,illustration3 ,joseph as ,ruler of     
,egypt speaks to his brothers4          
,,joseph                                
,,the ,,dreamer                         
,by ,,amy ,,steedman                    
,illustration                           
,,thomas ,,nelson  ,,sons               
,,new ,,york           99       99      
99       99       99          ,the      
,story of ,joseph    ,illustration3 ,the
 coat of many colours4      ,this is the
 story of ,joseph1 the boy who had the  
strangest and most  exciting adventures 
of any boy who ever lived4    ,joseph   
was but a little lad when his mother    
died4 ,his father1 ,jacob1  had loved   
that mother more than any one else in   
the world1 so that  when she died       
leaving ,joseph and a baby brother1     
,benjamin1 all the  love in the father's
 heart turned to his two little sons4   
,the elder brothers were strong1        
grown-up men1 quite able to look  after 
themselves1 and no longer needing their 
father's care2 so  perhaps it was no    

wonder that ,jacob made a special       
favourite of the  little lad ,joseph1   
and loved him best4    ,at first the    
older brothers took no notice of their  
father's way with  the younger boy2 but 
as ,joseph grew older they began to feel
 uneasy  and envious4 ,why should this  
child be marked out for special favour8 
,their father took no pains to hide the 
fact that the boy was the apple  of his 
eye4 ,even his clothes showed this4     
,while the brothers wore the ordinary   
shepherd clothing1 ,joseph had a        
beautiful coat of many colours4 ,his    
father had made it for him of  different
 pieces of coloured cloth joined        
together1 and it was so gay  and        
beautiful that every one who saw him    
wearing it said1 ,this must  be the son 
of a great chief6    ,but if the gay    
coat made them angry1 they were more    
angry still when  ,joseph began to dream
 strange dreams1 which he always told to
 them4    ,as they sat around in the    
fields watching the sheep1 the boy would

  come running to them1 full of         
excitement1 as he begged them to listen 
to a wonderful dream he had had4        
,hear1 ,i pray thee1 this dream that ,i 
have dreamed6 he cried1 sitting  down   
amongst them4 ,we were binding sheaves  
in a field1 and lo6 my  sheaf arose and 
also stood upright1 and1 behold1 your   
sheaves stood  round about and bowed to 
my sheaf6    ,another time his dream was
 about the stars2 the sun and moon and  
eleven stars1 he said1 had all bowed    
down before him4 ,this was really  more 
than his brothers could bear4 ,did he   
really think he was going to  rule over 
them8 ,were they to bow down before this
 boasting boy in his  fine coat8        
,even his father did not quite approve  
of these dreams4 ,but ,joseph had  not  
really meant to boast4 ,it was the      
wonder of the dreams that made  him     
repeat them4 ,if he was proud of his    
coat of many colours1 it was  only      
because it was a gift from his father4  
,he was a straightforward  good-natured 

boy1 clever and brave1 and ready to take
 his turn in  watching the flocks or    
helping his brothers with their work in 
the  fields4    ,but it grew day by day 
more difficult to keep the peace at     
home1 and  the only quiet times were    
when the elder brothers went farther    
afield  to find new pasture for their   
flocks4    ,it was at one of these      
times1 when the brothers had been gone  
for some  time1 that ,jacob called      
,joseph to him1 and bade him go and find
 his  brothers1 and bring back news if  
they were safe and well4    ,joseph was 
now a lad of about seventeen1 and this  
would be the first  journey he had taken
 by himself1 so he was eager to show    
that he was  to be trusted1 and he set  
out most cheerfully4    ,after some days
 he arrived at ,shechem1 where his      
father had told him  he would find his  
brothers4 ,but he could find no signs of
 them there4  ,unwilling to go home     
without news1 ,joseph wandered about    
until he met  a man who directed him to 

a place farther on where his brothers   
might  be1 and at last he caught sight  
of their tents in a field far ahead4    
,how lucky he was to find them1 he      
thought to himself1 as he hurried       
forward eager to meet them4    ,it was a
 clear day1 and the shepherds' keen eyes
 could see far along  the winding road  
that stretched out across the low hills 
towards  ,shechem4 ,long before ,joseph 
came within hail1 his brothers saw his  
figure in the distance hastening towards
 them4 ,perhaps it was the gay  colour  
of his coat that first told them who it 
was1 and perhaps it was  the coat that  
reminded them of their hate and envy1   
and brought back  to their memory again 
those dreams so full of pride4          
,behold1 this dreamer cometh6 they said 
one to another4 ,come now1  therefore1  
and let us slay him1 and cast him into  
some pit1 and we  will say1 ',some evil 
beast hath devoured him6' and we shall  
see what  will become of his dreams4    
,with dark looks of hate they watched   

