brought to the king’s darkened tent, ready to do his bidding. Sitting there in the dim light, he drew such magic music from his harp’s strings, and sang such sweet songs, that the very song of the birds seemed to be filling the tent. The king, as he listened, seemed to feel the breath of the mountain fields, to hear the call of the sheepfold and the murmur of the dancing streams. It acted like a charm. The black misery was lifted from his heart, and the evil spirit was put to flight by the song of the shepherd boy.

It was no wonder, then, that the king, for a time at least, loved the boy with his bright face and sunny hair, and wanted to keep him as his armour-bearer. But perhaps, as Saul grew well and had no further need of the music, David was no longer wanted, and so he went back again to the Bethlehem fields to look after his sheep.

God had made use of David’s skill in music, and before very long another call came to him. This time the need was for one who could aim straight, who had a quick eye and a steady hand.

War had broken out. The fierce Philistines had come up with their great armies to try and conquer the land. Every man in Israel who could fight was called [folio 17] up to protect his country. Already David’s three elder brothers had joined Saul’s army, which was preparing to fight the enemy.

Jesse sends David to the camp.

On either side of a narrow valley, divided by a stream which ran along over smooth stones, the two armies faced each other. There they were encamped, [folio 18] like wild beasts ready to fly at each other’s throats. At any moment the fight might begin, and that stream be stained red with blood. Only the Philistines were far the strongest, and the Israelites had but little chance of victory.

This valley was seven or eight miles distant from the little town of Bethlehem, and Jesse waited anxiously, day after day, for news of his three sons. At last he could bear the anxiety no longer, and he determined to send David to the camp to carry food to his brothers and bring back news how they fared.

So, very early one morning, David set out on his errand. He had carefully put his sheep under the care of another shepherd, and he took with him parched corn and loaves of bread for his brothers, as well as ten cheeses which his father was sending to the officers under whom they served.

It was not long before the boy came within sight of the valley, and his heart began to beat with excitement, for he saw that he had arrived just as something was about to happen. The armies were drawn up in battle array, and suddenly a great shout went up from both sides. It was the battle-cry of the two armies which sounded in his ears.

There was no time now to carry food and gifts, so David quickly left his load at the entrance to the camp and hurried on to search for his brothers. He had learned to find his way about a camp, where for a short [folio 19] time he had been Saul’s armour-bearer. So now he went swiftly among the soldiers, until at last he found his brothers. “Were they well?” he eagerly asked them; “and what were they doing?”

Eagerly David began to ask them what it meant.

But even while he spoke there was a stir among the Philistines, and all eyes were turned to watch, all ears were strained to hear the enemy’s challenge, which rang out clearly across the narrow valley.

Out of the rank of the Philistines there had