The Dramatization of Bible Stories: An experiment in the religious education of children — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
The Dramatization of Bible Stories: An experiment in the religious education of children
John Stuart Mill · en
Now when the brothers saw Joseph afar off, they knew that it
was he from his coat of many colors, and they plotted
against him. One of them said, "Behold, this dreamer cometh.
Come, now, let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and
we will say unto our father that some evil beast hath
devoured him; and we shall see what will become of his
dreams." Reuben, one of the brothers, felt more kindly
toward Joseph than did the others and said to them, "Let us
not kill him, but let us cast him into this pit that is
near." Reuben thought that he would come back later after
the brothers had gone and help Joseph out of the pit and
take him to his father.
When Joseph came to his brothers, they quickly took the coat
of many colors from him and bound him and cast him into an
old well which was dry. Then they sat down to eat bread.
They had hardly become settled when one of them cried out,
"Behold, I see a caravan! It is a company of Ishmaelites,
with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going
down to Egypt." Then Judah said, "Why do we slay our brother
and conceal his blood? Come, let us sell him to these
Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our
brother and our flesh." The brothers were content to do as
Judah had said. They drew Joseph up out of the well, and
when the Ishmaelites came near they sold him to them for
twenty pieces of silver. And the brothers went away to kill
a goat so that they might dip Joseph's coat into the blood,
that their father might think that he had been killed by
some wild animal.
Reuben did not know that Joseph had been sold, and returned
unto the pit after the brothers had left. When he saw that
Joseph was not there, he rent his clothes, and ran after the
others, crying, "The child is not, and I, whither shall I
go?"
And when the brothers brought Joseph's coat to their father,
they said, "This we have found, thou knowest if it be thy
son's coat." And Jacob knew it, and said, "It is my son's
coat; an evil beast hath devoured him." Then Jacob put on
sackcloth and ashes and mourned for Joseph many days.
Now the Ishmaelites brought Joseph down into Egypt and sold
him to Potiphar, a captain of King Pharaoh's guard. And
Joseph was faithful and served the Lord, and Potiphar saw
that he could be trusted with great responsibility and made
him ruler over his household. But Potiphar's wife grew
jealous of Joseph and disliked him, and told Potiphar things
which were untrue about Joseph. After awhile Potiphar began
to believe his wife and he decided that Joseph was not a
good man, so he had Joseph cast into prison.