“Esther, the Lovely Queen,” Friend, July 1972, 32–33
Esther, the Lovely Queen
The missing words in the following story will complete the accompanying crossword puzzle. (Read Esth. 1–10)
Ahasuerus, king of (22 down) and Media, planned to (47 across) a new queen. All of the (9 down) young (14 down) who lived in the (36 across) were to be (12 down) and taken before the (8 across).
Among the fairest of the (21 down) maidens was (34 down), a niece of Mordecai, a Jewish (30 down) who was living in the land at that time.
When King (27 across) saw Esther, he (16 down) she was so lovely that he immediately (40 down) her to be his (10 across).
One day Haman, the chief (35 across), who was a (13 across) and haughty man, asked the king for a (42 down) that would cause the people to bow to Haman as he (38 across) by. The king granted (46 across) for this request.
It was (26 across) Jewish law for (44 down) to do this, so Haman (50 across) to the king that the Jewish people had (33 across) the law and were (31 down) the king’s overthrow. He (6 across) the king’s permission to (43 down) Mordecai and his (37 down).
Mordecai asked Esther to (17 down) with the king to (39 across) this decree and (29 across) her people. No one, not (4 down) the queen, was ever (5 across) to appear (2 down) the king (7 down). If they did, (1 down) could be put to death (11 down) the king held out his sceptre to them.
Queen Esther (41 down) Mordecai and the Jews to (23 down) and pray for her so that she (15 across) be successful. When Esther approached King Ahasuerus, he was not (24 down), but told her she (45 down) have anything she (48 across). Esther asked that the king and Haman come to a (25 across) where she planned to plead for her people. (28 across) this and other ways, she (18 across) exposed the (20 across) Haman, and he met the (49 down) fate he had (19 down) for the (3 down) Jewish subjects of the (32 down.)
Illustrated by Phyllis Luch