Child's Story Garden, - [ebook reader wifi .txt] 📗
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has come—the King! And the whole world is singing such beautiful music.
There are wise men coming from the East, bringing beautiful gifts to the
Christ-child. The angels, too, are upon the earth, and they bear gifts
of gold and rare, beautiful stones. Wait! I will tell you more.”
The tall tree had scarcely lifted up its head when it stooped again and
whispered to the Little Tree: “Look! Look! Little Tree! They are coming
this way; the angels are coming here, into our forest! Lift up your head
high and you will see them as they pass.”
The Little Tree lifted up its head and saw the white flutter of angel
robes and heard the weird, sweet voices of the heavenly host who came
with precious gifts into the forest.
“Oh,” said the Little Tree, “they are coming here, toward me! What
shall I do?” And in fear it bent its head so low that it almost touched
the ground. But the music came nearer and nearer, and the Little Tree
felt a tender hand upon its branches, and a soft, gentle voice said to
it: “Arise, Little Tree, and come with us, for we have come into the
forest to seek you. Yes, you, the very smallest among the trees, are to
be our gift-bearer. Come; lift up your head.”
In fear and trembling the Little Tree did as the angel bade it. But when
it looked into the angel’s face and saw the love and kindness there, all
fear was gone, and it said to the angel: “Yes; make me ready. I will
come with you to the little Christ-child in the manger.” So all the
angels brought their gifts of precious jewels and shining gold, and
fastened them upon the branches of the Little Tree. Then the leader of
the angels’ band took up the Little Tree from the ground and bore it,
laden with its precious burden, to the feet of the Christ-child.
THE STORY OF ABRAHAMLong, long ago there lived in the far away land of Ur a man who was very
wealthy. His name was Abraham. The country in which he lived was
beautiful and very rich. The fields were not only well watered by rivers
and streams, but were carefully cultivated. Corn, dates, apples and
grapes grew there abundantly. Fine harvests were reaped from their
farms. Splendid herds of cattle and flocks of sheep were pastured in the
meadows. In the city were beautiful homes, for the people were
prosperous. They painted fine pictures and cut beautiful figures out of
marble blocks, and were fond of music. But Abraham was not so much
interested in the city as in the country, for he belonged to a family of
shepherds. He did not care so much for walled cities as for meadow
lands, forest trees and running streams. When Abraham grew a little
older he became very thoughtful, and began to dislike the ways of the
people of Ur, for they were idolaters. So when some of the servants
brought back from the city, idols into his father’s home, he broke them.
His one desire was to do right and to be good.
One day, when he was herding his cattle not far from his father’s home,
he heard a strange Voice saying to him: “Get thee out of thy country and
from thy kindred, and come unto a land which I shall show thee.” He was
greatly surprised, and looked around to find out who was speaking to
him. He saw no man, so he thought that the Voice was only a fancy or a
day dream. A few days after, when he was bringing home some wandering
sheep, he heard the same Voice, the same words, and thought he saw a
gleam of light. He felt that God was speaking to him, but the words made
him very sad. If he obeyed the Voice he knew that he would have to leave
his friends, the fields where he sported with his boy companions and
loved ones, but something within him kept saying that he ought to obey
the Voice, because it was God’s Voice. So he resolved to take his
nephew, Lot, with him, and set out for the Promised Land. The day for
starting came. Great bundles of goods were put upon the camels and led
off by the drivers. Flocks of sheep and herds of cattle filled the
morning air with their bleatings and their bellowings. Some of the
people thought that Abraham was very foolish to undertake such a
journey, and would certainly come to grief. His brother Nahor pleaded
with Abraham not to go. He told Abraham about a great desert that he
would have to cross. Even if he crossed it safely, the people in that
far away country were very cruel, and would fight them and kill them,
and make slaves of their children. Abraham listened to his brother, and
said that he knew there were difficulties ahead of him, but he must obey
the Voice of God. Then his face brightened, when he added that he felt
sure God would watch over them all as a shepherd watches over his sheep.
He looked brave and noble as he bade them all good-by and started off.
