I know that Peter thanked God for his kindness. Peter did not stay all night in the street. He went to the house of a good woman whom he knew, and he knocked at the door. Were the people in the house asleep? No, they were all awake, though it was night. Why were they not in bed? This good woman had heard how the king would kill Peter to-morrow; so she and her friends were praying for Peter, and while they were praying they heard a knock: it was a strange thing to hear a knock in the night; but they never guessed who it was. A maid named Rhoda went to the door, but she was afraid to open it, lest it should be some of the wicked people come to kill the poor woman and her friends; so she stopped at the door without opening it, to hear who it was: but when she heard Peter speak, how much pleased she was! she knew his voice. She did not say, Are you Peter? She was sure it was Peter. She was so much surprised that she forgot to open the door; but ran back to her mistress and the rest of the disciples, and said, Peter is standing before the gate; but they said, No, it cannot be Peter; he is shut up in prison. The maid said, It is Peter; I am sure it is. While they were talking, Peter was standing outside, and he went on knocking, because nobody opened the door. Soon his friends ran and opened the door, and when they saw Peter they were quite surprised. How did you get out of prison? they said. Then Peter made a sign with his hand to make them all quiet, that he might tell them how he got out of prison. God sent an angel, said Peter, who brought me out of the prison. Go and tell all my friends what has happened, for I must go away. So Peter went and hid himself in a place where the wicked king could not find him. What do you think the soldiers said when they could not find Peter in the morning? They were much frightened: they saw his chains, but not Peter. They found the gates locked; they could not think how Peter got out of prison. So the king sent for Peter. This was the day when Peter was to be killed. All the wicked people in Jerusalem were expecting to see him. The king’s servants said, Where is Peter? Bring him out. The soldiers answered, We cannot tell where Peter is: he is gone. The servants went and told the king that Peter was not in prison. The king was very angry; he said, Bring the soldiers to me. They must have fallen asleep. When the soldiers came, they could not tell the king how Peter had got away. For God had made them sleep when the angel fetched Peter. The king was in a great rage, and said, The soldiers must be killed. What a wicked king this was! He loved to do wickedness. He was very proud, and hated God and God’s people. He fell into passions, and only cared to please himself. At last God sent an angel to kill him, and worms ate up his flesh until he died. God sends angels to punish the wicked, and to help people who love him as Peter did.