the gay figure coming so joyfully       
towards them1 and only one heart felt   
any pity for the boy4 ,reuben1  the     
eldest brother1 made up his mind quickly
 that he would save him if  possible4   
,only he must set to work cunningly1 for
 those other nine  brothers were very   
determined men4    ,so he began by      
suggesting that it seemed quite         
unnecessary to kill  the boy themselves 
when the easiest plan would be just to  
put him down  the pit1 which was close  
at hand1 and there leave him to die4    
7,for he  thought if he could persuade  
them to do this he would come back and  
save ,joseph when the others had gone47 
,never dreaming of evil1 ,joseph  came  
on1 and now he ran eagerly up to them   
and began to give them  their father's  
message4    ,illustration3 ,behold1 this
 dreamer cometh6    ,but the rough hands
 held out to him were not held out in   
welcome4 ,the  brothers seized the boy  
and savagely tore off his beautiful     
coat1 as  if the very sight of it hurt  

their eyes1 and then they hurried him   
towards the pit which ,reuben had       
pointed out4    ,then ,joseph knew that 
they meant to kill him4 ,he knew that if
 they  threw him into one of those deep 
narrow pits there was no chance of      
climbing up its steep sides1 even if he 
were not immediately drowned  in the    
water which often gathered at the       
bottom4    ,was he never to see his     
father and little brother again8 never  
to  spend any more happy days in the    
fields under the blue sky8 ,it was      
useless to cry out and beg for pity4    
,reuben1 the eldest brother1 who  might 
have helped him1 was not there1 and the 
others he knew were  merciless4    ,the 
pit was reached1 and in spite of his    
cries strong hands pushed him  forward  
and over the edge4 ,down1 down he fell  
into the blackness1  until with a       
terrible thud he reached the bottom4    
,there was no water  to break his fall1 
for the pit was dry4    ,well--that was 
done6 ,the cruel brothers went off to a 

little distance  and began to eat their 
midday meal4 ,but scarcely had they     
begun when  they caught sight of a      
company of travellers passing along the 
road  close by4 ,there was a long train 
of camels laden with spices1  evidently 
on their way down to ,egypt4            
,illustration3 ,they sold ,joseph to the
 ,ishmeelites4    ,gen4 xxxvii4 #bh4    
,here was a splendid opportunity of     
making some money out of their evil     
plan4 ,instead of leaving ,joseph to    
starve in the pit1 they would fetch  him
 out and sell him to these merchants4   
,most likely they would get  a good     
price for such a strong young slave4    
,illustration3 ,they hurried him towards
 the pit4    ,perhaps when ,joseph heard
 their voices at the pit's mouth1 and   
when  they drew him up and lifted him   
out into the sunshine again1 he  thought
 for a moment that they meant to be kind
 to him after all4 ,but  that thought   
soon vanished4    ,the ,midianite       
merchants were waiting1 the bargain was 

struck1 and very  soon a rope was bound 
round his hands1 and he was tied to the 
saddle  of the man who had bought him4  
,he knew now they had only taken him    
out of the pit to sell him as a slave4  
,meanwhile ,reuben had been keeping out 
of sight1 waiting to return and  rescue 
his young brother as soon as it was safe
 to do so4 ,very  cautiously at last he 
stole back4 ,but1 alas6 when he reached 
the pit  he found that it was empty4 ,in
 his distress he forgot his caution1 and
  cared no longer if his brothers       
guessed what he had meant to do4    ,the
 child is not1 and ,i1 whither shall ,i 
go8 he cried to them in  bitter sorrow  
when he met them4    ,with angry1 sullen
 looks they told him that ,joseph was   
now far away on  his road to ,egypt4    
,reuben must keep their secret4 ,there  
was but one  thing to be done4 ,joseph's
 coat lay there1 just as they had torn  
it  off his back4 ,they would dip the   
coat in goat's blood and carry it to    
their father4    ,the poor1 gay-coloured

