This is a little excerpt from “The Pilgrims Progress”, if you have never read it this will give you a taste of this great classic. Which was, by the way, required reading in public schools until the fifties.
“Now there was, not far from where they (Christian and Hopeful) lay, a castle, called Doubting Castle, the owner whereof was Giant Despair, and it was in his grounds they were now sleeping; wherefore he, getting up in the morning early and walking up and down in his fields, caught Christian and Hopeful asleep in his grounds. Then with a grim and surly voice he bid them awake and asked them whence they were, and what they did in his grounds. They told him they were pilgrims and that they had lost their way.
Then said the giant, “You have this night trespassed on me by trampling and lying on my grounds, and therefore you must go along with me.”
So they were forced to go, because he was stronger than they. They had also but little to say, for they knew themselves in a fault. The giant, therefore, drove them before him, and put them into his castle, into a very dark dungeon, nasty and stinking to the spirits of these two men. Here then they lay from Wednesday morning until Saturday night, with out one bit of bread or drop of drink, or light.
Well, on Saturday, about midnight, they began to pray, and continued in prayer till almost the break of day. Now, a little before it was day, good Christian, as one half amazed, brake out into this passionate speech: “What a fool,” quoth he, “am I, thus to lie in a stinking dungeon when I may as well walk at liberty! I have a key in my bosom called Promise that will I am persuaded open any lock in Doubting Castle.”
Then said Hopeful, “That is good news: good brother, pluck it out of thy bosom and try.”
Then Christian pulled it out of his bosom and began to try at the dungeon door, whose bolt as he turned the key gave back, and the door flew open with ease, and Christian and Hopeful both came out. Then he went to the outward door that leads into the castle yard, and with his key opened that door also. After that he went to the iron gate, for that must be opened two; but that lock went desperately hard, yet the key did open it. They then thrust open the gate to make their escape with speed; but that gate, as it opened, made such a creaking that it waked Giant Despair, who hastily rising to pursue his prisoners, felt his limbs to fail; for his fits took him again, so that he could by no means go after them. Then they went on, and came to the King’s highway.”
John Bunyan -- Photo by arjun das - Ray of Hope.
“Now there was, not far from where they (Christian and Hopeful) lay, a castle, called Doubting Castle, the owner whereof was Giant Despair, and it was in his grounds they were now sleeping; wherefore he, getting up in the morning early and walking up and down in his fields, caught Christian and Hopeful asleep in his grounds. Then with a grim and surly voice he bid them awake and asked them whence they were, and what they did in his grounds. They told him they were pilgrims and that they had lost their way.
Then said the giant, “You have this night trespassed on me by trampling and lying on my grounds, and therefore you must go along with me.”
So they were forced to go, because he was stronger than they. They had also but little to say, for they knew themselves in a fault. The giant, therefore, drove them before him, and put them into his castle, into a very dark dungeon, nasty and stinking to the spirits of these two men. Here then they lay from Wednesday morning until Saturday night, with out one bit of bread or drop of drink, or light.
Well, on Saturday, about midnight, they began to pray, and continued in prayer till almost the break of day. Now, a little before it was day, good Christian, as one half amazed, brake out into this passionate speech: “What a fool,” quoth he, “am I, thus to lie in a stinking dungeon when I may as well walk at liberty! I have a key in my bosom called Promise that will I am persuaded open any lock in Doubting Castle.”
Then said Hopeful, “That is good news: good brother, pluck it out of thy bosom and try.”
Then Christian pulled it out of his bosom and began to try at the dungeon door, whose bolt as he turned the key gave back, and the door flew open with ease, and Christian and Hopeful both came out. Then he went to the outward door that leads into the castle yard, and with his key opened that door also. After that he went to the iron gate, for that must be opened two; but that lock went desperately hard, yet the key did open it. They then thrust open the gate to make their escape with speed; but that gate, as it opened, made such a creaking that it waked Giant Despair, who hastily rising to pursue his prisoners, felt his limbs to fail; for his fits took him again, so that he could by no means go after them. Then they went on, and came to the King’s highway.”
John Bunyan -- Photo by arjun das - Ray of Hope.
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