled away  
to the lonely country of rocks and      
bushes1 wild beasts and robbers4  ,but  
he had no fear1 for he had no riches to 
lose1 and he always carried a stout     
staff in his hand2 and no one ever      
refused him shelter1 for he was known   
everywhere as the ,man of ,god4  ,he    
fled eastwards1 having received a       
message from ,god to go and hide in the 
deep valley of the ,cherith1 a small    
stream running between high banks down  
to the river ,jordan--a place of caves  
where many ravens had their nests2 and  
he had been told also that the black    
ravens would feed him there with the    
food they brought4  ,there he hid       

himself from ,king ,ahab's men1 who were
 searching the country for him2 and the 
ravens brought him food morning and     
evening1 and he drank of the water of   
the brook until it dried up1 for there  
was no rain4  ,when he could no longer  
live there he had another message from  
,god1 bidding him leave his             
hiding-place4  ,climbing the wooded     
hills of ,galilee1 he started to go down
 the other side to the town of          
,zarephath1 by the seashore1 where he   
would be out of ,king ,ahab's country4  
,with his thick staff in his hand and   
his woolly mantle on his shoulders1 his 
head shaded by a shawl hanging down each
 side of his face1 he crossed the       
plains1 and going up a cleft in the     
hills1 passed between them towards the  
coast--a journey of about seventy miles1
 that would take him at least four days1
 for he would have to keep out of sight 
of the king's men4  ,sleeping now in a  
cave1 now in a friendly tent1 avoiding  
villages and bands of men1 the wild     

prophet came to the fields outside      
,zarephath and waited2 for the place was
 a walled town with a low stone archway1
 and gatekeepers to question all who    
came in4  ,now as he loitered among the 
trees a poor woman came out to gather   
broken branches to kindle her fire1 and 
the prophet called to her1--  ,bring me1
 ,i pray thee1 a little water in a dish1
 that ,i may drink4  ,she looked at the 
man's strange figure1 with the long     
black hair falling over his sheepskin   
mantle1 and turned away with her bundle 
of sticks1 intending to bring a drink of
 water to him2 and when he saw that she 
was going home1 he called again1--      
,bring me also a morsel of bread in     
thine hand4  ,the woman1 who was dressed
 in the rough blue and red clothing of  
the country1 with a few brass coins in  
her hair1 and glass beads round her     
neck1 came nearer1 and he saw from her  
face that she was plainly in deep       
distress4  ,as thy ,god liveth1 she said
 earnestly1 ,i have not one cake left1  

but only a handful of meal in a barrel1 
and a little oil in a cruse4  ,i am only
 gathering a few sticks1 that ,i may go 
home and bake one more cake for my son  
and myself1 that we may eat it and then 
die4  ,fear not1 replied the wild man in
 a gentle tone2 go and do as thou hast  
said3 but make me a little cake first1  
and bring it to me1 and afterwards make 
a cake for thyself and thy son4  ,for   
thus saith the ,god of ,israel1 ',thy   
barrel of meal shall not waste1 nor thy 
cruse of oil fail1 until the day that   
,he sendeth rain upon the earth4'  ,the 
woman wondered at his strange words1 but
 she believed the man1 and went away to 
her poor home2 there she soon kindled a 
fire1 and baked a little cake1 and took 
it out to the hungry prophet sitting    
outside the city gate4  ,then she       
returned and baked another cake for     
herself and her son4  ,and we are told  
that after that her barrel never lacked 
meal1 neither did the oil in her cruse  
fail1 according as the prophet had said2

 and ,elijah stayed with the woman at   
her humble home4  ,now it happened some 
time later that this widow's son fell   
sick and died1 and his mother came to   
,elijah in great distress4  ,then the   
prophet took the boy and carried him up 
into the loft where he slept1 and       
stretched himself upon the child three  
times1 and cried to the ,lord1--  ,o    
,lord my ,god1 ,i pray ,thee1 let this  
child's soul come into him again4  ,and 
the ,lord heard the voice of ,elijah1   
and the soul of the child came into him 
again1 and he revived4  ,then ,elijah   
took him and brought him down out of the
 loft1 and placed him in his wondering  
mother's arms1 and said1 ,see1 thy son  
liveth4  ,and the woman said1 ,now by   
this ,i know that thou art a man of     
,god1 and that the word of the ,lord in 
thy mouth is truth4     ,,the           
,,shunammite',s ,,boy4  ,after the work 
of ,elijah was over and ,god had taken  
him up to heaven1 there was another     
prophet in ,israel whose name was       

