So God put Jo-nah to shame, and made him see what a sin it was to wish to crush Nin-e-veh just to please his own self and for fear men would laugh at him. And Jo-nah found out, what we all need to learn, that it is of no use to try to hide from God. CHAPTER XIX. DANIEL. THERE was a king of Bab-y-lon whose name was Neb-u-chad-nez-zar. And he sent one of his chief men to choose some of the young Jews who had been well brought up, that they might wait on him. The chief chose four youths whose name were Dan-i-el, Sha-drach, Me-shach and A-bed-ne-go. And these were brought to Bab-y-lon, that they might be taught as the king wished. And the Lord was with these four young men, and made them wise, and strong in mind, and fair of face. [Illustration: KING NEB-U-CHAD-NEZ-ZAR.] When they had been taught for three years they were brought to the king's house. And the king kept them near him, and made use of them, for he found that they knew ten times more than all the wise men in the whole realm. One night the king had a dream that woke him out of his sleep. And he sent for all the wise men--those who could read stars, and those who could work charms--to tell what the dream meant. And they all came, but none of them could tell the dream that had gone out of the king's own head. And no king, they said, would ask such a thing of wise men. The king was wroth at this and gave word that all the wise men should be put to death. And they sought Dan-i-el and his friends, that they might kill them. Dan-i-el said, Why is there such haste? And when he was told he went in to the king and said if he would give him time he would make his dream clear to him. In the night God showed the king's dream to Dan-i-el, and all that it meant was made clear to him. And Dan-i-el gave praise and thanks to God who had been so good to him. Then he went to the chief, and told him not to slay the wise men, but to bring him in to the king. Then Dan-i-el told the king his dream, and all that would come to pass, and when the king heard it he fell on his face be-fore Dan-i-el and said to him, It is true that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and that nought is hid from him, since thou hast told me this dream. And the king made Dan-i-el a great man, and gave him rich gifts, and put him at the head of all the wise men in the land. Now king Neb-u-chad-nez-zar made a great god out of gold, and set it on one of the plains of Bab-y-lon. [Illustration: NEB-U-CHAD-NEZ-ZAR'S DREAM.] And one of the king's men cried out with a loud voice, and said it was the king's law that all should bow down to the god of gold that he had set up. And those who did not bow down were to be thrown in-to a great hot fire and burnt up. And some men brought word to the king that the three Jews would not serve his gods, or bow down to this one of gold which he had set up.