Child's Story Garden - - (inspirational books to read TXT) 📗

news I have to tell! The Christ

has come—the King! And the whole world is singing such beautiful music.

There are wise men coming from the East, bringing beautiful gifts to the

Christ-child. The angels, too, are upon the earth, and they bear gifts

of gold and rare, beautiful stones. Wait! I will tell you more.”

 

The tall tree had scarcely lifted up its head when it stooped again and

whispered to the Little Tree: “Look! Look! Little Tree! They are coming

this way; the angels are coming here, into our forest! Lift up your head

high and you will see them as they pass.”

 

The Little Tree lifted up its head and saw the white flutter of angel

robes and heard the weird, sweet voices of the heavenly host who came

with precious gifts into the forest.

 

“Oh,” said the Little Tree, “they are coming here, toward me! What

shall I do?” And in fear it bent its head so low that it almost touched

the ground. But the music came nearer and nearer, and the Little Tree

felt a tender hand upon its branches, and a soft, gentle voice said to

it: “Arise, Little Tree, and come with us, for we have come into the

forest to seek you. Yes, you, the very smallest among the trees, are to

be our gift-bearer. Come; lift up your head.”

 

In fear and trembling the Little Tree did as the angel bade it. But when

it looked into the angel’s face and saw the love and kindness there, all

fear was gone, and it said to the angel: “Yes; make me ready. I will

come with you to the little Christ-child in the manger.” So all the

angels brought their gifts of precious jewels and shining gold, and

fastened them upon the branches of the Little Tree. Then the leader of

the angels’ band took up the Little Tree from the ground and bore it,

laden with its precious burden, to the feet of the Christ-child.

THE STORY OF ABRAHAM

Long, long ago there lived in the far away land of Ur a man who was very

wealthy. His name was Abraham. The country in which he lived was

beautiful and very rich. The fields were not only well watered by rivers

and streams, but were carefully cultivated. Corn, dates, apples and

grapes grew there abundantly. Fine harvests were reaped from their

farms. Splendid herds of cattle and flocks of sheep were pastured in the

meadows. In the city were beautiful homes, for the people were

prosperous. They painted fine pictures and cut beautiful figures out of

marble blocks, and were fond of music. But Abraham was not so much

interested in the city as in the country, for he belonged to a family of

shepherds. He did not care so much for walled cities as for meadow

lands, forest trees and running streams. When Abraham grew a little

older he became very thoughtful, and began to dislike the ways of the

people of Ur, for they were idolaters. So when some of the servants

brought back from the city, idols into his father’s home, he broke them.

His one desire was to do right and to be good.

 

One day, when he was herding his cattle not far from his father’s home,

he heard a strange Voice saying to him: “Get thee out of thy country and

from thy kindred, and come unto a land which I shall show thee.” He was

greatly surprised, and looked around to find out who was speaking to

him. He saw no man, so he thought that the Voice was only a fancy or a

day dream. A few days after, when he was bringing home some wandering

sheep, he heard the same Voice, the same words, and thought he saw a

gleam of light. He felt that God was speaking to him, but the words made

him very sad. If he obeyed the Voice he knew that he would have to leave

his friends, the fields where he sported with his boy companions and

loved ones, but something within him kept saying that he ought to obey

the Voice, because it was God’s Voice. So he resolved to take his

nephew, Lot, with him, and set out for the Promised Land. The day for

starting came. Great bundles of goods were put upon the camels and led

off by the drivers. Flocks of sheep and herds of cattle filled the

morning air with their bleatings and their bellowings. Some of the

people thought that Abraham was very foolish to undertake such a

journey, and would certainly come to grief. His brother Nahor pleaded

with Abraham not to go. He told Abraham about a great desert that he

would have to cross. Even if he crossed it safely, the people in that

far away country were very cruel, and would fight them and kill them,

and make slaves of their children. Abraham listened to his brother, and

said that he knew there were difficulties ahead of him, but he must obey

the Voice of God. Then his face brightened, when he added that he felt

sure God would watch over them all as a shepherd watches over his sheep.

He looked brave and noble as he bade them all good-by and started off.

