The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Babe in the Bulrushes, by Amy Steedman

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Title: The Babe in the Bulrushes

Author: Amy Steedman

Release Date: October 12, 2009 [EBook #30239]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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[Illustration: The baby Moses in the bulrushes.]

THE BABE IN

THE BULRUSHES

By AMY STEEDMAN

[Illustration]

THOMAS NELSON & SONS

NEW YORK

* * * * *

THE FINDING OF MOSES

Many long years had passed since the days when Joseph's brothers and
their families had settled in the land of Egypt. They were a great
nation in numbers now, but the Egyptians still ruled over them, and
used them as servants. The Pharaoh who had been so kind to the
shepherds from Canaan was dead long ago, and the new kings, or
Pharaohs as they were called, hated foreigners, and began to treat the
Israelites very harshly. There were too many of them, they said; it
was dangerous to have so many strong, powerful slaves. They must be
kept down, and made to work from morning till night, and be beaten if
they did not work fast enough.

That was very hard for the poor people; but worse was to come. An
order was issued one day which spread sorrow through all the land of
Goshen, where the Israelites lived. Every baby boy that was born was
to be thrown into the river. Girl babies might be allowed to live, for
they would be useful as slaves, but boys might grow up to fight for
their country, and so they must be destroyed.

In one little house, not far from the great river Nile, a woman sat
holding her tiny baby in her arms, while the tears ran down her
cheeks. He was such a beautiful baby, so strong and fair and healthy;
but the king's order was that he was to be thrown into the river,
where the cruel, hungry crocodiles were