,elisha4  ,now it happened that one day 
the prophet ,elisha1 sitting upon his   
ass1 with his rough cloak cast about    
him1 came riding towards a little       
village named ,shunem4  ,he rode        
steadily onward up the steep and stony  
path in the afternoon heat1 with his    
servant walking behind him4  ,he had    
come all the way from his home on the   
wooded hill of ,carmel4  ,he was tired  
and hungry1 and1 as was his custom1 he  
stopped at the house of a certain       
,shunammite woman4  ,then alighting from
 his ass1 he went up the outside stair  
to a little chamber on the wall1 which  
was always ready to receive him1 and    
there he and his servant ,gehazi lay    
down to rest4  ,when morning came the   
prophet and his servant rose and        
breakfasted on bread and goat's milk1   
and were about to go on their way2 but  
before leaving1 ,elisha told ,gehazi to 
bring up the ,shunammite woman1 and the 
man called to her from the wall4        
,coming up the stone stair1 she stood at

 the door of the little chamber1 hiding 
her face1 her dark hair covered by a    
white kerchief that fell over a tunic of
 bright colours which reached down to   
her slippered feet4  ,thou hast been    
careful for us with all this care1 the  
prophet said4 ,what is to be done for   
thee8  ,shall ,i ask a favour of the    
king for thee1 or from the captain of   
his fighting-men8  ,elisha wished to    
make her some return for her kindness1  
and thought that she might like to see  
her husband raised from the life of a   
village farmer to be an officer in the  
king's army4  ,i wish to dwell among    
mine own people1 she replied simply1    
meaning that she would rather live where
 her tribe lived2 and she turned away   
and left them4  ,when she was gone      
,elisha asked his servant if there was  
nothing he could do for her2 and the man
 answered that she had no son4  ,gehazi 
knew it was the dearest wish of every   
,syrian woman to have a son1 and that   
the ,shunammite's heart longed for one4 

,call her1 said ,elisha again2 and the  
woman in her bright tunic1 bound about  
her waist with a silken scarf1 again    
stood outside the door hiding her face4 
,and ,elisha told her that the time     
would surely come when she would hold a 
little son in her arms4  ,the woman     
replied in a low voice1--  ,nay1 my     
lord1 thou man of ,god1 do not mock me4 
,but ,elisha said it would be so2 and   
saddling his ass he rode away1 with     
,gehazi following after him4  ,but the  
prophet's word came true1 and the       
,shunammite's heart leaped with joy as  
she nursed her little babe4  ,years     
passed1 and the courtyard echoed with   
the shouts of the merry child1 whose    
bare feet pattered all day about the    
sunny square1 scaring the gray doves up 
to the housetop4  ,holding by his       
mother's hand1 he went up the stairs to 
the little chamber on the wall1 where   
the vine spread its broad leaves2 and   
there he saw the table and the little   
bed1 the red jar of water and the cakes 

of bread waiting for the prophet of     
,god4  ,and when he was five years old1 
with ruddy cheeks and soft hair1 he was 
beautiful as an angel of ,god4  ,now one
 day1 in the hot harvest weather1 the   
little fellow ran away from the house   
down to the field where his father and  
the reapers were at work2 and he ran to 
and fro in the hot morning sun1         
sometimes chasing the bright            
butterflies1 sometimes following the men
 as they cut down the grain with their  
sharp sickles4  ,but after a while he   
came to his father1 calling1 ,o my head1
 my head6 for he had got sunstroke with 
the great heat4  ,at once the old farmer
 bade one of his men carry the boy to   
his mother2 and he lay on her knee in a 
darkened room1 crying out in an agony of
 pain and thirst1 while she tried as    
best she could to relieve his suffering4
  ,but by noon all was still1 and the   
stricken mother carried his body up to  
the little chamber and laid it on the   
prophet's bed1 and going out gently     

