GREAT Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had a strange dream. He thought he saw a great tree with spreading branches and fine leaves, making a sweet shelter, where all the creatures came and stood, and the birds nestled in the boughs; but while he was admiring it there came a holy one down from heaven, and said the tree was to be cut down, and only the stump left in the tender grass of the field, and that it should be bound with iron, and wet with the dew of heaven till seven years had passed over it.
When Nebuchadnezzar woke he was troubled, and was sure the dream had a meaning, and he sent for the prophet Daniel to tell him what it was. Daniel was so sorry, that at first he could hardly bear to speak; but at last he told the king that it was himself, Nebuchadnezzar, that the tree meant.
He was great and mighty, and countries and people were shadowed over by his power; but soon he would have a fall—he would lose his senses, and his man's heart would be like a beast's heart, and he would be driven out of his palace, and he would eat grass like an ox, and his body would be wet with the dew of heaven, and his hair would be long like eagles' feathers, and his nails like eagles' claws, till seven years had passed by; and then he would recover his senses, and know and understand again, and he would come back to his kingdom again. Then he would know and own that the Lord of Heaven is the true God.
THOUGHT THAT NOTHING COULD HURT HIM.
Nebuchadnezzar was shocked at first, but soon he forgot all about the dream, and felt himself so wise and strong and brave, that nothing could hurt him. He was walking one day in his palace, a most beautiful one, and looking out on the grand city with the river running through it, with all the bridges and the hundred brazen gates; and his heart was lifted up with pride, and he said, "Is not this great Babylon that I have builded?" That very moment there came a voice from heaven that said the time was come!
And a strange madness came on the king, his brave clever spirit became as senseless as a beast's; and he only wanted to graze in the field like the cattle. So they drove him out of the palace, and put a band of iron round him, and let him eat grass like an ox, and his hair grew long and shaggy, and his nails like eagles' claws, just as Daniel had said.
So seven years passed away; and at the end of them he came to his senses again, God gave back his man's heart and his reason, and he went back to his palace, and sat on his throne again. And one of the first things he did was to have a letter written to his people, telling them all this story, and bidding them do honor to the God of Daniel, who putteth down and setteth up.
QUESTIONS.
1. Who was Nebuchadnezzar? 2. Who was Daniel? 3. How came Daniel to be at Babylon? 4. What did the king see in his dream? 5. What happened to the tree? 6. What did the king want to know? 7. Whom did he send for? 8. Whom did Daniel say the tree meant? 9. What was to happen to the king? 10. How long was he to be in this state? 11. What beautiful place had Nebuchadnezzar built? 12. What did he say about it? 13. What happened that moment? 14. What did this poor king want to be? 15. What did he eat? 16. What was his hair like? 17. What were his nails like? 18. How long did he go on like that? 19. What did God restore to him? 20. What was the first thing he did? 21. What did he tell the people? 22. Had not he lost all his pride? 23. What should we not boast of?