The Writing on the Wall

OJi

The Writing On TkE W^ll Leon Garfield & Michael Bragg

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The Writing On The Wvll &

Leon Garfield

Michael Bragg Samuel

is

small by an) standard. So short, the

dishes he carries appear to have legs of their

own, and

so insignificant, a

tor Belshazzar, the

mere kitchen-hoy

King, he measures his worth

along with his only friend, a tattered

cat

named

Mordecai.

One

night, while the rich

and mighty are

something happens that stuns and silences even the great King himself Samuel, his head concealed feasting at Belshazzar's court,

behind

a

huge mound

of strawberries,

grateful tor the peace, tor

moment

tor

now

Mordecai. Filling

is

he can steal a

a

holy golden

bowl from Belshazzar's table with cream from jug, Samuel is unaware of the

a hol\ silver

magnificence and mystery that surround the writing on Belshazzar's wall.

Leon Garfield and Michael Bragg, who collaborated so successfully on King Nimrocts .

the Biblical account of The

Tower

of

Babel, here present another highly original, deeply personal interpretation, this one based

upon the

fifth

Daniel

a tale of

—

The Book of weights and measures,

chapter from

need and greed that as

is

as

meaningful today

ever before.

Lothrop,

i

Shepard Books

i

I

Duff

3 0209

Jbrary

00008 0573

DUFFY ELEMENTARY LIBRARY

224 Ga

Garfielc 1, Leon THE WRITINC

\

ON THE WALL

DATE DUE SFP ? *

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Writing On Hie

Wvll

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Text copyright

C 1983 b\

Illustrations cop\ right

First

b\

published

in

Leon Garfield

© 1983b)

Great Britain

in

Library of Congress Cataloging Garfield, Leon.

The writing on the

1083

Methuen Children's Books Ltd

wall.

Summary Samuel, a :

kitchen-boy

Belsha//ar, the King, and his guests All rights reserved.

reproduced or

No pan

of this book ma> be

any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrie\al utilized in

system, without permission

in

writing from

the Publisher. Inquiries should be addressed to

Lee& Shepard Books, a division of \\ illiam Morrow & Company, Inc., 105 Madison Avenue, New York. New York 10016.

Lothrop,

Printed in Great Britain.

IS. Edition 12345678910

First

Publication Data

in

Michael Hragg

during which

God delivers a message

is

interpreted by Judge Daniel.

2.

Belshazzar

1.

Daniel, the Prophet

Belshazzar.

Michael.

1 1.

[ 1

Babylon, serves

to

Belshazzar which

3.

Biblestories,

Daniel, the Prophet

Bible stories

3.

in

the feast

Juvenile literature.

Juvenile literature.

English— O. T. Daniel. 2.

at

— O. T]

I.

Bragg,

Title.

BS580.D2G37

ISBN 0-688-02

1083 1

12-3

224.509505

82-24938

The Writing On The

Wall Leon Garfield &

V

Michael Bragg

A

LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD BOOKS

NEW YORK

LIBRA?

\ OIST TUCSON UNIFIED SCHOOL

\

m

1

TUCSON, AZ 85717

f

:

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Just as

Sam

is

short for

Samuel was short

When

Samu

for a boy.

he fetched the dishes

Very in, all

could see was roast goose and

he took the dishes out,

were dirty plates and

all

legs.

legs.

you

When

you could see

The most you

ever saw of his other end was a tuft of hair sticking

up over the top of sprouts

dumplings,

He was

like a sprig

a nothing, a

or

of black parsley.

nobody; he was

a

kitchen-boy in Babylon, and he was

rushed off his

feet.

V

I

JL

Z;^5**L

rr'

JF2K

"Hey there, name is! Over "Hey there,

roast potatoes, or whatever your

here!" hard-boiled eggs, or whatever your

» *

t

It

ir +

is!

Over here!"

was Friday night and Belshazzar, the King,

was giving

U

'

face

a feast. All the rich

and mighty of

t

Babylon had come dukes and duchesses, :

generals and admirals, lawyers and bankers and

'

their wives sat

and guzzled

cheek by costly cheek, and swigged

to the greater glory of Belshazzar, the

King. 4-

"Hey mother

there, pickled herrings, or calls

you! Over here!"

whatever your

V

M

Even the gods of Babylon had been summoned attend.

They

arrived in carts and on the tops of

wagons ugly great :

to

idols covered

rubies, like high-class measles.

all

over with pearls and !^

• •

• •

;