,illustration3 ,there remaineth yet the 
youngest1 and1 behold1 he keepeth the   
sheep4 #a4 ,sam4 xvi4 #aa4     ,,david  
,,the ,,shepherd ,,boy  ,by ,,amy       
,,steedman   ,illustration   ,,thomas   
,,nelson  ,,sons ,,new ,,york           
,,books ,,in ,,this ,,series    ,,joseph
 ,,the ,,dreamer   ,,the ,,babe ,,in    
,,the ,,bulrushes   ,,david ,,the       
,,shepherd ,,boy   ,,the ,,child ,,jesus
   ,,the ,,good ,,physician   ,,the     
,,good ,,shepherd   ,,printed ,,in ,,the
 ,,united ,,states ,,of ,,america       
,the ,story of ,david  ,illustration    
,up amongst the hills1 perched like the 
nest of a bird on one of the long low   
ridges1 lies the little town of         
,bethlehem4 ,it was but a small town at 
the time this story begins1 and there   
was nothing about it to make it at all  
famous4 ,it lay out of the beaten track1
 and any one wanting to visit it must   
needs climb the long winding road that  
led from the plain beneath1 through     
olive groves and sheepfields1 up to the 

city gate--a steep1 difficult road1     
leading nowhere but to the little town  
itself4  ,it was in these fields on the 
slope of the hills that ,david1 the     
shepherd boy of ,bethlehem1 spent his   
days watching his father's flocks4 ,that
 father1 whose name was ,jesse1 was one 
of the chief men of the town1 and ,david
 was the youngest of all his sons4      
,there were seven big brothers at home1 
and it was no wonder ,jesse was proud of
 his sons4 ,they were tall1 splendid    
young men1 all of them doing men's work 
now1 and taking very little notice of   
the youngest1 who was still only a small
 boy1 chiefly useful in looking after   
the sheep4  ,but though ,david was but  
little thought of1 no one could say that
 he did not do his work well4 ,there was
 not a more careful or watchful shepherd
 on all the hills around ,bethlehem4 ,he
 knew each one of his sheep1 and never  
allowed one to stray4 ,he always led    
them to the best pasture1 and found the 
coolest and freshest water for them to  

drink4 ,then1 too1 he was as brave as a 
lion1 and if any wild beast came lurking
 round hoping to snatch a lamb away1    
,david was up at once and would attack  
the fiercest beast single-handed4       
,nothing could ever do any harm to his  
flock4  ,now it happened that one day   
while ,david was1 as usual1 out in the  
fields that a sudden stir of excitement 
awoke in the little town of ,bethlehem4 
,men gathered round the city gate1 and  
with anxious1 fearful eyes looked down  
the long white road that led up from the
 plain below4 ,and yet there seemed     
nothing there to make them look so      
terrified and anxious4 ,only an old     
feeble man was slowly climbing up       
towards the town4 ,he was driving a     
heifer before him1 and carrying what    
looked like a horn in his hand4         
,illustration3 ,an old feeble man was   
slowly climbing up towards the town4    
,but the people whispered together that 
the old man was none other than ,samuel1
 the prophet of the ,lord1 who carried  

,god's messages4 ,he must be bringing a 
message to them1 and who knew if it was 
good or evil4 ,they tried with uneasy   
minds to remember if they had been doing
 anything wrong of late as they watched 
the old man drawing nearer and nearer4  
,then at last the chief men of the town 
went out to meet him4  ,comest thou     
peaceably8 they asked anxiously4  ,the  
old man lifted his head and looked at   
them kindly as he echoed their words4   
,peaceably1 he answered at once2 ,i am  
come to sacrifice unto the ,lord4  ,a   
great sigh of relief went up from the   
people4 ,the visit was a mark of ,god's 
favour and not of ,his displeasure4  ,it
 was true1 indeed1 that ,samuel had come
 to offer sacrifice1 but he had come    
also on a secret errand about which no  
man knew but himself4 ,god had bidden   
him take his horn of oil and anoint one 
of the sons of ,jesse to be king over   
,his people instead of ,saul1 the       
present king1 who had displeased ,him4  
,but it was to be done secretly4 ,saul  