closed the door4  ,her heart was like   
lead as she went down the steps to her  
own room1 for all the light seemed to   
have gone out of her world1 and now what
 was she to do8  ,calling her husband up
 from the fields1 the ,shunammite woman 
asked him to send a servant to her with 
an ass1 that she might ride to ,elisha  
at ,carmel and return again4  ,the      
father did not know what had happened to
 his boy1 and asked why she wished to go
 that day1 as it was neither new moon   
nor ,sabbath1 her usual times for taking
 such a journey4  ,it is well6 was all  
her reply1 for her heart was crushed1   
and she had no words to utter4  ,so the 
ass was saddled1 and she said to her    
servant1--  ,go forward2 and do not     
slacken the riding unless ,i tell thee4 
,then they went out of the village at a 
quick pace1 and along the plain1 among  
yellow harvest-fields1 and through the  
little streams1 and over the ,kishon    
,river1 and up into the wooded gorge    
leading to the prophet's home on the    

green mount of ,carmel4  ,yonder is the 
,shunammite woman2 run and meet her1    
exclaimed ,elisha to his servant1       
shading his eyes from the sun with his  
hand1 as he looked and saw her yet afar 
off1 riding in haste4  ,gehazi ran as he
 was told1 and when they met he asked   
her in an anxious voice1--  ,is it well 
with thee8  ,is it well with thy        
husband8  ,is it well with the child8   
,it is well1 she answered1 for a        
mother's heart is strange at such a     
time2 and she rode forward in silence   
until she came to ,elisha standing at   
his house door4  ,getting off the ass1  
she threw herself down before the       
prophet1 and holding his feet1 lay there
 with her face to the ground1 saying    
nothing4  ,gehazi came forward to raise 
her4  ,let her alone1 ,elisha said1     
looking at the grief-stricken figure at 
his feet4  ,her soul is vexed within    
her1 and ,god hath hid the matter from  
me1 and hath not told me4  ,when she    
heard these words she found her voice1  

and murmured1 with her face to the      
ground1--  ,did ,i ask a son of my lord8
 and did ,i not say1 ',do not deceive   
me'8 ,then her tears fell fast4  ,elisha
 understood her at once4  ,gird up thy  
tunic with thy belt1 he said1 speaking  
to ,gehazi1 and take my staff1 and go4  
,greet no man by the way1 and answer no 
man's greeting2 but lay it on the face  
of the child1 handing him his staff as  
he spoke4  ,and the man started at once 
to run down the path from the village4  
,as ,god liveth1 and as thy soul liveth1
 ,i will not leave thee1 the mother     
murmured at the prophet's feet4  ,she   
would not be content with a servant2 she
 must have the prophet himself4  ,and   
when she rode away ,elisha was with her1
 going back again on the long ride of   
sixteen miles which she had scarcely    
noticed1 so loving was her mother's     
heart4  ,when they drew near the village
 of ,shunem1 ,gehazi came out to meet   
them4  ,the child is not awake1 he said2
 but he got no answer4  ,elisha went up 

alone to the little chamber1 and there  
lay the beautiful child1 still and quiet
 upon the bed4  ,and the old man shut   
the door and prayed to ,god for him1 and
 stretched himself upon the child1 hand 
to hand1 eye to eye1 mouth to mouth1    
until the child grew warm1 and showing  
signs of life1 opened his eyes4  ,then  
the prophet called to his servant to    
bring the ,shunammite woman4  ,she      
needed no calling4  ,her foot was on the
 stair while he yet spoke1 so quick is a
 mother's heart1 and she stood at the   
door of the little room1 as she had     
often stood before1 gazing1 but afraid  
to enter4  ,take up thy son1 the prophet
 said4  ,a glance was enough4  ,one step
 and she fell half fainting at ,elisha's
 feet1 pouring out her soul in thanks to
 ,god and to the man of ,god4 ,turning  
to her boy1 she gathered him up tenderly
 in her arms and bore him down the      
stairs to her own room in the house     
below4  ,and thus was her boy restored  
to her alive4     ,a ,,little ,,jewish  

,,maid4  ,ben-hadad1 the dark-eyed ,king
 of ,syria1 could no longer leap into   
his chariot and drive his swift horses  
through the fields as he used to do4 ,he
 could not draw the bow of steel or     
fling the heavy spear as far or as      
straight as the young men of his tribe1 
for he was getting old2 and he had given
 up going with his warriors on their    
fighting across the ,jordan1 leaving it 
to his younger chieftains4  ,his home   
was in the beautiful town of ,damascus1 
set in a land so rich and green with    
tapering trees1 vineyards1 and fields of
 grass1 and watered with such delightful
 streams1 that the ,arabs1 coming on    
their camels from the yellow sands of   
the hot desert1 cried out1 when they saw
 its white walls hung with green        
creepers1 that it shone like a handful  
of pearls in a green cup4  ,he ruled the
 tribes of ,syria from that walled city1
 and in the spring-time of the year his 
chiefs gathered the young warriors to   
make up their minds where they should go

