The Children's Hour, v 5. Stories From Seven Old FavoritesTappan, Eva March
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The Children's Hour, v 5. Stories From Seven Old Favorites
Tappan, Eva March
Children's stories; Literature -- Adaptations
_Hope._ My Brother, said he, rememberest thou not how valiant thou
hast been heretofore? _Apollyon_ could not crush thee, nor could all
that thou didst hear, or see, or feel in the Valley of the _Shadow of
Death_. What hardship, terror, and amazement hast thou already gone
through, and art thou now nothing but fear? Thou seest that I am in
the Dungeon with thee, a far weaker man by nature than thou art; also
this Giant has wounded me as well as thee, and hath also cut off the
Bread and Water from my mouth; and with thee I mourn without the
light. But let's exercise a little more patience; remember how thou
played'st the man at _Vanity Fair_, and wast neither afraid of the
Chain, nor Cage, nor yet of bloody Death: wherefore let us (at least
to avoid the shame, that becomes not a Christian to be found in) bear
up with patience as well as we can.
Now night being come again, and the Giant and his Wife being in bed,
she asked him concerning the Prisoners, and if they had taken his
counsel. To which he replied, They are sturdy Rogues, they chuse
rather to bear all hardship, than to make away themselves. Then said
she, Take them into the Castle-yard to-morrow, and shew them the Bones
and Skulls of those that thou hast already dispatch'd, and make them
believe, e're a week comes to an end, thou also wilt tear them in
pieces, as thou hast done their fellows before them.
So when the morning was come, the Giant goes to them again, and takes
them into the Castle-yard and shews them as his Wife had bidden him.
These, said he, were Pilgrims as you are, once, and they trespassed in
my grounds, as you have done; and when I thought fit I tore them in
pieces, and so within ten days I will do you. Go get you down to your
Den again; and with that he beat them all the way thither. They lay
therefore all day on _Saturday_ in a lamentable case, as before. Now
when night was come, and when Mrs. _Diffidence_ and her Husband the
Giant were got to bed, they began to renew their discourse of their
Prisoners; and withal the old Giant wondered, that he could neither by
his blows nor counsel bring them to an end. And with that his Wife
replied, I fear, said she, that they live in hope that some will come
to relieve them, or that they have pick-locks about them, by the means
of which they hope to escape. And sayest thou so, my dear? said the
Giant, I will therefore search them in the morning.
Well on _Saturday_ about midnight they began to pray, and continued in
Prayer till almost break of day.
Now a little before it was day, good _Christian_, as one half amazed,
brake out in 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's good
news; good Brother, pluck it out of thy bosom and try.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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