1Every evening, when the sun melted into orange and the palace rooftops glowed warm, Daniel knelt by his window, folded his hands, and prayed. He had done it all his life, and nothing — not even a new, unfair law — would make him stop.
2The king's officials had whispered and plotted. They wrote a rule that said no one in all the land could pray to anyone but the king for thirty days. They knew Daniel would never obey. And he didn't. He knelt, just as always, and prayed quietly toward the open sky.
3That evening, Daniel was led to the den of lions. The entrance was a wide, dark mouth in the stone hillside. Soldiers rolled a great rock across the opening, and the night swallowed Daniel whole.
4Inside, it was cool and smelled of dry earth and warm fur. Daniel's eyes slowly found the shadows.
5One lion, broad-shouldered with a soft tawny mane, lifted his amber eyes and looked at Daniel for a long, still moment.
6Daniel did not run. He pressed his hands together and prayed, just as he always did, softly and steadily, the way a river keeps flowing even in the dark.
7Daniel sat down gently among them. The big lion's mane was warm against his robe.
8Overhead, through a crack in the rock, a single star was visible. Daniel watched it until his own eyes grew heavy.
9When the first grey light of morning crept into the den, the big lion raised his head. Then Daniel heard it: a voice outside, trembling and hopeful, calling his name. The great rock groaned and rolled away. Cool morning air poured in, and golden light stretched across the floor of the den.
10Daniel stood up slowly. His robe was clean. His hands were steady. He walked toward the light, and the big lion watched him go with calm amber eyes — blinking once, quietly, as the morning opened wide.
