and Eve were very happy, for they had never done anything wrong.
God gave them a beautiful wide garden, called Eden, full of flowers and
all kinds of fruit, and with a river flowing through it, and told Adam
to take care of the garden, and He sent all the animals and birds to
Adam to be named. God told him also that he might eat the fruit of all
the trees of the garden except one--the tree of knowledge of good and
evil--but if he ate of the fruit of that tree he should surely die, and
Adam and Eve loved God, and had no wish to disobey Him, for He was
their Father.

But there was a creeping serpent in the garden, and the evil spirit
that puts wrong thoughts in our hearts spoke to Eve through the serpent.

"You shall not die," he said, "but you shall be wise like God if you
will eat of this fruit," and Eve ate of the fruit, and gave it to her
husband. Then they knew that they had sinned, and when they heard the
voice of God in the garden calling them, they hid among the trees, for
they were unhappy and afraid. When the Lord had asked Adam if he had
eaten of the fruit that was forbidden, Adam laid the sin upon Eve, who
gave it to him, and Eve said that the serpent had tempted her to eat of
the fruit. God knew that they must suffer for their sin, so He sent
them out of the garden to make a garden for themselves, and to work,
and suffer pain, as all who came after them have done to this day; but
He gave them a great promise, that among their children's children One
should be born who would be stronger than sin, and a Savior from it.

After this two little children were sent to comfort Adam and Eve--first
Cain, and then Abel. When they grew up Cain was a farmer, but Abel was
a shepherd.

They had been taught to worship God by bringing the best of all they
had to Him, and so Cain brought fruit and grain to lay upon his altar,
but Abel brought a lamb.

[Illustration: Driven from Eden]

God looked into their hearts and saw that Abel wished to do right, but
Cain's heart was full of sin. Cain was angry because the Lord was
pleased with the worship of Abel, and while they talked in the field
Cain killed his brother. When the Lord said to Cain, "Where is thy
brother?" he answered, "I know not. Am I my brother's keeper?" And
the Lord sent him away from home, to wander from place to place over
the earth, and find no rest, but He promised that no one should hurt
Cain, or kill him as he had killed his brother, so he went