they spent their time in sighs and bitter tears.

The next night Giant Despair again talked to his wife, and she said,
"Tell your prisoners to kill themselves, for they will never escape
from the dungeon."

So when morning came, the giant went to them in a surly manner, and
seeing they still ached with the stripes he had given them, he told
them to poison themselves, for they would never get away from him in
any other way. But they asked the giant to let them go. That made him
so angry that he rushed on them and would have killed them, but he
fell into a fit and lost for a time the use of his hand, wherefore he
withdrew and left them as before. Well, towards evening the giant went
down again to the dungeon to see if his prisoners had followed his
advice and poisoned themselves. He found them alive, but because of
their wounds and for want of bread and water they could do little but
breathe.

Now at night the giant's wife said: "Take the prisoners into the
castle yard to-morrow, and show them the bones and skulls of those
prisoners you have already killed. Tell them that in a week you will
tear them to pieces, as you have torn your other prisoners."

When the morning was come, the giant went to them again and took them
into the castle yard, and showed them all his wife had bidden him.

"These," said he, "were pilgrims once as you are, but they walked 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 to you, Get you down to your
den again," and he beat them all the way there.

That night, about midnight, Christian and Hopeful began to pray, and
they prayed till dawn of day.

Now just at dawn Christian spoke in sudden amazement. "How foolish we
are to lie here, when we might be free after all. I have a key in my
pocket called Promise, that will, I am persuaded, open any lock in
Doubting Castle."

Then said Hopeful, "That is good news, pull it out of your pocket and
try."

Christian pulled it out and began to try the dungeon door, and the
bolt, as he turned the key, yielded, and the door flew open, and
Christian and Hopeful both came out. Then he went to the door that
led to the castle yard, and with his key opened that door also. After
that he went to the iron gate, for that must be opened too. That lock
was terribly hard, yet the key did open it. Then they thrust open the
gate to make their escape in haste, but, as it opened, that gate made
such a