{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_56270/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_56270","id":"gutenberg_56270","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/56270","summary":null,"tags":["Animals -- Juvenile fiction","Category: Children & Young Adult Reading","Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Deluge -- Juvenile fiction","Noah's ark -- Juvenile fiction"],"text":"THE STORY OF NOAH\u2019S ARK\n\n                  TOLD AND PICTURED BY E. BOYD SMITH\n\n                       HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY\n\n                          BOSTON AND NEW YORK\n\n                            [Illustration]\n\n\n                   COPYRIGHT, 1905, by E. BOYD SMITH\n\n                          ALL RIGHTS RESERVED\n\n                        PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 1905\n\n                            [Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n                        LIST OF COLORED PLATES\n\n\nPLATE\n\n    1. THE WARNING\n\n    2. BUILDING THE ARK\n\n    3. LABOR TROUBLES\n\n    4. PAINTING THE ARK\n\n  5-6. ASSEMBLING THE ANIMALS\n\n    7. GOING ON BOARD\n\n    8. CONFUSION\n\n 9-10. THE PROCESSION\n\n   11. THE DINOSAURS\u2019 DILEMMA\n\n   12. THOSE WHO WOULD NOT\n        GO IN\n\n   13. TAKING IN SUPPLIES\n\n   14. WAITING FOR THE RAIN\n\n   15. THE RAIN\n\n   16. THE DELUGE\n\n   17. INSIDE THE ARK\n\n   18. LIFE AT SEA\n\n   19. HOMESICKNESS\n\n   20. STRAINED RELATIONS\n\n   21. THE RAVEN IS SENT OUT\n\n   22. RETURN OF THE DOVE\n\n   23. FIRST SIGHT OF LAND\n\n   24. LEAVING THE ARK\n\n25-26. THE RAINBOW\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n                        THE STORY OF NOAH\u2019S ARK\n\n\n\n\n1. THE WARNING\n\n\nIn the early days of the world lived the patriarch Noah, a good and\nvenerable man whose years already numbered six hundred.\n\nNow Noah was warned that a great flood was to come, which would pour\ndown from the clouds and drown the whole earth. He straightway told his\nneighbors what was to happen, but they refused to believe, and scoffed\nat him, and said: \u201cLet it rain.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n2. BUILDING THE ARK\n\n\nThen Noah went his way, and set to work to build him a great ship, to be\nready for the day of deluge.\n\nAnd he laid the keel in the pasture fields, among the daisies; while the\nidlers came to look on and laugh at such folly--a ship for a rainy day!\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n3. LABOR TROUBLES\n\n\nBut Noah knew that he was right, and kept on.\n\nAnd the ship rose, but troubles arose too: for frequent and grievous\nstrikes delayed him, and his workmen clamored for more pay and stoned\nthose who would work.\n\nAnd Noah bargained with them, and started afresh; for he feared that the\nrain might come before he was ready.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n4. PAINTING THE ARK\n\n\nAt last, after many days, the ship was finished.\n\nThen Noah tarred the inside and the outside, to keep it tight. And he\nnamed it the Ark, and painted it with colors; for Noah was proud of his\nwork.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n5-6. ASSEMBLING THE ANIMALS\n\n\nThen Noah went abroad and called together all the animals, by twos, and\ntold them that they must come into the Ark to be saved from the deluge.\n\nBut they too doubted, and were slow to decide; for they feared to enter\nthe dark ship.\n\nAnd they grumbled, and said, \u201cIt may be but a shower.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n5-6. ASSEMBLING THE ANIMALS (_continued_)\n\n\nAnd though Noah argued with them, and explained all the terrible\npossibilities of the case, still they hesitated, and in their different\ntongues and ways talked it over, and would not be hurried.\n\nThen Noah called them Stumbling Blocks. But even this did not move\nthem.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n7. GOING ON BOARD\n\n\nAnd Noah was vexed, and left them, and began to drive his domestic\nanimals on board, hoping to set the others an example.\n\nAnd his sons--Shem, Ham, and Japheth--helped him, while he kept count.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n8. CONFUSION\n\n\nThen new troubles began. For now the other beasts and birds, fearing to\nbe left behind, all tried to get in at once, and could not be\ncontrolled.\n\nBut they did not leave behind their dislikes and ancient feuds. For how\ncould the cats and the mice live together in peace, or how could the fox\nand the geese agree? And the hounds and the hares?\n\nAnd quarrels and dissensions came into the Ark. And confusion reigned.\n\nAnd Noah lost count, and lost patience as well.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n9-10. THE PROCESSION\n\n\nBut after much trouble order was established; and the mighty procession,\nonce started, filed steadily in.\n\nAnd they came from far and near: a great host of beasts and birds and\ncreeping things:\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n9-10. THE PROCESSION (_continued_)\n\n\nThe big elephant and the polar bear, the giraffe and the striped tiger,\nand the woolly bison of the west.\n\nAnd from the mountain and the jungle, the hill and the plain, came great\nand small.\n\nAnd the earth trembled with their tread, while the sky was dark with\nflapping wings.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n11. THE DINOSAURS\u2019 DILEMMA\n\n\nAnd then came even the huge dinosaurs, for in those days were mighty\nbeasts. But they were too big for the door, and could not squeeze in.\n\nNow Noah sorely regretted this miscalculation, but could find no way to\nhelp it.\n\nAnd the dinosaurs, alas! had to be left behind.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n12. THOSE WHO WOULD NOT GO IN\n\n\nBut the mammoth and the mastodon, and the dinotherium, the pal\u00e6otherium,\nand the anoptherium, and the pterodactyl, and the arch\u00e6opteryx,--and a\nhost of other strange beasts and birds with long Latin names,--refused\nto go in at all, in spite of Noah\u2019s warnings.