David was not a bad man, but he sometimes did wrong and then God had to punish him although He was very fond of him. When he had been king many years he had the Israelites counted. This displeased God and He sent a plague upon Israel. This plague killed many thousand people. David felt very sorry to have his people die for his sin and prayed God to stop the plague and punish him instead. God told David to go to the threshing-floor of Araunah and make an offering. David went. He bought the threshing-floor and some oxen and wood. Then he built an altar and made the offering. God stopped the plague. [Illustration: DAVID AND ARAUNAH.] ELIJAH FED BY RAVENS. Ahab was a very wicked king, more wicked than any that came before him. He took a wife who worshiped idols and built an altar to a heathen god and worshiped this god. So God sent Elijah to Ahab to say to him: “As the Lord of Israel liveth there shall not be dew nor rain these years.” Ahab was so angry at Elijah that he had to flee and hide himself by the brook Cherith near the river Jordan. The brook gave him all the water he needed, but there was no food there. But God would not let his prophet starve. He sent ravens to feed him. These ravens brought him bread and meat twice every day; in the morning and in the evening. [Illustration: ELIJAH FED BY RAVENS.] ELIJAH AND ELISHA. One day Elijah was traveling through the land, when he saw twelve men ploughing with twelve yoke of oxen. One of these men was Elisha. When Elijah saw Elisha, he knew that he was the man God wished him to take for a servant. So Elijah threw his coat on Elisha as he went by. Then Elisha ran after Elijah and said: “Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and mother and then I will follow thee.” He killed a yoke of oxen and made a feast. Then he said good-by to his father and mother and went away with Elijah. Afterward God took Elijah up to Heaven in a chariot of fire. Elisha was with him at the time. [Illustration: PLOUGHING IN CANAAN.] THE SHUNAMMITE’S SON. A kind Shunammite woman who liked Elisha made for him a little chamber on the wall. She made it cosey with a bed and table and stool and candlestick. Elisha used to come to this little room when he got tired. Now this good woman had a little boy whom she dearly loved, for he was her only child. One morning the little fellow was running about in the field with the reapers. All at once he felt a pain and ran to his father, crying, “My head! my head!” When the father saw his little son was not feeling well, he had him taken home to his mother. She held him in her lap till noon. Then he died. Elisha brought him back to life. [Illustration: THE SHUNAMMITE’S SON RESTORED.] THE LITTLE CAPTIVE MAID.