If you read the title-page of this book-a thing which young persons very seldom do-you will see that it (the book) contains stories taken "out of some of the less-known apocryphal books of the Old Testament." You will very possibly not understand what that means; but if you will read this preface-another thing which young persons do even seldomer than they read a title-page-you will find the best explanation that I can give.