DAVID AT THE BROOK.


 THREE of David's tall handsome brothers were sol-
diers in Saul's army. Saul's soldiers were encamped on
the side of a mountain, in their long rows of tents, getting
ready to fight against the Philistines, who were encamped
on another mountain opposite to them. David had gone
back from the palace to feed his father's sheep again.
Jesse sent him to the army to carry some parched corn
and loaves to his brothers, and a present to their captain.
David rose early in the morning and left the sheep with
a keeper, and as he got there he heard the shouts of the
two armies drawn up opposite to each other in battle array.
 He ran in and spoke to his brothers; just then he
heard a rough, loud voice shouting from the Philistine
camp. It was a giant, who stepped out before them all,
and shouted, "Choose you. a man and let him come down
to me. If he can kill me, we will be your servants; if I
kill him, then shall ye be our servants." When the people
saw and heard him, they were all afraid and ran from
him. So the giant had done every morning and evening
for forty days. When David heard it he said, "Who is
this, that he should defy the armies of the living God?"