Then came the terrible famine. No grain grew in the fields. But Joseph was ready. The people came to him and bought grain to keep them from starving. All this time Joseph's father thought he was dead and he never ceased to mourn for his boy. By and by the famine reached the land where Joseph's father lived and he sent his sons down to Egypt to buy food, but of course they did not know that the ruler of Egypt was Joseph. Ten of Jacob's sons, each with his donkey, went to Egypt, but the youngest boy, Benjamin, Jacob kept at home. When they came to the palace where Joseph lived, he knew at once that they were his {186} brothers, but they did not know him. At first Joseph treated them roughly. He said they were spies. But they told him they were all brothers who lived in the land of Canaan and their youngest brother and their father they had left at home. Joseph still seemed to be very angry and put them in prison for three days. Then he let them out and told them to go home, all but Simeon, whom he would keep as a hostage, and bring back their youngest brother, and then he would believe that they spoke the truth. They started back, each with his donkey loaded with grain. When they stopped at an inn they found that the money which they had paid for the grain was in the top of each sack. They reached home at last and told their father all that had happened. The story made the old man very sad. He would not let them go back to Egypt. He said that he had lost two sons, Joseph and Simeon, and he could not let Benjamin, whom he loved next to Joseph, go with them. {187}{188} [Illustration] AN EASTERN HOUSE From a photograph taken by Mrs. Louise Seymour Houghton, and used by her kind permission. This house is made of mud--that is, sun-dried clay, with a roof of thatch, and shows how houses were made and looked in Bible times. The children of the village have come to have their eyes treated by the doctor. Many of the children in the hot countries of the East have trouble with their eyes, and blindness. The little village of mud houses where this was taken is on the site of the ancient Ashdod, one of the five powerful cities of the Philistines. [End illustration] {189} But the famine kept on. They had nothing to eat and at last Jacob was forced to let them go. They promised to take the best of care of Benjamin and started on their journey. When they reached Egypt Joseph was more kind. He asked them how they were and said, "Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spoke? Is he yet alive?" And they answered, "Thy servant, our father, is yet alive. He is in good health." Then he saw Benjamin and said, "Is this your younger brother of whom ye spoke unto me?" And he said, "God be gracious unto thee, my son."