 to fight and plunder4  ,among the      
chiefs was ,naaman the ,syrian1 a young 
man who led them out to battle when the 
king could not go1 and had several times
 beaten their foes4 ,sitting among his  
chiefs1 with his royal spear in his     
hand1 a band of gold round his brow1 and
 rings of gold on his arms and legs1 the
 old king talked with them about        
fighting the men of ,israel1 and gave   
them their orders2 and best of all his  
warriors the king loved ,naaman the     
,syrian4  ,now when ,naaman blew the    
king's horns and beat the king's drums  
up and down the country1 calling the    
young men of the tribes for a raid      
across the ,jordan1 it was either to    
steal cattle and corn1 or to capture    
slaves2 and boys and girls were the     
slaves they liked best4  ,one day1 when 
he returned from one of these           
slave-raids1 ,naaman brought back with  
him a little ,jewish maid2 and she      
looked so pretty with her dark eyes and 
ruddy cheeks that he gave her as a      

present to his ,syrian wife1 to wait    
upon her and run her messages4  ,when   
her mistress washed her hands1 the      
little maid held the basin on bended    
knee4  ,when she dressed her dark hair1 
she held the comb and the oil1 and the  
little pots of yellow dye for her nails 
and the black paint for her eyebrows4   
,when she went out1 this little maid    
went also1 in a little dress of scarlet1
 with a white kerchief on her dark head4
  ,she learnt to love her mistress very 
much2 and was sorry for her master1 for 
he was troubled with the terrible       
sickness of leprosy1 and she often      
wished he could be made well4  ,one day 
she sighed1 and said to her mistress1-- 
,oh1 ,i would to ,god that my master    
were with our prophet in ,samaria6 then 
he would get better of his leprosy4     
,she believed with all her heart that   
,elisha the prophet1 like a clever      
doctor1 could do something for him4     
,now what she had said was told to      
,naaman1 who told it to the king2 and as

 they had both heard about ,elisha1 the 
wild prophet of ,israel1 the king told  
his favourite chief to go and see the   
wonderful man4  ,and he also wrote a    
letter to ,joram1 the ,king of ,israel1 
and gave it to ,naaman to deliver2 and  
this is what he wrote3--  ,when this    
letter comes to thee1 ,o ,king ,joram1  
it is to tell thee that ,i have sent    
,naaman1 my servant1 for thee to heal   
him of his leprosy4  ,naaman folded the 
letter in his tunic1 and filling a few  
small bags with silver and gold1 and    
rolling up some bundles of new clothing1
 he put them into the wide saddle-bags  
of his camels as presents for the ,king 
of ,israel4  ,then stepping into his    
chariot1 he drove down the river valley1
 with his men clattering after him1 and 
up the hills to ,samaria on the         
watch-hill1 where he delivered the      
letter4  ,illustration3 ,naaman at the  
house of ,elisha4  ,the ,king of ,israel
 read it1 and his chiefs saw that he was
 much troubled4  ,seizing his white     

tunic with both hands1 he tore it from  
neck to hem--a sign of great            
grief--saying bitterly that he was not  
able to heal people of leprosy1 and that
 the powerful ,king of ,syria was only  
seeking another cause to quarrel with   
him4  ,what kings say and what kings do 
many tongues tell1 and ,elisha the      
prophet1 who had a house in white-walled
 ,samaria1 heard about the king's grief1
 and sent his servant ,gehazi to give   
him a message1--  ,why do you rend your 
clothes8  ,send the man to me6  ,the    
king was delighted1 and soon ,naaman's  
chariot and horses1 his armed guards and
 his brown camels1 were standing at the 
door of the prophet's house4  ,but only 
,gehazi appeared in answer to the       
captain's call4  ,go1 he said to the    
proud ,syrian chief--go and wash thyself
 seven times in the river ,jordan1 and  
thou shalt be healed1 and be clean of   
thy leprosy4  ,this was a message from  
his master ,elisha1 who was not coming  
out to see the great captain6  ,the     

