And on the shore the Children of Israel sang a song of praise and thanksgiving. Moses led the voices of the men, and Miriam and all the women, with timbrels in their hands, joined in the chorus. “Sing ye to the Lord,” they sang, “for He hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea.” Thus God overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea, and the Children of Israel were saved from their enemies. XII THE GOLDEN CALF After the great adventure of the Red Sea, the Children of Israel started on their way to the Mountain of the Burning Bush. They had never been away from home before, and they did not know how to behave. So when they were uncomfortable, as people are likely to be on a long journey, instead of taking it cheerfully, they complained and cried. One time, they were very thirsty, and there was no water. And they all said, “Oh, that we had stayed in Egypt, where there was plenty of water!” And they said to Moses, “Why did you not let us alone? You have brought us into this desert to kill us with thirst.” But Moses found a spring of water coming out of a great rock, and gave them to drink. Another time, they were very hungry, and there was nothing to eat. And they cried out against Moses, and said, “Oh, that we had stayed in Egypt, by the fleshpots! You have brought us into this desert to kill us with hunger!” But Moses said, “Be patient. God is taking care of you. He will feed you.” And when they waked up the next morning, the ground was covered with something which looked like frost. And they gathered it, and ground it, and baked it, and it was very nice to eat. And the name of it was manna. So they ate the manna, and they liked it so much that they said it was good enough even for angels. But as day after day passed and there was manna for breakfast, and manna for dinner, and manna for supper, and nothing else, they came to hate the sight of it. Again they wished that they were back in Egypt. “When we were in Egypt,” they said, “we had fish to eat, and cucumbers to eat with it, and melons and leeks and onions and garlic. Now we have nothing but manna.” So they went on their way complaining, and Moses had a very hard time with them. But at last they came to the mountain where they were to meet God. And there they pitched their tents, and put out their flocks and herds to pasture. And on the morning of the third day, there was a great storm of thunder and lightning, and the mountain, which was called Sinai, was covered with black clouds, and smoked like a volcano, and out of the smoke and cloud came a sound like the blowing of a mighty wind, and like the rolling of thunder, and like the voice of a loud trumpet. And the Children of Israel were exceedingly afraid. But Moses said, “I am going to climb the mountain. I am going up into the cloud and smoke and thunder. God told me that He would speak to us in this place. I am going up to meet Him.” And he took with him a young man named Joshua.