STORIES FROM THE BIBLE---3-3

                                   

                                           NOAH AND THE ARK--3.

 

   And Noah did what God told him to do, although it must have seemed very strange to all the people around, to build this great ark where there was no water for it to sail upon. And it was a long time that Noah and his sons were at work building the ark, which God had told them to build, while the wicked people around wondered, and no doubt laughed at Noah for building a great ship where there was no sea.

 

   At last the ark was finished, and stood like a great house on the land. There was a door on one side, and a window on the roof, to let in the light. Then God said to Noah:

" Come into the ark, you and your wife, and your three sons, and their wives with them ; for the flood of waters will come very soon. And take with you animals of all kinds, and birds, and things that creep; seven pairs of these that will be needed by men, and one pair of all the rest, so that all kinds of animals may be kept alive upon the earth."

 

   So Noah and his wife, and his three sonds, Shem,Ham and Japheth, with their wives, went into the ark. And God brought to the door of the ark the animals, and the birds, and the creeping things of all kinds; and they went into the ark. And Noah and his sons put them in their places, and brought in food enough to feed them all for many days. And then

the door of the ark was shut and no more people and no more animals could come in.

 

   In a few days the rain bigan to fall, as it had never rained before. It seemed as though the heavens were opened to pour great floods upon the earth. The streams filled, and the river rose higher and higher, and the ark bigan to float on the water. The people left there houses and ran up to the hills; but soon the hills were covered, and all the people on them were drowned.

 

   Some had climbed up to the top of higher mountains, but the water rose higher and higher, till even the mountains were covered and all the people, wicked as they had been, were drowned in the great sea that now rolled over all the earth where man had lived. And all the animals, the tame animals, cattle, and sheep, and the oxen, were drowned; and the wild animals, lions, and tigers, and the all the rest were drowned also. Even the birds were drowned, for their nests in the trees were swept away, there was no place where they could fly from the terrible storm. For forty days and nights the rain kept on, until there was no breath of life remaining outside of the ark.