of Elijah was over and God had taken him up to heaven,
there was another prophet in Israel whose name was Elisha. Now it
happened that one day the prophet Elisha, sitting upon his ass, with
his rough cloak cast about him, came riding towards a little village
named Shunem. He rode steadily onward up the steep and stony path in
the afternoon heat, with his servant walking behind him.

He had come all the way from his home on the wooded hill of Carmel. He
was tired and hungry, and, as was his custom, he stopped at the house
of a certain Shunammite woman. Then alighting from his ass, he went up
the outside stair to a little chamber on the wall, which was always
ready to receive him, and there he and his servant Gehazi lay down to
rest.

When morning came the prophet and his servant rose and breakfasted on
bread and goat's milk, and were about to go on their way; but before
leaving, Elisha told Gehazi to bring up the Shunammite woman, and the
man called to her from the wall. Coming up the stone stair, she stood
at the door of the little chamber, hiding her face, her dark hair
covered by a white kerchief that fell over a tunic of bright colours
which reached down to her slippered feet.

"Thou hast been careful for us with all this care," the prophet said.
"What is to be done for thee? Shall I ask a favour of the king for
thee, or from the captain of his fighting-men?"

Elisha wished to make her some return for her kindness, and thought
that she might like to see her husband raised from the life of a
village farmer to be an officer in the king's army.

"I wish to dwell among mine own people," she replied simply, meaning
that she would rather live where her tribe lived; and she turned away
and left them.

When she was gone Elisha asked his servant if there was nothing he
could do for her; and the man answered that she had no son. Gehazi
knew it was the dearest wish of every Syrian woman to have a son, and
that the Shunammite's heart longed for one.

"Call her," said Elisha again; and the woman in her bright tunic, bound
about her waist with a silken scarf, again stood outside the door
hiding her face. And Elisha told her that the time would surely come
when she would hold a little son in her arms. The woman replied in a
low voice,--

"Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not mock me."

But Elisha said it would be so; and saddling his ass he rode away, with
Gehazi following after him.

But the prophet's word