BRAGADAYJAH 168

Once Moses knew that his secret was out, he ran and never stopped running until he was way out of the reach of the king of Egypt. But at last tired and worn and thirsty, he stopped be a well to drink water and rested himself there. And so it happened that while Moses was there, seven young girls all the daughters of the priest of Midian came to the well to water their father’s flock; but the shepherds came and tried to drive them away and to prevent them from watering their animals; but Moses rose up and stopped the shepherds from interfering with the maidens. Moses indeed must have been a most imposing figure. It would seem that this was not the first time that the shepherds would prevent the girls, driving them away, and making them wait until they the shepherds had watered their own flocks first. So that when the girls were able to return home long before the usual time, their father Reuel wanted to know how come they returned home so soon. The girls explained to their father that an Egyptian protected them from the shepherds and drew water for them so that they could water their flocks without the usual interference. Hearing this, the father wanted to see this Egyptian who had helped his daughters, and wanted to know why they did not invite him to dinner. And so the girls went out again and found Moses still at the well and bid him join their father. And so it was that Moses decided to remain with the priest and eventually he gave him one of his daughters, Zipporah by name to be his wife; and in course of time she bore him a son, whom he called Gersham, because he said, “I am a stranger in a strange land.” Eventually, however, the King of Egypt died; but the bondage and burden of the Hebrew children did not subside; and they cried continually unto their God because of their bondage. And in course of time God was touched by their cries, and he decided that he would heed their cry because of the covenants he had made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and for their sakes.