in
number that they gave orders to kill all the little boys that were born
to the Israelites; though their little girls might be allowed to live.

But in the face of all this hate, and wrong, and cruelty, the people of
Israel were growing in number, and becoming greater and greater.

At this time, when the wrongs of the Israelites were the greatest, and
when their little children were being killed, one little boy was born.

[Illustration: _They made the Israelites work hard_]

He was such a lovely child that his mother kept him hid, so that the
enemies did not find him. When she could no longer hide him, she formed
a plan to save his life; believing that God would help her and save her
beautiful little boy.

She made a little box like a boat and covered it with something that
would not let the water into it. Such a boat as this covered over was
called "an ark." She knew that at certain times the daughter of king
Pharaoh--all the kings of Egypt were called Pharaoh, for Pharaoh means
a king--would come down to the river for a bath. She placed her baby
boy in the ark, and let it float down the river where the princess,
Pharaoh's daughter, would see it. And she sent her own daughter, a
little girl named Miriam, twelve years old, to watch close at hand. How
anxious the mother and the sister were as they saw the little ark
floating away from them on the river!

[Illustration: _She placed her baby in the ark_]

Pharaoh's daughter, with her maids, came down to the river, and they saw
the ark floating on the water, among the reeds. She sent one of her
maids to bring it to her so that she might see what was in the curious
box. They opened it, and there was a beautiful little baby, who began to
cry to be taken up.

The princess felt kind toward the little one, and loved it at once. She
said: "This is one of the Hebrews' children." You have heard how the
children of Israel came to be called Hebrews. Pharaoh's daughter
thought that it would be cruel to let such a lovely baby as this die out
on the water. And just then a little girl came running up to her, as if
by accident, and she looked at the baby also, and she said: "Shall I go
and find some woman of the Hebrews to be a nurse to the child for you
and take care of it?"

"Yes," said the princess. "Go and find a nurse for me."

The little girl--who was Miriam, the baby's sister--ran as quickly as
she could and brought the baby's own mother to the princess. Miriam
showed