Page:Great thoughts for little thinkers.djvu/186

166 Prince Jonathan, tried to get his father to treat David kindly; for, as the writer of the story says, Jonathan loved David "as he loved his own soul."

But Saul became angry at Jonathan also, and threw his spear at his own son. So Jonathan knew that Saul really meant to kill David, and he sadly left the king's house and went out into a field where David was hiding, and told him. They knew then that they must part, perhaps forever, and bursting into tears, the two friends kissed each other many times and said a sad good-bye. Jonathan went back to his father, and David fled from his own land and people, and lived with another king far away.

For a long time David lived the life of a soldier, fighting sometimes against the Philistines, and sometimes against Saul and his men who were trying to find him and kill him.

David and the men who followed him once went into a large, dark cave, and were hidden at the farther end of it, when they saw Saul enter and lie down to sleep. If David had wished to kill him, then would have been the time; but instead of killing his enemy, as he might easily have done, David quietly cut off a large piece of Saul's robe, and when Saul had awakened and gone out, David went after him and called, "My lord, the king." The king turned and looked and saw the very man for whom he was searching.

When Saul heard how respectfully and kindly he