lf could bring the poor sailors safe to shore.

The sea was rough already, and getting rougher every minute. They were
afraid. They were always afraid of the sea when storms began to blow.
It was so big and dangerous and terrible, and men were so small and
weak! It was like a frightful monster, tossing them up and down before
it swallowed them alive.

If only they had stayed on the good, safe land! They had been so
worried and so tired that night; so discouraged about Jesus and his
work. And now there was this storm on top of everything! It looked as
if none of them would live to see another day. They had left their
homes and families behind, to follow Jesus. What was the use of
following Jesus if they were all to be drowned?

Now the boat was full of water. They tried to bail it out, but the
fishermen knew that nothing they could do would be of any use.

In the dark they could hardly see one another's faces. Where was
Jesus? No one had heard a word from him since the storm began to blow.

They found him at the back of the boat, just where he was when they
left the shore. He was stretched out on a seat, resting on a pillow.
And he was fast asleep!

The disciples were angry. Any minute now the boat was going to turn
over, and there was Jesus sleeping as though nothing in the world were
wrong!

One of the men took Jesus by the shoulders, and shook him awake. They
shouted at him, "Master, doesn't it matter to you if we are all
drowned?"

Jesus rose to his feet in the tossing boat. The wind blew in his face,
and he seemed to be answering it. The sea smashed against the boat
again, and Jesus cried out, "Peace, be still!"

All at once the wind began to die away. The waves tossed for a minute
or two longer, but not so strongly now. Everything was growing quiet.
The stars began to shine again, and soon there was no sound but the
water lapping gently against the boat.

Jesus spoke to the disciples:

"Why were you so frightened? How is it that you still haven't any
faith in me?"

But the disciples scarcely noticed what he was saying. They were more
afraid than ever. This time it was not the sea that frightened them.
They were afraid of Jesus. They said to one another:

"What kind of man is this? When he speaks, even the wind and the sea
obey him!"

[Illustration]

In the morning they brought their little boat to land on the other
side of the lake. Over here in the country of the Gadarenes, Galilee
seemed very