Moses and the Daughters of Jethro (painting circa 1660–1689 by Ciro Ferri)

What, person? You mean that little baby Moses that got put in a basket and put in the reeds in the Nile River has grown up already? He became the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. Is he going to be an Egyptian king?

No? What happened?

Oh no! My person says one day Moses went to where his own people, the Hebrews, were working at hard labor.

Moses shouldn’t do that. What if someone makes him do hard labor?

Okay, I’ll listen.

Moses saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew. He looked around and didn’t see anyone watching and he killed the Egyptian and buried him in the sand.

Yikes! It turns out that someone did see Moses kill that Egyptian and word got around. When Pharaoh heard about it he wanted to kill Moses.

That’s nothing new. That mean old Pharaoh wanted to kill Moses when he was a baby too. Did Moses give him what for?

He didn’t? My person says Moses ran away and went to Midian where he sat down by a well.

At least Moses could get a drink of water. It wasn’t an empty well, was it?

Yes person, I am listening.

Seven daughters of a priest came to the well to draw water to water their father’s flock, but some shepherds came and chased them away. Moses came to the girls’ rescue and watered their flock for them.

The girls’ father was surprised to see them home so early, and when they told him what happened he asked why they’d left Moses and told them to invite him to have something to eat.

Oh, good. I bet Moses was really hungry. Now I’m getting hungry.

Okay, I’ll listen. But could you give me some treats?

Moses agreed to stay with the priest and he married one of the priest’s daughters and had a son.

Wow, Moses has all the luck. I bet he doesn’t even bother giving that mean old Pharaoh what for.

Hey person, can I have my treats now?