and made up a plan to save him
such as only a mother's heart could devise.

She had seen a fair Egyptian princess coming down from the palace every
morning to bathe in the river at a place not far from her hut; and she
thought that if this princess could only see her lovely baby boy she
would save him.

So this Hebrew mother went down to the river and gathered an armful of
strong reeds. With these she wove a stout basket long enough and wide
enough to hold her baby boy. Then she painted it inside and out with
black bitumen, until not a drop of water could get in. She lined it
next with soft cloth of red and green, as mothers line their cradles,
and then it was ready to be placed on the water and save the life of
her little boy.

II.

The morning sun shone brightly on the broad surface of the Nile,
turning the Pyramids on the banks into dull gold, and lighting up the
palaces of the city; and while the white-robed priests went up to the
temple roof to beat the brass gong and chant their hymn to the morning,
the poor Hebrews flocked in thousands out of their little yellow huts,
to do their heavy tasks amongst the wet, brown clay by the riverside.

Taking Miriam with her, Jochebed, the Hebrew mother, stole out of her
hut, carrying a little black basket shaped like a boat, with something
asleep in it, hidden under her wide blue cloak. Crossing the fields,
she went down to the riverside and along the path until she came to the
beach of golden sand where the red-feathered hoopoes strutted in the
sun--the place where the princess came to bathe, not far from the
lilies of white and yellow.

As they went she told Miriam what she was to do when the princess came,
and then stepping down to the water's edge at a place where the lilies
grew thick, she opened the basket, kissed something in it, and covered
it over again. Stepping into the water, she gently put down the little
basket to float among the water-flags, where the princess could not
help but see it as she came along the path on the bank above.

With tears running down her cheeks, this Hebrew mother turned away,
praying, as she went, that all would be well with her little child;
while Miriam, going a short way off, sat down on the sand to watch
until the lovely princess came.

Slaves in red tunics, with swords at their sides, bowed low down to the
earth as they opened the palace gates to let out a bright throng of
girls, laughing and singing as they went on t