f the giant. It is easy to picture Saul's absolute
astonishment when he realised that the conquering hero of his army was
this mere youth, so unlike his other warriors.

But he talked long and eagerly with David, asking all sorts of
questions about his manner of slaying Goliath, and while they talked,
Jonathan, Saul's son, stood near them, listening and watching, and as
he heard David's stirring tale of victory, he was filled with
admiration for the boy who had done such a mighty deed; and, in that
instant, as the Bible says, "the soul of Jonathan was knit with the
soul of David," and the friendship of David and Jonathan was begun.
David's eyes flashed back an answering glance of interest to the King's
son, and there was a quick response of each to the other. And that
being so, you can imagine the joy of both the youths when Saul told
David that he was to go no more home to his father's house to tend his
flocks, but was to be thereafter his armour-bearer, or the member of
his household who came into the closest relation with the king. On
hearing this great piece of news, David glanced proudly at Jonathan,
and Jonathan at once led David away and took from him his shepherd's
dress, and clothed him in his own garments, giving him even his girdle
and his sword, which was the greatest honour he could have conferred on
David, the sign that he felt David had, by his courageous act, proved
himself more worthy to be the heir to a throne, than he, the king's own
son, was. And, too, he felt such a thrill of affection for this new
friend, David, that he could not help doing something to show it. And
then and always, Jonathan's friendship for David was absolutely free
from all taint of jealousy, and he always stood aside, that honours
might be heaped upon his friend, even those which by the rights of
inheritance, should have been his own.

And so David began his new life at the court of Saul, with Jonathan,
his new friend, and the first happy days passed only too quickly. David
went out wherever Saul sent him, doing the King's bidding so well and
so wisely that Saul set him in command over his men of war, who all
gladly obeyed David. Although he was so young, he ruled so tactfully
that all the people, and even Saul's ministers grew more and more fond
of the youth who had killed Goliath, while Jonathan rejoiced in every
honour paid to his friend, and had not one bit of envy in his heart,
that David was so popular and so powerful. Bu