must not hear of it1 or his vengeance   
would be swift4  ,it was in ,jesse's    
house that the feast of the sacrifice   
was prepared1 and ,samuel ordered that  
all the sons of the house should pass   
before him as they went to attend the   
sacrifice4  ,the first to come was      
,eliab1 ,jesse's eldest son1 and when   
,samuel saw him he felt sure that this  
was the man who was to be anointed king4
 ,he was a splendid young man1 tall and 
strong and handsome1 looking almost as  
kingly as ,saul himself4  ,surely this  
is he1 murmured ,samuel to himself4 ,but
 ,god's answer came quickly4 ,no1 this  
was not the man4 ,samuel saw only the   
outward signs of strength and beauty1   
but ,god saw deeper into the heart4  ,so
 the eldest son passed on1 and one by   
one the six brothers followed1 all sons 
that a father might well be proud of4   
,but ,god sent no sign to show that any 
of them was the chosen king4            
,illustration3 ,surely this is he1      
murmured ,samuel to himself4  ,samuel   

was puzzled4 ,what could it mean8 ,then 
he turned again to ,jesse4  ,are here   
all thy children8 he asked4  ,surprised 
at the question1 ,jesse suddenly        
remembered the little lad1 his youngest 
son1 who was out in the fields tending  
the sheep4 ,was it possible that ,samuel
 had any use for him8  ,send and fetch  
him1 ordered ,samuel instantly1 for we  
will not sit down till he comes hither4 
,so a messenger was sent in haste to    
bring ,david2 and presently he came     
hurrying in1 and as soon as ,samuel saw 
him he knew his search was ended4  ,he  
was only a little shepherd lad with the 
breath of the hills about him1 his      
golden hair tossed by the wind1 his fair
 face flushed1 and his sunburned hand   
holding his shepherd's crook4 ,but there
 was no doubt that ,god had chosen him4 
,arise and anoint him1 for this is he1  
said ,god's voice in ,samuel's heart4   
,slowly1 then1 the old man rose and held
 the oil aloft and poured it upon the   
boy's bowed head1 while the rest of the 

company looked silently on4  ,they were 
puzzled to know what it all meant4      
,perhaps the elder brothers were        
envious1 and wondered why this mere     
child should be singled out for special 
favour4 ,but no one dared to question   
,god's messenger4  ,nothing further     
happened just then4 ,samuel returned as 
he had come by the winding white road1  
and before long his visit was forgotten 
as the people settled to their work     
again4  ,illustration3 ,saul tries to   
kill ,david  ,only ,david1 out in the   
fields1 thought more and more about what
 had happened1 and grew more and more   
certain that it had been a call from    
,god to do some special work for ,him4  
,the wonder of it filled his mind1 but  
it never interfered with his work4      
,there was little time for idle dreaming
 in the boy's life4 ,he was as watchful 
as ever in his care for his sheep and as
 courageous as ever in guarding them    
from prowling beasts4 ,even in his      
leisure time he was busy too1 and there 

was not one of the sunny hours of       
daylight that he wasted4  ,he loved     
music1 and he taught himself to play on 
the harp1 practising so carefully and   
patiently that his fingers grew most    
wonderfully skilful4 ,then he made songs
 to go to the music1 some of the most   
beautiful songs that ever have been made
 in all the world4 ,almost every child  
to-day knows his beautiful song about   
the ,good ,shepherd3 ,the ,lord is my   
shepherd1 ,i shall not want4  ,there was
 another thing1 too1 that he learned to 
do with the same care and patient       
perseverance1 and that was to use his   
shepherd's sling4 ,there was no boy in  
all ,bethlehem who could shoot as       
straight as he could4 ,he never missed  
his mark4  ,it was no great thing1      
perhaps1 to make music and aim straight1
 but it was a great thing to do what lay
 nearest his hand with all his might4   
,perhaps some day ,god would make use of
 his singing or have some work for a boy
 who had a quick eye and a sure aim4    

,who could tell8  ,so ,david learned to 
do his very best1 and before very long  
,god's call came to him4  ,illustration3
 ,saul sat day after day in his darkened
 tent4  ,saul1 the ,king of ,israel1 sat
 day after day in his darkened tent ill 
and full of misery4 ,no one dared to go 
near him1 and his servants whispered    
together1 ,it is an evil spirit from the
 ,lord that troubles him4  ,then some   
one suggested that perhaps music might  
help to cheer him and drive the evil    
spirit from him4  ,let our lord now     
command thy servants to seek out a man  
who is a cunning player on a harp1 they 
said to the king1 and it shall come to  
pass that1 when the evil spirit from    
,god is upon thee1 he shall play with   
his hand1 and thou shalt be well4       
,illustration3 ,david drew magic music  
from his harp's strings4  ,saul listened
 to their words1 and hope crept into his
 heart4  ,provide me now a man that can 
play well1 and bring him unto me1 he    
said eagerly4  ,now the fame of ,david's

