how to tell stories to children-第30节

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　who　delivered　me　out　of　the　paw　of　the　lion　and　out　of　the　paw　of　the　bear；　he　will　deliver　me　out　of　the　hand　of　this　Philistine。〃

〃Go；〃　said　Saul；　〃and　the　Lord　be　with　thee！〃

And　he　armed　David　with　his　own　armor；　he　put　a　helmet　of　brass　upon　his　head；　and　armed　him　with　a　coat　of　mail。　　But　when　David　girded　his　sword　upon　his　armor；　and　tried　to　walk；　he　said　to　Saul；　〃I　cannot　go　with　these；　for　I　am　not　used　to　them。〃　　And　he　put　them　off。

Then　he　took　his　staff　in　his　hand　and　went　and　chose　five　smooth　stones　out　of　the　brook；　and　put　them　in　a　shepherd's　bag　which　he　had；　and　his　sling　was　in　his　hand；　and　he　went　out　and　drew　near　to　the　Philistine。

And　the　Philistine　came　on　and　drew　near　to　David；　and　the　man　that　bore　his　　shield　went　before　him。　　And　when　the　Philistine　looked　about　and　saw　David；　he　disdained　him；　for　David　was　but　a　boy；　and　ruddy；　and　of　a　fair　countenance。　　And　he　said　to　David；　〃Am　I　a　dog；　that　thou　comest　to　me　with　a　cudgel？〃　　And　with　curses　he　cried　out　again；　〃Come　to　me；　and　I　will　give　thy　flesh　unto　the　fowls　of　the　air；　and　to　the　beasts　of　the　field。〃

But　David　looked　at　him；　and　answered；　〃Thou　comest　to　me　with　a　sword；　and　with　a　spear；　and　with　a　shield；　but　I　come　to　thee　in　the　name　of　the　Lord　of　hosts；　the　God　of　the　armies　of　Israel；　whom　thou　hast　defied。　　This　day　will　the　Lord　deliver　thee　into　my　hand；　and　I　will　smite　thee；　and　take　thy　head　from　thee；　and　I　will　give　the　carcasses　of　the　host　of　the　Philistines　this　day　unto　the　fowls　of　the　air；　and　to　the　wild　beasts　of　the　earth；　that　all　the　earth　may　know　that　there　is　a　God　in　Israel！　　And　all　this　assembly　shall　know　that　the　Lord　saveth　not　with　sword　and　spear；　for　the　battle　is　the　Lord's；　and　he　will　give　you　into　our　hands。〃

And　then；　when　the　Philistine　arose；　and　came；　and　drew　nigh　to　meet　David；　　David　hasted；　and　ran　toward　the　army　to　meet　the　Philistine。　　And　when　he　was　a　little　way　from　him；　he　put　his　hand　in　his　bag；　and　took　thence　a　stone；　and　put　it　in　his　sling；　and　slung　it；　and　smote　the　Philistine　in　the　forehead；　so　that　the　stone　sank　into　his　forehead；　and　he　fell　on　his　face　to　the　earth。

And　David　ran；　and　stood　upon　the　Philistine；　and　took　his　sword；　and　drew　it　out　of　its　sheath；　and　slew　him　with　it。

Then；　when　the　Philistines　saw　that　their　champion　was　dead；　they　fled。　　But　the　army　of　Israel　pursued　them；　and　victory　was　with　the　men　of　Israel。

And　after　the　battle；　David　was　taken　to　the　king's　tent；　and　made　a　captain　over　many　men；　and　he　went　no　more　to　his　father's　house；　to　herd　the　sheep；　but　became　a　man；　in　the　king's　service。



THE　SHEPHERD'S　SONG


David　had　many　fierce　battles　to　fight　for　King　Saul　against　the　enemies　of　Israel；　and　he　won　them　all。　　Then；　later；　he　had　to　fight　against　the　king's　own　soldiers；　to　save　himself；　for　King　Saul　grew　wickedly　jealous　of　David's　fame　as　a　soldier；　and　tried　to　kill　him。　　Twice；　when　David　had　a　chance　to　kill　the　king；　he　let　him　go　safe；　but　even　then；　Saul　kept　on　trying　to　take　his　life；　and　David　was　kept　away　from　his　home　and　land　as　if　he　were　an　enemy。

But　when　King　Saul　died；　the　people　chose　David　for　their　king；　because　there　was　no　one　so　brave；　so　wise；　or　so　faithful　to　God。　　King　David　lived　a　long　time；　and　made　his　people　famous　for　victory　and　happiness；　he　had　many　troubles　and　many　wars；　but　he　always　trusted　that　God　would　help　him；　and　he　never　deserted　his　own　people　in　any　hard　place。

After　a　battle；　or　when　it　was　a　holiday；　or　when　he　was　very　thankful　for　something；　King　David　used　to　make　songs；　and　sing　them　before　the　people。　　Some　of　these　songs　were　so　beautiful　that　they　have　never　been　forgotten。　　After　all　these　hundreds　and　hundreds　of　years；　we　sing　them　still；　we　call　them　Psalms。

Often；　after　David　had　made　a　song；　his　chief　musician　would　sing　with　him；　as　the　people　gathered　to　worship　God。　　Sometimes　the　singers　were　divided　into　two　great　choruses；　and　went　to　the　service　in　two　processions；　then　one　chorus　would　sing　a　verse　of　David's　song；　and　the　other　procession　would　answer　with　the　next；　and　then　both　would　sing　together；　it　was　very　beautiful　to　hear。　　Even　now；　we　sometimes　do　that　with　the　songs　of　David　in　our　churches。

