Homer never wrote down his poems, for he was blind; but the people were very fond of hearing his songs, and they learned them by heart, and mothers taught them to their children after Homer had died. At last, many years later, another man wrote the poems down in Greek, and you may some day read them in Greek, if you study that language, or at least in an English translation. Although the Greeks thought so much of Homer, he could hardly make a living, and he almost had to beg his daily bread. After his death however, the people of nine different cities each proudly said that Homer was born in their city. And so some one has made this rime: Nine cities claimed blind Homer dead, Through which, alive, he’d begged his bread. Some people now doubt that there ever was a poet named Homer. Others think that instead of only one man there must have been several men, perhaps nine, who composed these poems, and this might explain how he could be born in nine different cities. [Illustration] 12 The Kings of the Jews While the blind beggar Homer was singing his wonderful songs through the streets of Greece, a great king of the Jews was singing other wonderful songs in Canaan. This king was named David, and he wasn’t born a king. He was only a shepherd boy in King Saul’s army. This is the way he happened to become king. At first, as you remember, the Jews had no kings; but they had asked for kings, and at last they were given one by the name of Saul. David had killed the giant Goliath. We all love this Bible story because we are always glad when the skilful little chap beats the great, big, bragging bully. Well, King Saul had a daughter, and she fell in love with this brave and athletic young David the Giant-Killer, and at last they were married. So after Saul died David became king, and he was the greatest king the Jews ever had. Although Saul had been king he had lived in a tent, not in a palace, and he didn’t even have a capital city. So David conquered a city in Canaan called Jerusalem and made this city the capital of the Jews. But David was not only a brave warrior and a great king; he wrote beautiful songs as well. The blind beggar Homer sang of his fairy-tale gods. The great King David sang of his one God. These songs are the Psalms, which you hear read and sung in church. Nowadays even a popular song is popular for only a few months, but the songs which David wrote almost three thousand years ago are still popular to-day! The Twenty-third Psalm, which starts, “The Lord is my shepherd,” is one of the most beautiful and a good one to learn by heart. David likens himself to a sheep and his Lord to a good shepherd who tenderly looks out for the comfort and safety of his sheep. David’s son was named Solomon, and when David died Solomon became king.