 playing and singing had spread even    
beyond ,bethlehem4 ,we must send for    
,david1 the son of ,jesse1 said the     
king's servants at once4 ,he was the    
very person they wanted4 ,not only could
 he sing and play1 but he was a good    
boy1 brave and fearless1 and best of    
all1 as the servants said1 ,the ,lord is
 with him4  ,so the shepherd boy was    
brought to the king's darkened tent1    
ready to do his bidding4 ,sitting there 
in the dim light1 he drew such magic    
music from his harp's strings1 and sang 
such sweet songs1 that the very song of 
the birds seemed to be filling the tent4
 ,the king1 as he listened1 seemed to   
feel the breath of the mountain fields1 
to hear the call of the sheepfold and   
the murmur of the dancing streams4 ,it  
acted like a charm4 ,the black misery   
was lifted from his heart1 and the evil 
spirit was put to flight by the song of 
the shepherd boy4  ,it was no wonder1   
then1 that the king1 for a time at      
least1 loved the boy with his bright    

face and sunny hair1 and wanted to keep 
him as his armour-bearer4 ,but perhaps1 
as ,saul grew well and had no further   
need of the music1 ,david was no longer 
wanted1 and so he went back again to the
 ,bethlehem fields to look after his    
sheep4  ,god had made use of ,david's   
skill in music1 and before very long    
another call came to him4 ,this time the
 need was for one who could aim         
straight1 who had a quick eye and a     
steady hand4  ,war had broken out4 ,the 
fierce ,philistines had come up with    
their great armies to try and conquer   
the land4 ,every man in ,israel who     
could fight was called up to protect his
 country4 ,already ,david's three elder 
brothers had joined ,saul's army1 which 
was preparing to fight the enemy4       
,illustration3 ,jesse sends ,david to   
the camp4  ,on either side of a narrow  
valley1 divided by a stream which ran   
along over smooth stones1 the two armies
 faced each other4 ,there they were     
encamped1 like wild beasts ready to fly 

at each other's throats4 ,at any moment 
the fight might begin1 and that stream  
be stained red with blood4 ,only the    
,philistines were far the strongest1 and
 the ,israelites had but little chance  
of victory4  ,this valley was seven or  
eight miles distant from the little town
 of ,bethlehem1 and ,jesse waited       
anxiously1 day after day1 for news of   
his three sons4 ,at last he could bear  
the anxiety no longer1 and he determined
 to send ,david to the camp to carry    
food to his brothers and bring back news
 how they fared4  ,so1 very early one   
morning1 ,david set out on his errand4  
,he had carefully put his sheep under   
the care of another shepherd1 and he    
took with him parched corn and loaves of
 bread for his brothers1 as well as ten 
cheeses which his father was sending to 
the officers under whom they served4    
,it was not long before the boy came    
within sight of the valley1 and his     
heart began to beat with excitement1 for
 he saw that he had arrived just as     

something was about to happen4 ,the     
armies were drawn up in battle array1   
and suddenly a great shout went up from 
both sides4 ,it was the battle-cry of   
the two armies which sounded in his     
ears4  ,there was no time now to carry  
food and gifts1 so ,david quickly left  
his load at the entrance to the camp and
 hurried on to search for his brothers4 
,he had learned to find his way about a 
camp1 where for a short time he had been
 ,saul's armour-bearer4 ,so now he went 
swiftly among the soldiers1 until at    
last he found his brothers4 ,were they  
well8 he eagerly asked them2 and what   
were they doing8  ,illustration3        
,eagerly ,david began to ask them what  
it meant4  ,but even while he spoke     
there was a stir among the ,philistines1
 and all eyes were turned to watch1 all 
ears were strained to hear the enemy's  
challenge1 which rang out clearly across
 the narrow valley4  ,out of the rank of
 the ,philistines there had stepped a   
man so tall and strong that he appeared 

