nd Christian, because of the burden
that was on his back, began to sink in the mire. Then said Pliable,
"Ah, Neighbor Christian, where are you now?"

"Truly," said Christian, "I do not know."

At this Pliable began to be offended, and said angrily, "Is this the
happiness you have told me of all this while? If I get out again with
my life, you shall possess the wonderful country alone."

And with that he gave a desperate struggle or two, and got out of the
mire on that side of the bog which was next to his own house. So away
he went, and Christian saw him no more. Wherefore Christian was left
to tumble in the Slough of Despond alone. But still he tried to
struggle to that side of the Slough that was further from his own
house, and next to the Wicket-gate. But he could not get out because
of the burden that was upon his back.

And I beheld in my dream that a man came to him, whose name was Help,
and asked him what he did there. "Sir," said Christian, "I was bid to
go this way by a man called Evangelist, who directed me also to yonder
gate, and as I was going thither I fell in here."

"Why did you not look for the steps?" said Help.

"I was so full of fear," answered Christian, "that I fled the next way
and fell in."

Then said Help, "Give me thy hand." So Christian gave him his hand,
and he drew him out and set him upon sound ground, and bid him go on
his way.

Now in my dream I stepped up to the man that plucked Christian out,
and said:

"Sir, wherefore, since over this place is the way from the City of
Destruction to the Wicket-gate, is it that this Slough is not mended,
that poor travelers might go over in more safety?"

And he said to me, "This place cannot be mended, yet it is not the
pleasure of the King that it should remain so bad. His laborers also
have for more than sixteen hundred years been employed on this patch
of ground, in the hope that it might perhaps be mended. There has
been swallowed up here twenty thousand cartloads of the best material
in the attempt to mend the place. But it is the Slough of Despond
still; and still will be so, when they have done all they can. It is
true that there are some good and strong steps even through the very
midst of this mire. But men through the dizziness of their head miss
the steps and so tumble into the mire, but the ground is good when
they have once got in at the gate."

Then I saw in my dream that by this time Pliable was got home to his
house. So h