A DEN OF LIONS
Once there was a little boy.
His name was Daniel.
Daniel was a very happy boy.
Daniel had a good mother.
He had a good father, too.
They taught their little boy many things.
They taught him to do
just what was right.
They taught him to love God.
They taught him to pray for help.
They taught him to be brave.
One time there was a great war.
The king's soldiers were fighting
Daniel's people.
The soldiers wanted Daniel's country.
The soldiers took many prisoners.
They took women and children, too.
Daniel was one of the prisoners.
The soldiers took the prisoners
far away from their homes.
They took them far away
from their own people.
Daniel grew up in that
far-away country.
Sometimes he was homesick.
He was so far away from home.
But he never forgot his father.
He never forgot his mother.
He never forgot to pray to God.
There was a new king in the country
where Daniel lived.
He loved Daniel very much.
He liked to have Daniel near him.
The king did not know about God.
Some of the king's men did not
want him to love Daniel.
They said, "We want the king to love us.
We do not want him to love Daniel.
Let us get Daniel out of the way.
Then the king will love us."
Then these men went to the king.
They said, "Oh, king, make a new law.
Make a law that says all people
must bow to you.
Make a law that says, Any one
who bows or prays to any one else
will be thrown into a den of lions.' "
The king was glad to make the law.
He did not know about Daniel's God.
He thought it would be great
to have every one bow to him.
So he made the new law.
He sent word to all the people.
Daniel would not stop praying.
He always prayed to God in heaven.
He prayed to God every morning.
He prayed every noontime.
He prayed every evening.
He always went to a window.
He looked out of the window
away over toward his old home.
The bad men began to watch Daniel.
They saw him go to the window
and kneel down.
They knew he was praying to God.
They watched him at noontime.
Again he went to the window
and kneeled down to pray.
Then these men went and told the king.
They said, "Oh, king,
Daniel is not keeping your law.
He is praying to his God."
The king felt so sorry.
He did not want to put Daniel
into the den of lions.
But he could not change his law.
There was no way to save Daniel.
The king could not eat.
He could not sleep.
He could not listen to sweet music.
He was so sad about Daniel.
In the den were great big lions.
They growled and growled.
They opened their big mouths.
The soldiers came and put Daniel
in the den.
Then something wonderful happened.
God sent an angel to take care of Daniel.
The lions' mouths were shut.
They never even touched him.
Early in the morning the king
went to the lions' den.
He called and called, "Oh, Daniel,
is your God taking care of you?"
Daniel said, "Oh, king, God sent his
angel and shut the lions' mouths.
And they have not hurt me."