 

At the close of the first day they halted beside a stream, where the

cattle drank and rested until morning. The servants pitched a number of

tents and made Abraham and his family comfortable. Abraham rolled

together a few big stones and built an altar, and in the presence of his

family and servants offered up an evening sacrifice and prayed that God

should guide them and their little ones into the Promised Land. After

many weary days and nights they reached Canaan. It was a beautiful

country, full of vines and harvest fields, and pasture lands. The

valleys were warm and the highlands were cool. Here and there on the

hillsides they saw the oak, the sycamore, and the pine growing. Best of

all, the people were kind to Abraham and his servants, and helped them

to get settled in their new homes. Their new friends were not so rich as

their old ones. They wore rough garments made of camel’s hair and

fastened round the waist with a belt. They lived in rough huts and rocky

caves, and were warlike. But they treated Abraham generously and were

very kind to the little children. Abraham was delighted with the

Promised Land, although he passed through many a severe trial in it.

 

There was one joy, however, that brightened his life—God had given him

a beautiful son. The little boy had grown to be a strong, beautiful

youth. His mother took loving care in making his little garments, and

his father gave him a pet lamb, and often brought home to him a wild

bird. Abraham was growing old, and thought of the day when his boy would

be a strong man, caring for herds and flocks. Many a time he prayed to

God for his boy, that he might be true and brave and good, and worthy of

the promises that God had made to him concerning his people. But one

day, when he was returning from a visit to his herdsmen and was resting

beside a well in the grove which he had planted in Beersheba, he heard

the Voice again saying: “Take thy son, thine only son Isaac, and offer

him up for a sacrifice on a mount which I shall show thee.” Abraham was

grieved. He said to himself: “I have left Ur and the land of my brother

and my father. I have endured many hardships, and surely I will not be

called upon to sacrifice my only son, my sweet, loving boy. I can not

bear it. His mother can not live when she hears of it.” But the Voice

said more earnestly than ever: “Take thy son, thine only son Isaac, and

offer him up for a sacrifice on the mount that I shall show thee.” He

knew that it was the same Voice that had spoken to him many times, and

that he must obey it. And there gradually came into his life strength

and a willingness to obey the Voice. After necessary preparation

Abraham, his son, and his servants set out for the mountain. For three

days they journeyed under divine guidance, until they came to the foot

of the mount. Then Abraham said to his servants: “Abide ye here, and I

and the lad will go and worship yonder, and come unto you again.” The

young lad was happy over the coming sacrifice. He shouldered the bundle

of wood and started off up the hillside. But he did not see the lamb,

and, turning to his father, said: “Behold the fire and the wood, but

where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” The question so innocently

asked grieved the father’s heart, for he knew that God had commanded him

to offer up his son instead of a lamb. He felt that he could not tell

his boy about it, so he said: “God Himself will provide a lamb for the

burnt offering.” At last they came to the spot where the sacrifice was

to be offered. The father, very sad and broken-hearted, began rolling

together some stones for an altar. Slowly he laid the wood in its place,

and wept when he thought of the sacrifice. Then with a tearful voice he

told the lad that he was to be the sacrifice. He laid the boy upon the

altar and kissed him. At that moment he heard a Voice, louder than ever

before, saying: “Abraham.” He answered, “Here am I.” The Voice said:

“Lay not thy hand upon the lad, neither do any harm unto him, for now I

know that thou fearest God, seeing that thou hast not withheld thy son,

thine only son, from me.” With glad wonder Abraham looked around, and

there, to his great surprise, a ram was caught in some thick bushes.

Hurriedly he caught the ram, unbound his son, and offered up the ram as

a sacrifice with great joy. And, kneeling beside the altar, the aged

father thanked God, and homeward they returned with glad hearts and

happy spirits.

 

And Isaac grew to be a good and noble man, and the Lord prospered him.

His father, Abraham, lived many years in the Promised Land, and when he

died the whole country was full of grief, and with sorrow mingled with

love they followed the aged saint to the sunny slopes of beautiful

Macpelah and laid him in the tomb. Each whispered to the other that he

was a good and brave man. Many a time they would visit the cave where

the great man lay and tell one another about his wonderful life, his

many trials, his noble faith, and how he always obeyed the Voice of God.

 

On a rough stone beside the tomb a friend chiseled the words: “Abraham,

the Friend of God.”

 

Bible [Adapted]

THE STORY OF MOSES

Many years ago, the Heavenly Father sent a baby boy into a home in a far

country.

 

When a baby comes to your home you want to tell every one you see, do

you not?

 

But in that little home it was very different. Miriam, the baby’s

sister, could not tell any one about the little brother, and the poor

mother had to keep the baby hidden away. Shall I tell you why?

 

In that country there lived a wicked king, who did not love little

children, and whenever he heard that a boy baby had come into a house he

sent his soldiers to take the baby away.

 

This mother loved her baby dearly, and she wanted to keep him always.

But when the baby