,syrian chief was filled with anger at  
the man who dared to send him away from 
the prophet's door as if he were a      
beggar1 and he exclaimed1--  ,i thought 
he would surely come out to see me1 and 
stand and call on his ,god1 and wave his
 hand over the place and heal me4  ,are 
not ,abana and ,pharpar1 rivers of      
,damascus1 better than all the waters of
 ,israel8 ,may ,i not wash in them and  
be clean8  ,springing into his chariot1 
he grasped the reins1 and shook them as 
he brought his whip fiercely down on the
 horses' backs1 causing them to leap    
forward from the door4  ,the horses     
galloped swiftly through the narrow     
streets1 and out by the gate in the city
 wall1 and down the road to the plain1  
the guards and servants of the great    
captain following after him as quickly  
as they could4  ,naaman considered that 
he had been mocked by this foreign      
prophet1 and was galloping back to      
,syria as quickly as he could4  ,but    
horses cannot gallop for ever1 however  

angry their masters may be2 and when at 
length they came to a walking pace1     
,naaman began to talk with his friends  
about the insult he had received from   
the rude old prophet4  ,why should he   
bathe in the ,jordan ,river1 where the  
water was clay-white and often muddy1   
when he had his own rivers of ,abana the
 golden and ,pharpar the sweet1 brimming
 with the finest water in the world8    
,his friends did not answer him in his  
wrath2 but they soon reached the ford of
 crossing1 and if he would not bathe in 
the ,jordan1 he would have to ride      
through it1 for there was no bridge4    
,then one of his friends gave him this  
piece of very good advice4  ,my father1 
he said1 if the prophet had told thee to
 do some hard thing1 thou wouldst have  
done it4  ,how much more shouldst thou  
obey him when what he commands is such a
 little thing as this8  ,naaman's rage  
had passed off with the lashing of his  
horses and his furious driving1 but his 
terrible leprosy remained4  ,was he     

going back to his master with the       
disease still upon him1 to tell him that
 he had not done what the prophet had   
told him because it was too easy8       
,there was the white river rushing past 
at his feet4  ,to ride so far and then  
refuse to wash would seem very foolish2 
so he changed his mind1 and stopping his
 chariot at the water's edge1 went into 
the stream and bathed1 and to his       
surprise and delight was at once healed 
of his leprosy1 so that his skin became 
like that of a little child4  ,it was   
with a changed heart that he turned his 
horses' heads and drove slowly back out 
of the valley1 and up the road to the   
hills down which he had just come       
clattering in his anger4  ,when next he 
stood at the door of the prophet's      
little house all the pride was gone out 
of him4  ,now ,i know1 he said to the   
prophet1 that there is no ,god in all   
the world but in ,israel4  ,i pray thee 
to take a present from thy servant4     
,elisha stood before him in worn cloak  

and sandals1 his head covered with a    
striped kerchief1 his eyes bright and   
piercing4  ,the camels were there1 laden
 with presents in their saddle-bags4    
,as ,god liveth1 before whom ,i stand1  
exclaimed the old man1 ,i will take     
nothing4  ,gold and silver1 fine        
clothing1 sweet spices1 scented oils1   
had no real value for him4  ,they were  
only a few of the many things he could  
quite well do without4  ,this ,syrian   
chief had obeyed what was really the    
command of the living ,god1 and that was
 much more important4  ,the ,syrian     
pressed him to take something1 but the  
poor prophet would have nothing4        
,naaman then asked leave to carry away  
two mule loads of earth from ,samaria1  
saying that he would never again offer  
sacrifice to idols after the manner of  
his own people1 but would sacrifice to  
,god only4  ,again ,naaman shook the    
reins and cracked his whip as the horses
 sprang forward with the light chariot1 
the wooden wheels clattering on the     

stones4  ,outside the city walls his    
servants scraped the earth together     
until they had filled two mule-sacks1   
and then the small band of ,syrians1    
shouldering their spears1 set out on the
 homeward road4  ,soon the eyes of the  
,syrian drivers saw the green           
palm-trees1 the spires of glittering    
brass1 and the white walls of ,damascus4
  ,they were back again in their own    
country1 bringing no camel-loads of     
plunder1 no droves of stolen cattle1 no 
chains of weeping slaves--only two sacks
 of earth from ,samaria1 and a chief    
with a healthy body and a grateful      
heart4  ,if his wife was glad to see    
him1 so also was the little ,jewish     
maid2 and we need not doubt that she    
would not be much longer a slave1 but   
free--set free as a sign that ,naaman   
the ,syrian had a grateful heart for his
 little friend who had sent him to be   
healed by the prophet of ,israel4       
,,the ,,end4