Page:Legends of Old Testament Characters.djvu/287

XXXII.] Moses raised his staff, and their chains brake, and they followed him, barking like dogs, into the house.

When Moses and Aaron stood before the king, Aaron cast down the rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent, which opened its jaws, and it laid one jaw beneath the throne, and its upper jaw was over the canopy above it; then the servants fled from before it, and Pharaoh hid himself beneath his throne, and the fear it caused him gave him bowel-complaint for a week. Now before this Pharaoh was only moved once a week, and this was the occasion of his being lifted up with pride, and giving himself out to be a god.

Pharaoh cried out from under the throne, "O Moses, take hold of the serpent, and I will do what you desire."

Moses took hold of the serpent, and it became a rod in his hands. Then Pharaoh crawled out from under his throne, and sat down upon it. And Moses put his hand into his bosom, and when he drew it forth, it shone like the moon.

The king sent for his magicians, and the chief of these were Jannes and Jambres. He told them what Moses had done.

They said, "We can turn a thousand rods into serpents."

Then the king named a day when Moses and Aaron on one side should strive with Jannes and Jambres and all the magicians on the other; and he gave them a month to prepare for the contest.

On the day appointed—it was Pharaoh's birthday—all the inhabitants of Memphis were assembled in a great plain outside the city, where lists were staked out, and the royal tent was spread for the king to view the contest.

Moses and Aaron stood on one side and the magicians on the other.

The latter said, "Shall we cast our rods, or will you?"

Moses answered, "Do you cast your rods first."

Then the magicians threw down a hundred ass-loads of rods, tied the rods together with cords, and by their enchantment caused them to appear to the spectators like serpents, leaping and darting from one side of the arena to the other.