Rebecca was very fond of Esther and her brother. She loved to have them visit her. She picked up the gazelle and put it in the little girl's lap as soon as she had seated herself on a pile of straw.
Esther patted the gazelle tenderly. "It is better than any doll. I wish I had one of my own. I should love it dearly."
"I cannot stop any longer now," said Levi. "My old camel is wondering why I don't go to work. Are you coming with me, Solomon?"
"Of course I am," answered the boy, and the two started for the field.
"What shall we do with ourselves?" asked Rebecca, when she and Esther had been left alone.
"Oh, I know what you would like," she went on. "We will go over into our neighbour's orchard. He is gathering olives, and we will watch him."
"I would like that ever so much," answered her little visitor.
It took them only a few minutes to get to the olive orchard. The owner and his sons were heating the branches with long sticks, and knocking off the fruit to the ground. Two women were busily at work gathering the olives in baskets. As soon as a basket was filled, it was carried away and emptied, and then brought back to be filled again.