232 BOYS OF THE BIBLE.

had not been used to temperance boys. But they begged
him to give them a trial.

So the steward gave them pulse for ten days, and at
the end of that time their faces were fatter and fairer than
all the other young men who ate food from the King’s table.
Then he took away the meat and the wine that were sent
to them, and gave them only pulse to eat. And God helped
these four young men to get knowledge and wisdom, and he
made Daniel to understand visions and dreams.

After they had been taught for three years, the chief
officer brought them into the palace of the King. And King
Nebuchadnezzar talked with them, and found that among all
those who had been chosen for his servants, none were like
Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; therefore they
staid at the palace and waited on the King. And in all the
questions which the King asked them concerning the things
they had learned, he found them ten times better than all
the wise men in his kingdom.

Time passes, and we find ourselves once more in the
midst of dreams and dreamers. The King had a very wonder-
ful dream, all about an immense image made up of gold and
silver, and brass, and iron, and clay. This dream troubled
the King; and yet strange to say, the King could not call the
dream to mind. So when he sent for all his wise men and
soothsayers, and they could not tell the King what he had
been dreaming about, much less the interpretation thereof,
he was very angry, and he gave orders that these speech-
less interpreters of dreams should be put to death.

Hearing of all this, Daniel said if the King would give him
a little time he would try and tell him all about the dream.
And the King said, he would wait and see what this young
Hebrew could do. Then Daniel and his friends prayed for