\n\nAll these of course were doomed to be lost, and become fossils, to be\nput in museums with stones and labels.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n13. TAKING IN SUPPLIES\n\n\nThen Noah took on board in plenty foods of every kind for men and\nbeasts. While the hungry animals inside complained that he should have\ndone this first instead of last.\n\nAnd then he took his wife and his sons\u2019 wives into the Ark, though Mrs.\nNoah was loath and rebelled: \u201cFor the domestic arrangements,\u201d she said,\n\u201care impossible.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n14. WAITING FOR THE RAIN\n\n\nAnd now, all being at last ready, the sun still shone, and the rain did\nnot come. And they waited and waited.\n\nAnd the scoffers laughed and jeered, and called to Noah that it was\ngoing to be a dry season.\n\nAnd Noah was sore perplexed, and marveled, though never doubting.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n15. THE RAIN\n\n\nBut at last the rain did come, and beat down upon the scoffers, and they\nwere wet.\n\nAnd Noah\u2019s sons and their wives triumphed. And even the animals were\npleased.\n\nBut Noah felt only sorrow for his stubborn neighbors, for he knew that\nmuch more rain would fall.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n16. THE DELUGE\n\n\nAnd then for forty days and forty nights it rained hard. And the clouds\nwere rent asunder. And a mighty deluge flooded the whole earth. And the\nwaters rose and covered the trees, and then the hills and mountains,\ntill no dry land might anywhere be seen.\n\nBut the Ark was lifted up and floated safely away on a stormy sea.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n17. INSIDE THE ARK\n\n\nNow inside the storm-tossed ship was much discomfort and grievous\ntrouble. And many even regretted that they had been saved. \u201cFor lo!\u201d\nthey said, \u201cnothing could be worse than this.\u201d\n\nAnd Noah\u2019s heart was heavy.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n18. LIFE AT SEA\n\n\nBut when the storm was passed and the good ship floated on an even keel,\nthey felt better and settled down to their new life.\n\nAnd the animals took a keen interest in the passenger list, to find\ntheir own names, as passengers always do.\n\nAnd lazy days slipped quietly by; and the stout Ark drifted slowly on\nher way.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n19. HOMESICKNESS\n\n\nBut alas, this could not last. For as the days dragged on and they found\nthemselves still shut up and afloat, they brooded and grew low in their\nminds.\n\nAnd a great homesickness, and longing for a change of any kind, came\nover them. And a wail of despair went up from the Ark. And the roof\nleaked. And all was gloom.\n\nAnd life became a burden to the Noah family.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n20. STRAINED RELATIONS\n\n\nAnd then patience and good temper deserted the Ark.\n\nAnd the animals fretted and quarreled, and there was riot and disorder,\nand furious battle.\n\nAnd Noah\u2019s task grew ever harder, and his load heavier to bear.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n21. THE RAVEN IS SENT OUT\n\n\nNow Noah became desperate, and something had to be done; so he sent off\na raven to bring tidings from the outer world.\n\nBut the raven, once free, had no thought of returning, and flew far\naway, saying to himself: \u201cNever again will I be caught in that trap.\u201d\n\nAnd Noah waited for news, but none came.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n22. RETURN OF THE DOVE\n\n\nThen, as matters grew worse. Noah sent forth a dove. \u201cShe is a gentle\nbird and will surely come again to her home,\u201d he thought. And the dove\ndid return, for she found only water, and no rest for her foot.\n\nThen Noah waited seven days and again sent her out. And she came back,\nbringing in her beak a twig from the olive tree.\n\nAnd all welcomed her with joy, for now they knew that the waters were\nfalling.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n23. FIRST SIGHT OF LAND\n\n\nThen Noah waited still another seven days, and again sent out the dove.\nBut this time she did not come back.\n\nAnd Noah climbed to his skylight, and lifted it up, and looked out.\n\nAnd behold the earth had risen from the waters, still damp, but yet\nsolid earth.\n\nAnd Noah passed along the good word. And in the Ark was great\nexcitement, and hope revived.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n24. LEAVING THE ARK\n\n\nAnd soon the good ship thumped and bumped, and struck bottom. And though\nshe landed at an uncomfortable angle, on a mountain top, they knew that\nat last the great cruise was ended.\n\nAnd Noah opened the door, and let down the gang-plank.\n\nAnd beasts and birds surged out on the desolate rock; and though the mud\nwas thick and heavy, some found it to their liking, and all preferred it\nto the ship.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n25-26. THE RAINBOW\n\n\nNow the sun again arose, and sucked up the dampness from the earth.\n\nAnd a bright rainbow was set in the sky, as a sign that nevermore would\na flood cover the whole earth.\n\nThen Spring burst forth, with all its glory and promise. And a new world\nbegan. And all was life and joy.\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n25-26. THE RAINBOW (_continued_)\n\n\nAnd Noah bade the beasts and birds go forth and seek new homes. And they\nscattered in every direction to begin life afresh; while Noah\u2019s wife\nmurmured \u201cgood riddance,\u201d and vowed that she would never go to sea\nagain.\n\nThen Noah gladly rested from his labors.\n\nAnd this is the end of the story of Noah\u2019s Ark.","title":"The Story of Noah's Ark","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":1707}