to be a giant4 ,he was more than nine   
feet high1 and the armour which he wore 
was so solid and heavy that it would    
have crushed any ordinary man to the    
earth4  ,this was ,goliath1 the great   
champion of the ,philistines4 ,every    
morning and every evening he strode     
proudly out and defied the ,israelites1 
bidding them find a champion who would  
come and fight with him4 ,once again his
 challenge rang out on the clear air1-- 
,choose you a man for you1 and let him  
come down to me4 ,if he be able to fight
 with me and to kill me1 then will we be
 your servants2 but if ,i prevail       
against him and kill him1 then shall ye 
be our servants and serve us4 ,i defy   
the armies of ,israel this day4 ,give me
 a man that we may fight together4  ,a  
great silence fell after the champion   
had shouted his last words of defiance4 
,there was no answer from the           
,israelites4 ,no man had courage enough 
to dream of accepting the challenge4    
,david looked round him in amazement1   

and his cheeks burned with shame4 ,what 
were the people doing to allow this     
boasting heathen ,philistine to defy the
 armies of the living ,god8 ,eagerly he 
turned to the men around him and began  
to ask them what it meant4 ,the soldiers
 answered him shortly4 ,no1 there was no
 one who dared to go forth and fight    
,goliath4 ,the king had promised great  
rewards to any man who would kill the   
giant4 ,but no one had dared to try4    
,david's elder brothers heard his       
questions1 and seeing how amazed he was1
 they began to grow angry4 ,did he mean 
to reproach them8 ,perhaps he thought of
 offering himself to fight the champion4
 ,it was time that this shepherd boy    
should be put in his proper place4 ,so  
his eldest brother turned to him with a 
sneer4  ,illustration3 ,while he kept   
his father's sheep he had often to      
defend them from wild beasts4  ,why     
camest thou hither8 he asked4 ,and with 
whom hast thou left those few sheep in  
the wilderness8 ,i know thy pride and   

the naughtiness of thy heart1 for thou  
hast come down that thou mightest see   
the battle4  ,it could not have been    
very easy to bear this taunt4 ,but      
,david had learned to conquer himself   
before he set out to conquer giants4 ,so
 he answered quietly instead of flashing
 back an angry reply4  ,what have ,i    
done8 he asked4 ,may ,i not ask a       
harmless question8  ,there were many    
questions he still wished to ask1 and   
presently the soldiers began to repeat  
his words one to another1 until at last 
the report was spread that some one had 
been found ready and willing to answer  
the challenge of the giant ,philistine4 
,and of course the news soon reached the
 king's ear4 ,saul sent immediately and 
ordered that the shepherd lad should be 
brought to him4 ,he had quite forgotten 
about the boy who had charmed away his  
black moods with the magic music of his 
harp4 ,and ,david had grown and changed 
since those days4  ,so now1 when ,david 
stood before the king1 ,saul had no idea

 who he was1 and his one thought1 as he 
looked at the slender youth1 was that it
 was madness to think of such a mere boy
 going out to give battle to the great  
giant4  ,thou art not able to go against
 this ,philistine1 he said2 for thou art
 but a youth1 and he a man of war from  
his youth4  ,but ,david answered        
eagerly4 ,he did not boast1 but spoke   
steadily and wisely4 ,true1 he had not  
been trained as a soldier1 but his      
courage and his strength had both been  
already proved4 ,and he went on to tell 
the king that while he kept his father's
 sheep he had often to defend them from 
wild beasts4 ,once he had fought with a 
lion and a bear single-handed and had   
killed them both4  ,illustration3 ,saul 
puts his own armour on ,david4  ,it was 
not in his own strength that he trusted4
 ,the ,lord that delivered me out of the
 paw of the lion and out of the paw of  
the bear1 ,he will deliver me out of the
 hand of this ,philistine1 he ended     
triumphantly4  ,faith in ,god was       

,david's sure defence2 and ,saul as he  
listened bowed his head in shame1 for it
 was the faith which he himself had     
lost4 ,it was this faith1 he knew1 which
 might win the victory4 ,it was an echo 
of the confidence he had once felt when 
his whole trust had been in ,god1 and he
 recognized the true ring of the boy's  
courage4  ,go1 he said1 and the ,lord be
 with thee4  ,then the king was eager to
 put his own armour on ,david1 and he   
bade the soldiers arm him with the royal
 sword and put a brass helmet on his    
head4 ,but ,david was not accustomed to 
wear heavy armour1 and had never been   
trained to use a sword4 ,no1 he would do
 his best with the only weapon he       
thoroughly understood4  ,so putting on  
once more his shepherd's coat1 he took  
his sling in his hand1 and as he crossed
 the brook at the foot of the valley he 
filled his shepherd's bag with smooth   
stones and fitted one of them to his    
sling4 ,then with springing steps he    
began to climb the opposite side4  ,the 