 little coat1 all blood-stained and     
torn1 was  brought and held up before   
,jacob's eyes4    ,this have we found1  
said the brothers2 know now whether it  
be thy  son's coat or no8    ,did he    
not1 indeed1 know that coat of many     
colours8 ,had he not matched  and joined
 together each of the pieces8 ,had not  
his heart been filled  with pride and   
love as he watched the boy wearing it   
with such a  gallant air8    ,it is my  
son's coat6 he cried with a bitter cry  
of grief2 an evil  beast hath devoured  
him6 ,joseph is without doubt rent in   
pieces6    ,illustration3 ,he was tied  
to the saddle of the man who had bought 
him4    ,it might perhaps have seemed   
better just then for ,joseph if he had  
been dead instead of being carried away 
into slavery4 ,it was a  terrible fate1 
and he might well have become sullen and
 hopeless in  the strange land of ,egypt
 to which the merchantmen took him4     
,but instead of being sorry for himself1
 and thinking only of the  unkindness   

and wickedness of his cruel brothers1 he
 made the best of  everything1 and set  
himself to do his new hard work as well 
as  possible4 ,if he was a slave he     
would1 at any rate1 be a thoroughly     
good slave4    ,and very soon his       
master1 ,potiphar1 found that this      
fair-haired1  good-looking ,hebrew boy  
was one to be trusted1 and1 as time went
 on1  he not only gave him his freedom1 
but made him the chief servant of  the  
house-hold4 ,then1 just when happy days 
began to dawn for ,joseph1  misfortune  
once more overtook him4    ,his master's
 wife accused him of doing wrong1 and   
declared he was  thoroughly bad4 ,and so
 all his well-deserved favours were     
taken from  him1 and he was put into    
prison4    ,even in prison ,joseph's    
quiet goodness and his wise ways made   
him a  favourite4 ,he was the friend of 
all the other prisoners1 and before     
long he became the governor's right     
hand4    ,still it was weary work to be 
shut up in prison1 and he longed with   

all his heart for freedom1 and a chance 
to win a place for himself in  the great
 world4 ,he knew that ,pharaoh1 the     
,king of ,egypt1 was not  unfriendly to 
strangers4 ,if only he could reach his  
ear all might be  well4    ,at last the 
chance came4 ,there were two of         
,pharaoh's servants in the  prison--one1
 the king's cup-bearer1 and the other   
his chief baker1 and  both these were   
sorely troubled one night because of the
 dreams they  had dreamt4 ,they were    
sure these dreams had a meaning1 but who
 was to  explain them8    ,illustration3
 ,joseph is without doubt rent in       
pieces6    ,now ,joseph had learned to  
know a great deal about dreams1 and so  
he  listened to these men and told them 
what he thought their dreams must  mean4
    ,the chief baker's dream was a sad  
one4 ,he had dreamt of three baskets    
which he carried on his head--baskets   
filled with the king's food--but  the   
birds had come and eaten up all the     
food4 ,alas6 said ,joseph1  the three   

baskets must mean three days1 and in    
three days the baker  must be hanged1   
and the birds would come and eat his    
flesh4    ,but the cup-bearer's dream   
was a happy one1 for he had seen a vine 
which bore three clusters of grapes1    
which he had pressed out into the       
king's cup and presented to ,pharaoh4   
,the three clusters of grapes were      
again three days1 said ,joseph1 and in  
three days' time the cup-bearer  would  
be once more free and hand the king his 
golden cup4    ,but think of me when it 
shall be well with thee1 added ,joseph  
to the  cup-bearer1 and show kindness1  
,i pray thee1 unto me1 and make mention 
of me unto ,pharaoh1 and bring me out of
 this house4 ,for1 indeed1 ,i was       
stolen away out of the land of the      
,hebrews1 and here also have ,i done    
nothing that they should put me into the
 dungeon4    ,in three days all that    
,joseph had said came true4 ,the chief  
baker was  hanged1 and the chief butler 
was set free1 and stood once more before

  the king2 only he quite forgot the man
 who had been so kind to him in  prison1
 and for two years never once thought of
 ,joseph4    ,but at last something     
happened that reminded him4 ,once again 
it was a  dream1 but this time the      
dreamer was ,pharaoh1 the great king4   
,he had  sent for all the cleverest men 
in the land to explain his dreams to    
him1 but no one could find a meaning for
 them4    ,then the cup-bearer suddenly 
remembered ,joseph1 and came and told   
the  king all that had happened to him  
when he was in prison4 ,surely it  would
 be worth while to try this man4 ,so    
,pharaoh sent and brought  ,joseph out  
of prison1 and asked him if it was true 
that he could tell  the meaning of      
dreams4    ,illustration3 ,he told them 
what he thought their dreams must mean4 
,there was no pride nor boastfulness in 
,joseph's answer4 ,of himself1 he  said1
 he could do nothing2 but with ,god's   
help he would tell the king  all that he
 could4    ,so ,pharaoh told his dreams1

