become one of his household and to come and play to him whenever
he should be summoned, and also sent this message back to Jesse:

"Let David, I pray thee, stand before me, for he hath found favour in
my sight."

So David stayed at the King's court, and whenever Saul gave way to an
attack of anger or depression, the young minstrel would hasten to him,
and play melodies grave and gay, sweet and brilliant, playing with such
skill that before he knew it, Saul would be in good humour again, or
drop into a deep, refreshing sleep, and little did he dream that the
lad who had such power to soothe and amuse him had been anointed by
Samuel to rule over Israel in his place. That David thought often and
earnestly about this, would be only natural to suppose, and we can but
fancy that in those days amid surroundings such as he had never had
before, the young lad learned much of the manners and customs of a
king's life, and learned too, from the weakness that he saw in Saul's
nature what a king ought to be and do. Probably much of David's tact in
dealing with men and circumstances at a later day came from his
observations in those early days when he was but a minstrel at the
court of Saul.

How long he remained there, we do not know, but until Saul's attacks of
passion and melancholy had been entirely overcome. Then, in the same
spirit of unquestioning obedience as he showed before to the call of
circumstances, as soon as he was no longer needed by Saul, David went
back again to his home in Bethlehem and again tended his father's
flocks in the Judean pasture-lands.

The Israelites and the Philistines were still at war, and the two
armies were now encamped against each other on opposite ridges that
overhung a valley, called the valley of the Terebinth, about sixteen
miles from Bethlehem.

Battles in those days were sometimes merely encounters between two
champions chosen by the opposing armies to fight for them; but the
Philistines had given no hint to the Israelites that this was to be
their plan of action, when suddenly, out from their camp there burst
forth Goliath, the last and mightiest of the giants of Gath, and
shouted out a challenge to the Israelites, saying:

"Why are ye come out to set your battles in array? Am not I a
Philistine and ye servants to Saul? Choose you a man for you and let
him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me and kill me, then
will we be your servants, but if I prevail against him, then