rage of ,goliath was great when he saw  
the slender1 fair-haired boy1 without   
either armour or sword1 coming so boldly
 to meet him4  ,am ,i a dog1 he shouted1
 that thou comest to me with staves8    
,illustration3 ,david's fight with      
,goliath4  ,i come to thee in the name  
of the ,lord of ,hosts1 the ,god of the 
armies of ,israel1 whom thou hast       
defied1 rang out the clear answer4 ,the 
,lord saveth not with sword and spear2  
for the battle is the ,lord's1 and ,he  
will give you into our hands4  ,the     
great giant lifted his spear1 ready with
 one blow to end this unequal fight4    
,but ,david did not wait to come within 
reach of the spear4 ,before ,goliath    
came near1 the boy stopped suddenly and 
sent a stone whizzing through the air   
straight at the giant's head4 ,the stone
 sank into ,goliath's forehead1 and the 
great figure reeled and fell with a     
mighty crash to the earth4 ,instantly   
,david seized his sword and cut off his 
head4  ,illustration3 ,david seized his 

sword and cut off his head4  ,so ,god's 
people were saved1 and so again ,god    
made use of the shepherd boy's training 
and skill1 this time to win a great     
victory for ,his people4  ,the          
fair-haired shepherd boy had done his   
duty faithfully in the fields on the    
hillside at home1 where he was but      
little thought of4 ,he had always tried 
to do his best1 whether he was keeping  
the sheep or practising with his sling  
or learning to play the harp4 ,and now1 
suddenly1 the great opportunity had come
 and found him ready4  ,he had entered  
the camp an unnoticed country lad1      
carrying provisions to his brothers4    
,now every soldier in the camp was      
shouting his name2 the king was ready to
 shower rewards and honors upon him4 ,he
 was the hero of the hour4  ,the        
pleasant days in the ,bethlehem fields  
were now over for ,david4 ,there was no 
thought of allowing him to return to his
 work4 ,no1 the king declared he must   
remain as a soldier in the army1 ready  

to defend his king and country4 ,though 
he was still a mere boy he was placed in
 command and set over the men of war4   
,it was much more difficult work than   
looking after sheep1 and as time went on
 and dangers and difficulties beset him 
on every side1 ,david must often have   
longed for the old quiet days on the    
hillside4 ,his path was rough and       
dangerous now1 and sad to say his feet  
often slipped and he wandered far       
astray1 but always he held fast to his  
faith in ,god1 and found his way back to
 the straight path4  ,as the years went 
by ,samuel's promise was at last        
fulfilled1 and ,david was made king over
 ,god's chosen people4 ,david had often 
forgotten ,god1 but ,god had never      
forgotten him4  ,what a change it was   
from the days when he wandered about the
 fields in his sheepskin coat1 often    
sleeping out under the stars1 possessing
 only his harp and his shepherd's sling4
  ,now he wore royal robes1 and there   
was a crown of pure gold upon his head4 

,instead of the starry sky for a roof1  
he now lived in a palace of cedar wood4 
,and he knew surely that it was ,god who
 had taken care of him2 that it was ,god
 who had set the crown of gold upon his 
head1 the seal to the promise made in   
that long ago day when the old prophet  
had poured the anointing oil upon the   
head of the wandering shepherd boy4     
,looking back1 he saw that he had made  
many mistakes1 that his soul was stained
 with many sins2 but he knew1 too1 that 
,god would listen when he prayed1 ,wash 
me1 and ,i shall be whiter than snow4   
,as a little shepherd lad he had cared  
far more for his sheep than his own     
safety4 ,he had always been ready to    
risk his life for them4 ,so now1 when he
 became king1 his people were just as   
precious to him as his sheep had been4  
,he cared for them with all his heart4  
,he was prepared to suffer himself      
rather than any hurt should come near   
them4  ,so perhaps he was1 after all1   
not unworthy to stand as a type of the  

great ,king1 great ,david's greater     
,son1 the little ,baby who was to be    
born in the town of ,bethlehem1 the     
,good ,shepherd who was to lay down ,his
 life for ,his sheep4