Long, long ago, on the green hills of Bethlehem, a little shepherd boy tended his sheep.
Ruddy and strong was little David, for the sun gave him rosy cheeks, and the bracing wind made him long to run races with his own shadow, just from pure happiness.
Many a time he lay on the soft grass, gazing up at the blue sky, dotted with fleecy white clouds—white as his own lambs. Many a time, as he led his flock homeward at evening, he saw the sun sink in the gold and crimson west, and, as the dusk deepened, the great round moon rise above the hills, flooding the world with silvery light.
With all this beauty around him, do you wonder that he was good and happy?
One day, while David was watching his sheep in the field, Samuel, the High Priest of the Lord, appeared before Jesse, David's father.
On a very wonderful errand had he come.
He told David's father that the Lord had chosen one of his sons to be the new king of Israel, because Saul, the old king, was no longer fit to rule.
"Call all your sons before me," said Samuel, "that I may anoint the Lord's chosen one."
Oh, how proudly Jesse called his eldest son!
Tall, and straight, and strong, he stood there, looking every inch a king.
"Surely," thought Samuel, "I have found him!"
But the Lord looked down into his heart—just as he looks into our hearts today—and saw that all was not right there, and so the Lord said to Samuel: "He is not the chosen one."
Then Samuel asked Jesse to call his second son.
But when the Lord read his thoughts He said to the priest: "No; I have not chosen this one."
Jesse called his third son, but Samuel only shook his head. In haste, Jesse called all his other sons before the High Priest, but Samuel was forced to say sadly, "The Lord hath not chosen these." Almost in despair, he turned to Jesse, asking: "Are all thy children here?" And he answered: "There remaineth yet the youngest, and behold, he keepeth the sheep."
Joyfully Samuel cried: "Send and fetch him, for we will not sit down till he come hither." And he sent and brought him in.
When Samuel looked into his pure, innocent face, he knew that now the chosen one of the Lord stood before him.
Taking his horn of oil, he anointed him King of Israel, "and the spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward."
When Samuel left him, David went quietly back to the field, and tended his sheep, just as of old.
Day by day he tried to do every duty well, so that bye and bye he would be worthy to be a king.
Meanwhile, up in his royal palace, King Saul was in deep trouble. In his distress he longed to hear the beautiful music of the harp. He therefore sent for David, that he might play for him. When David came he paused beside the throne, and Saul, looking up, saw before him a tall and handsome youth, bearing a golden harp.
Bowing low, David begged permission to play for his King. Gladly Saul bade him begin.
First, the young harpist struck a ringing chord that thrilled through the vast hall.
Then he began to play a low, sweet melody!
It sounded like the summer breeze sighing softly over a grassy meadow, and setting the dainty daisies and buttercups swaying on their stems. Suddenly the music swelled stronger, until it seemed like a flashing fountain, springing up in a burst of sparkling spray.
Then the sweet tones slowly softened.
Fainter they grew—and yet fainter—like the music of a dream—till at last they died away into silence.
Spellbound sat King Saul when the player ceased.
And David came to Saul and stood before him, and Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor bearer.
Long afterward David wore the crown of Israel.
youth, watched over him all his days.
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