XXXV UNDER THE KING’S DISPLEASURE

FTER David killed the giant, he kept the sheep no longer. He lived at the court with the king, and became a soldier. Saul made him a general of the army, and everybody praised him. When the Philistines came again, David led the men of war to battle, and when they came back in victory the women came out to greet them at the gate of every city as they passed, dancing and playing on instruments of music, and singing,—

But that displeased Saul, and in his displeasure his old malady returned. And now his insanity began to take a dangerous form. One day when his madness was upon him, and David was playing on the harp to quiet him, the king said to himself, “I will kill David!” And his spear was in his hand, and as David played he threw it at him. But he missed his aim.

Now the king had promised that whoever killed the giant should have not only a reward in gold, but the hand

DAVID ESCAPES BY THE WINDOW

of the princess. But there were two princesses, Merab and Michal. Saul had intended to give David the hand of Merab, but already Michal had given him her heart. While David was only a shepherd and a minstrel, the young princess, listening to his music, had fallen in love with him. And David, as he played, had played to her.

So the mad king made a plot. “Very well,” he said, “you shall have Michal, but first you must bring me as a dowry the heads of a hundred Philistines.” For he thought that in the battle, David would be killed. But David went out into the enemy’s country, and when he came back he brought two hundred Philistine heads. So he married the princess, amidst great rejoicing.

But hardly had the wedding guests gone home when the king made another plot. He determined to send men to seize his son-in-law and kill him. But Michal heard of it. And that night, as she looked out of her window, the princess saw in the dim light the forms of men moving about among the trees. And she said to her husband, “David, you must save your life this very night; to-morrow will be too late.” And she took a stout rope and let it down out of a back window, and when nobody was looking David climbed down and ran away.

Then Michal took a wooden image which stood in a corner of the best room and carried it to David’s bed. She laid a pillow of goat’s hair under its head, and tucked in the bedclothes about its chin, and in the dark it looked like David. Pretty soon there came a loud knocking at the street door.

“Who is there?” said Michal.

A man’s voice answered, “We are come from the king with a message for David.”

“Well,” said Michal, “you can’t see him to-night; he has gone to bed sick.”

So the men went back to Saul, and the delay was long enough to enable David to get out of the city, where the king could not find him.

Then the men returned and knocked again, louder than before.

“Who is there?” said Michal.

And a man’s voice answered, “Sick or well, we must see David.” And the man and his companions had daggers in their hands.

“Come in, then,” said Michal, “and I will take you to his room.”

And when they came into David’s room and saw David, as they supposed, lying in the bed asleep, they drew their daggers with one accord and stabbed him with all their might. And the daggers stuck in the wooden image!

Now David had another friend at court beside his wife the princess, and that was his wife’s brother, Jonathan. Jonathan loved David as his own soul. Indeed, Jonathan had given David his own royal robe, and his sword and his bow, and had said, “After my father is dead, you shall be king and not I.”

So David sent word to Jonathan, and said, “Find out how serious this is. Is it only your father’s madness getting worse, or does he really intend to take my life?”

And they made this plan. The next day there was to be a great dinner at the king’s house, and David’s place would be empty. And Saul would notice the empty place, and Jonathan would listen to hear what he would say, and would let David know.

And Jonathan said, “The day after to-morrow I will go out into the field with my bow, as if I meant to shoot at a mark. And you be hiding. I will shoot five arrows and send the boy to fetch them. If I say, ‘Here, boy, the arrows are on this side,’ then you may know that all is well. But if I say, ‘Go farther, the arrows are beyond you,’ then flee for your life. But promise me now, David, that when you come, as you surely will, to be prosperous and great, you will be good to me and to my children.” And David promised.

So at the feast, the place was empty. And Saul said, “Where is David?” and Jonathan said, “He has gone to Bethlehem.” And Saul rose up in fierce anger and took his spear and tried to kill his son.

Then the next day, Jonathan went out with his bow and shot five arrows, and as the boy went to pick them up, he called, “Go farther, the arrows are beyond you.” And David knew that there was but a step between him and death. And Jonathan sent the boy home and found David, and they both wept bitterly. Then Jonathan returned to his father’s house, and David fled as fast as he could go into the wilderness.