One　of　the　Psalms　that　everybody　loves　is　a　song　that　David　made　when　he　remembered　the　days　before　he　came　to　Saul's　camp。　　He　remembered　the　days　and　nights　he　used　to　spend　in　the　fields　with　the　sheep；　when　he　was　just　a　shepherd　boy；　and　he　thought　to　himself　that　God　had　taken　care　of　him　just　as　carefully　as　he　used　to　care　for　the　little　lambs。　　It　is　a　beautiful　song；　I　wish　we　knew　the　music　that　David　made　for　it；　but　we　only　know　his　words。　　I　will　tell　it　to　you　now；　and　then　you　may　learn　it；　to　say　for　yourselves。

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　the　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　anointest　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　for　ever。



THE　HIDDEN　SERVANTS＇1＇

＇1＇　Adapted；　with　quotations；　from　the　poem　in　The　Hidden　Servants；　by　Francesca　Alexander　（Little；　Brown　&　Co。）。


This　is　a　legend　about　a　hermit　who　lived　long　ago。　　He　lived　high　up　on　the　mountain…　side　in　a　tiny　cave；　his　food　was　roots　and　acorns；　a　bit　of　bread　given　by　a　peasant；　or　a　cheese　brought　by　a　woman　who　wanted　his　prayers；　his　work　was　　praying；　and　thinking　about　God。　　For　forty　years　he　lived　so；　preaching　to　the　people；　praying　for　them；　comforting　them　in　trouble；　and；　most　of　all；　worshiping　in　his　heart。　　There　was　just　one　thing　he　cared　about：　it　was　to　make　his　soul　so　pure　and　perfect　that　it　could　be　one　of　the　stones　in　God's　great　Temple　of　Heaven。

One　day；　after　the　forty　years；　he　had　a　great　longing　to　know　how　far　along　he　had　got　with　his　work；how　it　looked　to　the　Heavenly　Father。　　And　he　prayed　that　he　might　be　shown　a　man

　　　〃Whose　soul　in　the　heavenly　grace　had　grown　　　　To　the　selfsame　measure　as　his　own；　　　　Whose　treasure　on　the　celestial　shore　　　　Could　neither　be　less　than　his　nor　more。〃


As　he　looked　up　from　his　prayer；　a　white…robed　angel　stood　in　the　path　before　him。　　The　hermit　bowed　before　the　messenger　with　great　gladness；　for　he　knew　that　his　wish　was　answered。　　〃Go　to　the　nearest　town；〃　the　angel　said；　〃and　there；　in　the　public　square；　you　will　find　a　mountebank　（a　clown）　making　the　people　laugh　for　money。　　He　is　the　man　you　seek；　his　soul　has　grown　to　the　selfsame　stature　as　your　own；　his　treasure　on　the　celestial　shore　is　neither　less　than　yours　nor　more。〃

When　the　angel　had　faded　from　sight；　the　hermit　bowed　his　head　again；　but　this　time　with　great　sorrow　and　fear。　　Had　his　forty　years　of　prayer　been　a　terrible　mistake；　and　was　his　soul　indeed　like　a　clown；　fooling　in　the　market…place？　　He　knew　not　what　to　think。　　Almost　he　hoped　he　should　not　find　the　man；　and　could　believe　that　he　had　dreamed　the　angel　vision。　　But　when　he　came；　after　a　long；　toilful　walk；　to　the　village；　and　the　square；　alas！　there　was　the　clown；　doing　his　silly　tricks　for　the　crowd。

The　hermit　stood　and　looked　at　him　with　terror　and　sadness；　for　he　felt　that　he　was　looking　at　his　own　soul。　　The　face　he　saw　was　thin　and　tired；　and　though　it　kept　a　smile　or　a　grin　for　the　people；　it　seemed　very　sad　to　the　hermit。　　Soon　the　man　felt　the　hermit's　eyes；　he　could　not　go　on　with　his　tricks。　　And　when　he　had　stopped　and　the　crowd　had　left；　the　hermit　went　and　drew　the　man　aside　to　a　place　where　they　could　rest；　for　he　wanted　more　than　anything　else　on　earth　to　know　what　the　man's　soul　was　like；　because　what　it　was；　his　was。

So；　after　a　little；　he　asked　the　clown；　very　gently；　what　his　life　was；　what　it　had　been。　And　the　clown　answered；　very　sadly；　that　it　was　just　as　it　looked；a　life　of　foolish　tricks；　for　that　was　the　only　way　of　earning　his　bread　that　he　knew。

〃But　have　you　never　been　anything　different？〃　asked　the　hermit；　painfully。

The　clown's　head　sank　in　his　hands。　〃Yes；　holy　father；〃　he　said；　〃I　have　been　something　else。　　I　was　a　thief！　　I　once　belonged　to　the　wickedest　band　of　mountain　robbers　that　ever　tormented　the　land；　and　I　was　as　wicked　as　the　worst。〃

Alas！　　The　hermit　felt　that　his　heart　was　breaking。　　Was　this　how　he　looked　to　the　Heavenly　Father；like　a　thief；　a　cruel　mountain　robber？　　He　could　hardly　speak；　and　the　tears　streamed　from　his　old　eyes；　but　he　gathered　strength　to　ask　one　more　question。　　〃I　beg　you；〃　he　said；　〃if　you　have　ever　done　a　single　good　deed　in　your　life；　remember　it　now；　and　tell　it　to　me；〃　for　he　thought　that　even　one　good　deed　would　save　him　from　utter　despair。

〃Yes；　one；〃　the　clown　said；　〃but　it　was　so　small；　it　is　not　worth　telling；　my　life　has　been　worthless。〃

〃Tell　me　that　one！〃　pleaded　the　hermit。

〃Once；〃　said　the　man；　〃our　band　broke　into　a　convent　ga