At the close of the first day they halted beside a stream, where the
cattle drank and rested until morning. The servants pitched a number of
tents and made Abraham and his family comfortable. Abraham rolled
together a few big stones and built an altar, and in the presence of his
family and servants offered up an evening sacrifice and prayed that God
should guide them and their little ones into the Promised Land. After
many weary days and nights they reached Canaan. It was a beautiful
country, full of vines and harvest fields, and pasture lands. The
valleys were warm and the highlands were cool. Here and there on the
hillsides they saw the oak, the sycamore, and the pine growing. Best of
all, the people were kind to Abraham and his servants, and helped them
to get settled in their new homes. Their new friends were not so rich as
their old ones. They wore rough garments made of camel’s hair and
fastened round the waist with a belt. They lived in rough huts and rocky
caves, and were warlike. But they treated Abraham generously and were
very kind to the little children. Abraham was delighted with the
Promised Land, although he passed through many a severe trial in it.
There was one joy, however, that brightened his life—God had given him
a beautiful son. The little boy had grown to be a strong, beautiful
youth. His mother took loving care in making his little garments, and
his father gave him a pet lamb, and often brought home to him a wild
bird. Abraham was growing old, and thought of the day when his boy would
be a strong man, caring for herds and flocks. Many a time he prayed to
God for his boy, that he might be true and brave and good, and worthy of
the promises that God had made to him concerning his people. But one
day, when he was returning from a visit to his herdsmen and was resting
beside a well in the grove which he had planted in Beersheba, he heard
the Voice again saying: “Take thy son, thine only son Isaac, and offer
him up for a sacrifice on a mount which I shall show thee.” Abraham was
grieved. He said to himself: “I have left Ur and the land of my brother
and my father. I have endured many hardships, and surely I will not be
called upon to sacrifice my only son, my sweet, loving boy. I can not
bear it. His mother can not live when she hears of it.” But the Voice
said more earnestly than ever: “Take thy son, thine only son Isaac, and
offer him up for a sacrifice on the mount that I shall show thee.” He
knew that it was the same Voice that had spoken to him many times, and
that he must obey it. And there gradually came into his life strength
and a willingness to obey the Voice. After necessary preparation
Abraham, his son, and his servants set out for the mountain. For three
days they journeyed under divine guidance, until they came to the foot
of the mount. Then Abraham said to his servants: “Abide ye here, and I
and the lad will go and worship yonder, and come unto you again.” The
young lad was happy over the coming sacrifice. He shouldered the bundle
of wood and started off up the hillside. But he did not see the lamb,
and, turning to his father, said: “Behold the fire and the wood, but
where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” The question so innocently
asked grieved the father’s heart, for he knew that God had commanded him
to offer up his son instead of a lamb. He felt that he could not tell
his boy about it, so he said: “God Himself will provide a lamb for the
burnt offering.” At last they came to the spot where the sacrifice was
to be offered. The father, very sad and broken-hearted, began rolling
together some stones for an altar. Slowly he laid the wood in its place,
and wept when he thought of the sacrifice. Then with a tearful voice he
told the lad that he was to be the sacrifice. He laid the boy upon the
altar and kissed him. At that moment he heard a Voice, louder than ever
before, saying: “Abraham.” He answered, “Here am I.” The Voice said:
“Lay not thy hand upon the lad, neither do any harm unto him, for now I
know that thou fearest God, seeing that thou hast not withheld thy son,
thine only son, from me.” With glad wonder Abraham looked around, and
there, to his great surprise, a ram was caught in some thick bushes.
Hurriedly he caught the ram, unbound his son, and offered up the ram as
a sacrifice with great joy. And, kneeling beside the altar, the aged
father thanked God, and homeward they returned with glad hearts and
happy spirits.
And Isaac grew to be a good and noble man, and the Lord prospered him.
His father, Abraham, lived many years in the Promised Land, and when he
died the whole country was full of grief, and with sorrow mingled with
love they followed the aged saint to the sunny slopes of beautiful
Macpelah and laid him in the tomb. Each whispered to the other that he
was a good and brave man. Many a time they would visit the cave where
the great man lay and tell one another about his wonderful life, his
many trials, his noble faith, and how he always obeyed the Voice of God.
On a rough stone beside the tomb a friend chiseled the words: “Abraham,
the Friend of God.”
Bible [Adapted]
THE STORY OF MOSESMany years ago, the Heavenly Father sent a baby boy into a home in a far
country.
When a baby comes to your home you want to tell every one you see, do
you not?
But in that little home it was very different. Miriam, the baby’s
sister, could not tell any one about the little brother, and the poor
mother had to keep the baby hidden away. Shall I tell you why?
In that country there lived a wicked king, who did not love little
children, and whenever he heard that a boy baby had come into a house he
sent his soldiers to take the baby away.
This mother loved her baby dearly, and she wanted to keep him always.
But when the baby
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