to the birds and the
beasts.

"Thou comest to me with a sword, and a spear, and a shield," said
David, "but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of
the armies of Israel whom thou hast despised."

Then the Philistine came down upon little David to destroy him, and
David ran, not away from him, as the men of Israel had done, but
straight toward him, taking a pebble from his shepherd's bag as he ran.
Quickly putting it in the sling, he whirled it in the air once, twice,
and then it went swift and straight to the mark. It sunk into the
forehead of the giant, and he fell dead upon his face. Then David ran
and stood upon the dead Philistine and cut off his head with the
giant's great sword, and when the Philistines saw that their champion
was really dead, they fled, pursued by the shouting hosts of Israel.

[Illustration: David cutting off Goliath's head]

Saul had forgotten the youth who played upon the harp before him, for
when he sent for him after the battle he said,

"Whose son art thou, thou young man?" and David answered,

"I am the son of thy servant Jesse, the Bethlehemite."

And Saul took him to live with him from that day.

CHAPTER XXI.

FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH.

Saul had a son named Jonathan, and he loved David as his own soul. He
took off his princely robes, even to his sword, and his bow, and his
girdle, and made David wear them; and David acted wisely in all that
the king gave him to do. There was great joy and much feasting over
the Death of Goliath and the flight of the Philistines, and wherever
Saul went, the women came out of the cities to meet him, singing and
dancing, and the song with which they answered one another was,

"Saul hath slain his thousands,
And David his tens of thousands."

Saul did not like this, and an evil spirit of jealousy came upon him,
and he thought, "What can he have more but the kingdom."

The next day the evil spirit came upon Saul in the house, and David
played on his harp to quiet him, but Saul hurled a spear at David,
hoping to fasten him to the wall with it. This he did twice, but the
Lord guided the spear away from David, just as he guided the pebble to
Goliath, and he was unhurt. Saul was afraid of David. He was afraid
that God was preparing him to be king over Israel, so he sent him into
battle, hoping he would be killed, but the life of David was in the
Lord's hand, and no enemy could destroy it.

After a great battle, i