[Illustration:  Back to the Land of Canaan]

Of all his children, Jacob loved Joseph the best, because he was Rachel’s child; because he was so much younger than most of his brothers; and because he was good, and faithful, and thoughtful.  Jacob gave to Joseph a robe or coat of bright colors, made somewhat like a long cloak with wide sleeves.  This was a special mark of Jacob’s favor to Joseph, and it made his older brothers envious of him.

Then, too, Joseph did what was right, while his older brothers often did very wrong acts, of which Joseph sometimes told their father; and this made them very angry at Joseph.  But they hated him still more because of two strange dreams he had, and of which he told them.  He said one day:  “Listen to this dream that I have dreamed.  I dreamed that we were out in the field binding sheaves, when suddenly my sheaf stood up, and all your sheaves came around it and bowed down to my sheaf!”

And they said scornfully, “Do you suppose that the dream means that you will some time rule over us, and that we shall bow down to you?”

Then, a few days after, Joseph said, “I have dreamed again.  This time, I saw in my dream the sun, and the moon, and eleven stars, all come and bow to me!”

And his father said to him, “I do not like you to dream such dreams.  Shall I, and your mother, and your brothers, come and bow down before you as if you were a king?”

His brothers hated Joseph, and would not speak kindly to him; but his father thought much of what Joseph had said.

At one time, Joseph’s ten brothers were taking care of the flock in the fields near Shechem, which was nearly fifty miles from Hebron, where Jacob’s tents were spread.  And Jacob wished to send a message to his sons, and he called Joseph, and said to him: 

“Your brothers are near Shechem with the flock.  I wish that you would go to them, and take a message, and find if they are well, and if the flocks are doing well; and bring me word from them.”

That was quite an errand, for a boy to go alone over the country, and find his way, for fifty miles, and then walk home again.  But Joseph was a boy who could take care of himself, and could be trusted; so he went forth on his journey, walking northward over the mountains, past Bethlehem, and Jerusalem, and Bethel—­though we are not sure those cities were then built, except Jerusalem, which was already a strong city.

When Joseph reached Shechem, he could not find his brothers, for they had taken their flocks to another place.  A man met Joseph wandering in the field, and asked him, “Whom are you seeking?”

Joseph said, “I am looking for my brothers; the sons of Jacob.  Can you tell me where I will find them?”

And the man said, “They are at Dothan; for I heard them say that they were going there.”

Then Joseph walked over the hills to Dothan, which was fifteen miles further.  And his brothers saw him afar off coming toward them.  They knew him by his bright garment; and one said to another:  “Look, that dreamer is coming!  Come, let us kill him, and throw his body into a pit, and tell his father that some wild beast has eaten him; and then we will see what becomes of his dreams.”