 and as ,joseph listened he knew at once
  that they had been sent as a warning  
from ,god4 ,seven years of good         
harvests and plenty of food were coming1
 and after that seven years  of famine1 
when1 if all the food of the good years 
was eaten up1 the  people would starve4 
,the warning dreams had been sent so    
that the corn  might be saved up and    
stored4 ,and it would be a good plan1   
said  ,joseph1 to find the very wisest  
and best man in all the land who would  
undertake to do this4    ,pharaoh       
listened thoughtfully1 and soon made up 
his mind4 ,he felt at  once that ,joseph
 was a man to be trusted4    ,forasmuch 
as ,god hath showed thee all this1 he   
said1 there is none  so discreet and    
wise as thou art4 ,thou shalt be over my
 house1 and  according unto thy word    
shall all my people be ruled4 ,only in  
the  throne will ,i be greater than     
thou4    ,what a wonderful adventure    
this was for ,joseph6 ,one day only a   
poor  unknown prisoner1 and the next the

 lord and ruler over all the land of    
,egypt--next only to the king in power4 
,but although ,joseph's outside life was
 changed1 he himself remained  just the 
same4 ,he was as keen as ever on doing  
his best1 as brave and  fearless in     
serving ,god and the king1 as wise in   
ruling as he had been  in serving4      
,so when the years of famine came there 
were great stores of corn laid  up to   
feed the ,egyptians1 and not only the   
people of ,egypt1 but  strangers from   
other lands came to ,joseph1 the ,ruler1
 to buy food4    ,illustration3 ,he felt
 at once that ,joseph was a man to be   
trusted4    ,then it was that one day   
ten tired1 travel-stained men arrived at
 the  city1 saying they had come from   
the far-distant land of ,canaan to buy  
corn for their wives and families1 who  
were starving4    ,joseph knew them at  
once4 ,they were his ten brothers--those
 brothers  whom he had last seen when1  
as a helpless boy1 he had knelt and     
begged  them for mercy4 ,now they came  

kneeling to the great ruler1 little     
dreaming that this powerful prince was  
the young brother they had  betrayed and
 sold into slavery4    ,and ,joseph did 
not mean to tell them just yet4 ,he     
pretended to take  them for spies1 and  
he spoke roughly to them4    ,thy       
servants are no spies1 the brothers     
answered humbly4 ,we are the  sons of   
one man1 in the land of ,canaan1 and1   
behold1 the youngest is  this day with  
our father1 and one is not4    ,even    
then ,joseph pretended that he did not  
believe them4 ,no1 they must  first     
prove their words by bringing their     
youngest brother to him4  ,they might   
leave one of their number behind as a   
hostage1 and take  corn for their       
families1 and return to fetch their     
brother4 ,this he  said because he      
longed to see ,benjamin again4    ,the  
men listened sadly to what the great man
 said4 ,they must have the  corn or     
their families would starve4 ,and yet   
how could they leave one  of their      

brothers behind when they knew their    
father would never allow  ,benjamin to  
return with them4    ,this is just what 
we deserve1 they said to one another4   
,we would  not listen to ,joseph when he
 begged for mercy1 and now this is our  
punishment4    ,did ,i not beg you not  
to hurt the child8 said ,reuben4        
,they did not know1 of course1 that the 
great ruler could understand  what they 
were saying in their own language2 but  
as ,joseph listened  he was obliged to  
turn away to hide the tears that were in
 his eyes4    ,illustration3 ,lord and  
ruler over all the land of ,egypt4      
,there was nothing for it but to agree  
to the conditions1 so it was  decided   
that ,simeon should be left behind1 and 
the order was given  that all the sacks 
should be filled with corn1 and that    
every man's  ass should be laden with as
 much corn as could be carried2 only1   
instead of taking money for the corn1   
,joseph ordered that it should be       
secretly hidden in the sacks1 each man's

 money in his sack of corn4    ,so the  
men started off on their journey home1  
and travelling all day  came at night to
 an inn to rest4 ,there one of the men  
opened his sack  to give his ass some   
food4 ,what1 then1 was his surprise to  
find his  bundle of money tied up in the
 mouth of his sack6    ,the other       
brothers gathered round and looked on in
 amazement4 ,yes1 it  was quite true4   
,there was the money which was the price
 of the  corn--not a penny of it taken6 
,what could it mean8    ,but they were  
still more amazed when at last they came
 to their  journey's end and found1 when
 they opened their sacks1 that all their
  money had been returned4 ,there was a 
bundle of money in each sack6    ,it was
 so strange that they grew uneasy and   
frightened4 ,then1 too1  they were      
obliged to tell their father that       
,simeon had been left  behind as a      
hostage1 and that the great lord of the 
country had taken  them for spies1 and  
had demanded that ,benjamin should      

