JOSEPH CAST INTO THE PIT

There was a great man in the Eastern part of the world, spoken of in the Bible, whose name was Jacob. God had made him very rich with cattle and flocks of sheep. He had also twelve sons. Of these twelve sons he most loved the youngest but one, whose name was Joseph. He loved him more than he loved his other sons, because Joseph was born when he was an old man; so he made him his pet and favorite. Joseph's elder brothers were grown-up men, yet they were very much displeased that their father made a favorite of his young son Joseph. They were displeased with their father; and they were wicked enough to hate their young brother because he was their father's favorite.

It is a terrible thing to hate any one, especially one's own brother. These wicked elder ones began by quarrelling with Joseph; and before long they tried to kill him. Their father sent him with a message to them, and they laid hold of .the lad, and were just going to kill him, when one of them said, “Let us throw him into this pit;” for he meant to take him out when the rest were gone. So they threw the poor lad into the pit.