DANIEL AND THE LIONS.
ESTHER BEFORE THE KING.
Ahasuerus was king of Persia. Esther, a Jewess, was his queen. Haman was next to the king. He was a cruel man, and hated the Jews because one of them, a servant of the king, would not bow down to him. So he got the king to make a law that all the Jews in his kingdom should be killed. Esther felt very sorry for her people. She made up her mind to save them if she could. But first she spent three days in fasting and prayer. Then she went to the king and begged him to save the Jews. The king loved Esther so much that he did what she asked. So the Jews were saved from the cruel decree of the king Ahasuerus.
ESTHER BEFORE THE KING.
DAVID AND JONATHAN.
Saul loved David at first. Then he hated him and tried to kill him twice by throwing his spear at him. David escaped and hid himself. Now Saul had a son named Jonathan, who thought a great deal of David. It made him feel very bad to see his father trying to kill him. Jonathan thought that Saul might get over his anger in two or three days and take David back. But when he was sure that Saul really meant to kill David, he went to his hiding place and told him how he might get away. After they had wept and kissed each other and promised always to be friends, David fled and Jonathan went back to his father.