return with them  before he would       
believe their story4    ,but ,jacob     
would not hear of parting with his      
youngest son4 ,had he not  lost two sons
 already1 first his beloved ,joseph1 and
 now ,simeon8    ,will you also take    
,benjamin from me8 he asked4 ,all these 
things are  against me6    ,in vain     
,reuben promised that he would bring    
,benjamin safely back4  ,jacob only     
shook his head4    ,my son shall not go 
down with you1 he said4 ,his brother is 
dead1  and he is left alone4 ,if        
mischief befall him by the way in the   
which  ye go1 then shall ye bring down  
my gray hairs with sorrow to the  grave6
    ,illustration3 ,there was the money 
which was the price of the corn4    ,now
 that was all very well while the corn  
lasted2 but when the famine  still went 
on1 and all the corn was eaten up1 there
 was nothing to be  done but to go back 
to ,egypt and try to buy some more4     
,and it was no use going without        
,benjamin1 for had not the great lord   

of the country declared1 ,ye shall not  
see my face except your brother  be with
 you4    ,so at last ,jacob was obliged 
to let his precious son go with his     
brothers1 although it almost broke his  
heart to part with him4    ,now ,joseph 
had been quite sure that his brothers   
would return1 and  when at last they    
appeared he was overjoyed to see that   
,benjamin was  with them4 ,he ordered a 
great feast to be made1 and invited them
 all  to dine with him2 but still he    
kept his secret1 and they did not guess 
who he was1 although they could not help
 noticing that ,benjamin was  singled   
out for special favor4    ,so their     
sacks were filled again with corn1 and  
the brothers prepared  to set out       
joyfully on their return journey4 ,only 
this time ,joseph had  ordered his      
servants to put his silver cup into     
,benjamin's sack4    ,the men had not   
gone far before they were overtaken by  
the great  ruler's servants1 who accused
 them of stealing their lord's silver   

cup4 ,of course they indignantly denied 
this2 but when the baggage was  searched
 the cup was found in ,benjamin's sack4 
,now indeed was their joy turned into   
blackest sorrow4 ,they must go  back at 
once to try and explain matters to the  
lord of the land4 ,but  would he listen 
to them8    ,at first ,joseph pretended 
to be very angry1 but as he listened to 
their tale and heard how they dared not 
face their father without the  beloved  
youngest son1 he saw that they had      
earned his forgiveness1 and  he kept up 
the pretence no longer4 ,sending all the
 servants away he  held out his hands to
 his brothers1 his eyes blinded with    
tears4    ,i am ,joseph1 your brother1  
whom ye sold into ,egypt1 he said4 ,now1
  therefore1 be not grieved nor angry   
with yourselves that ye sold me  hither1
 for ,god did send me before you to     
preserve life4    ,at first the brothers
 could scarcely believe their ears4     
,could this  great lord really be their 
little brother ,joseph8 ,and could he   

really  forgive them their cruelty8     
,then ,joseph put his arm round         
,benjamin's neck and kissed him1 and    
afterwards kissed each of his other     
brothers1 so that they began to  feel   
that the wonderful story was real and   
not a mere dream4    ,there was no fear 
of famine for them now4 ,nothing in all 
the land was  too good for the brothers 
of the great ruler1 and ere long there  
were  wagons and camels on their way to 
,canaan to fetch ,jacob1 the old        
father1 and all the wives and children  
belonging to the ten brothers4  ,they   
would all now share in ,joseph's good   
fortune4    ,so ,jacob's sorrow was     
turned into joy when the news was       
brought to him  that ,joseph was alive  
and was governor over all the land of   
,egypt4    ,it sounded almost like a    
magic tale1 and at first ,jacob could   
not  believe it2 but at last1 when he   
saw the wagons and heard ,joseph's own  
message to him1 his heart was filled    
with joy and thankfulness4    ,it is    

enough1 he cried4 ,joseph1 my son1 is   
yet alive2 ,i will go  and see him      
before ,i die4    ,it was a long journey
 for such an old man2 but joy gave him  
strength  to endure it1 and at the end  
,joseph stood waiting to welcome        
him--,joseph the great ruler1 clad in   
rich robes1 living in princely  state1  
whose word was law1 and who held the    
highest honors in the  land4            
99       99       99       99       99  
,,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           99    
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