Child's Story Garden, - [ebook reader wifi .txt] 📗

from the prison, and as he left, Joseph asked that

he might remember him when he came before the king, that he, too, might

be released. But the servant, when he was free, forgot the one who had

helped him when in trouble.

 

Two years passed away, and Joseph remained in prison, but he still

trusted in his God.

 

One night Pharaoh, the King of Egypt, was much troubled by his strange

dreams. He called together all of his wise men and magicians, to know

the interpretation of them, but none could tell the meaning. The king’s

trouble became known to his servants, and suddenly the one who had been

in prison remembered Joseph, the man who had interpreted his own dream.

He quickly told the king, who ordered Joseph to be brought immediately

before him.

 

When Joseph stood before Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, he humbly bowed his

head, and said: “The wisdom is not mine, but God in heaven shall tell

thee the interpretation of thy dreams.” And Joseph spoke to the king as

God gave him wisdom, and told him the meaning of his dreams. And this

was the meaning:

 

There should be seven years of plenty in the land of Egypt, and after

that, seven years of famine throughout the land.

 

Then Joseph said: “Let Pharaoh, the king, choose a man, wise and

discreet, who will sow and gather the harvest for the seven years of

plenty, to fill the barns and storehouses with grain, so that when the

seven years of famine come there will be grain enough and to spare in

the land of Egypt.”

 

As Pharaoh, the king, looked upon Joseph and heard him speak, he loved

him, and said: “In all Egypt there is no man so wise as thou. Gather the

harvest, to fill the barns and storehouses, in the seven years of

plenty. I will make thee ruler over all Egypt. Thou shalt dwell with me

and all men shall obey thee.”

 

And Pharaoh took off the ring from his own hand and put it upon Joseph’s

hand, and dressed him in beautiful garments, and put a gold chain about

his neck. And Joseph rode in the chariot next to the king of Egypt, and

as they rode through the streets all the people bowed before Joseph and

knew him as their ruler, and loved him.

 

Then Joseph went throughout all Egypt and commanded the people to build

great storehouses and barns, and to gather in the corn and grain, and

fill them full, against the seven years of famine which were to come.

When the seven years of plenty were passed, and the famine was over all

the land, there was grain and to spare in all Egypt, because Joseph had

gathered the storehouses full.

 

When the people from other countries heard this they came to Egypt to

buy bread, and the king sent them to Joseph. And Joseph opened the great

storehouses, and sold grain to all who came. And the Lord was with

Joseph and prospered him in all that he did.

 

PART III.

 

Now, Jacob, with his eleven sons, Joseph’s brothers, still lived in the

land of Canaan, and the famine was over all the land, so that there was

no bread in the house to eat.

 

Then Jacob, the father, called his sons to him and said: “I have heard

that there is corn in Egypt. Go down there and buy for us, that we may

live and not die.”

 

So Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt to buy grain, and Joseph was ruler

over all Egypt, and sold grain to all who came. His brothers came before

him and bowed their faces to the ground as they asked for food, for the

famine was sore in their land. Now, Joseph knew his brothers when he saw

them, but they knew not the little lad they had sold into the land of

Egypt for twenty pieces of silver.

 

Joseph did not make himself known to his brothers, but asked them about

their country and their homes, if they had a father and other brothers;

and when they spoke of the old father, Jacob, and the youngest brother,

Benjamin, who had stayed with the old father, Joseph longed to tell them

that he was the brother whom the father had mourned as lost; but he

waited, and treated his brothers as strangers, for they knew him not.

Then he sent them home with their sacks full of grain, and took no money

for it. But when they returned the second time to Egypt, Joseph’s heart

yearned for them, and for his old father and youngest brother. When they

were alone, he stood before his brothers, and, looking at them, said:

“Do you not know me? I am your brother, Joseph, the little lad whom you

sold into Egypt.”

 

But when his brothers heard this they were much afraid, and drew away

from him, for they thought, now that he was ruler over all Egypt, he

would surely punish them for their evil treatment of him. But Joseph

said: “Come near me and do not be afraid, nor grieve that you sold me

into Egypt, for God has been with me and kept me, and made me ruler, so

that I have been able to save many people from the famine.”

 

Then the brothers drew near, and Joseph wept with them, for he loved

them. Then he said: “Go back and bring my father, Jacob, and my youngest

brother, Benjamin, that we may live together once more.”

 

And Joseph went to meet his father in a chariot, and brought him before

Pharaoh, and the king was much pleased, for he loved Joseph and all his

household.

 

Then Joseph gave to his father and brothers houses and lands, so that

they all lived together in peace in the land of Egypt.

 

And the Lord was with Joseph and prospered him all the days of his life.

 

THE COURTESY OF THE SPARTAN BOY

 

There were, hundreds of years ago, two very large and grand cities,

which strove to excel each other. The one city was Sparta, the other was

Athens. These cities were not like our cities of today. They had

beautiful, broad streets, but no street cars. They had magnificent

buildings, but no electric lights. They did have schools, but they were

unlike our schools. The boys in both Athens and Sparta were taken away

to school when they were six years of age.

 

In Athens the boys were taught that they must become very strong and

manly. They had running, jumping, leaping, swimming, and racing

exercises, to give them rigid muscles and strong, healthy bodies.

Occasionally they were allowed to visit at their homes for a day or two.

The boys were also taught to sing and to read.

 

The Spartan boy was taught that he must become very strong and

self-reliant. His schoolroom was very plain and bare. He was never

allowed to go home to visit. He had to wear, in both summer and winter,

the same plain, loose clothing. He slept out of doors in the

summer-time, under the trees. In the wintertime he slept in a very open

building, on a bed of reeds and rushes, which he had to gather from the

river in the long, heated summer days for his winter bed. He had no

bedclothing except the down which the wild ducks had shed, and which he

had gathered in the forests. He learned to read, write, and to sing. He

learned to run, to leap, to swim, and to throw the javelin.

 

One time the boys from both Athens and Sparta were to meet in a great

amphitheater to hear a very wise and learned old man speak. The boys had

all gathered, and with them many other people. The amphitheater was

full. Not a vacant seat was left, and the people were patiently waiting

for the old man to appear. At last he came. He came in so quietly that

he was not noticed, except by two boys, one on each side of the aisle.

One was a Spartan boy and one was an Athenian. The Athenian boy and

Spartan boy both rose immediately. The Athenian boy sat down, but the

Spartan boy still stood. He insisted that the old man take his seat, but

the old man gently refused, and passed on up the aisle to the place from

which he was to address the people. Then the Spartan boy sat down. The

old man recognized this act of courtesy, and, while talking to the boys,

said that the Athenian boy knew what to do, but did not do it. The

Spartan boy had the courage to do it.

 

TWENTY-THIRD PSALM.

 

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

 

He maketh me to lie down in green

pastures: he leadeth me beside the

still waters.

 

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me

in paths of righteousness for his

name’s sake.

 

Yea, though I walk through the valley

of the shadow of death, I will fear no

evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy

staff they comfort me.

 

Thou preparest a table before me in

the presence of mine enemies: thou

annointest my head with oil; my cup

runneth over.

 

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow

me all the days of my life: and I will

dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

 

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Child’s Story Garden

by Compiled by Elizabeth Heber

 

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