o take. And a man named Evangelist came to
him, and he said to Evangelist, "Whither must I fly?"

"Do you see yonder wicket gate?" said Evangelist, pointing with his
finger over a very wide field. "Go there, and knock, and you will be
told what to do."

I saw in my dream that the man began to run, and his wife and children
cried after him to return, but the man ran on, crying, "Life! life!
eternal life!"

Two of his neighbours pursued him and overtook him. Their names were
Obstinate and Pliable.

"Come, come, friend Christian," said Obstinate. "Why are you hurrying
away in this manner from the City of Destruction, in which you were
born?"

"Because I have read in my book," replied Christian, "that it will be
consumed with fire from heaven. I pray you, good neighbours, come with
me, and seek for some way of escape."

After listening to all that Christian said, Pliable resolved to go with
him, but Obstinate returned to the City of Destruction in scorn.

"What! Leave my friends and comforts for such a brain-sick fellow as
you? No, I will go back to my own home."

Christian and Pliable walked on together, without looking whither they
were going, and in the midst of the plain they fell into a very miry
slough, which was called the Slough of Despond. Here they wallowed for a
time, and Christian, because of the burden that was on his back, began
to sink in the mire.

"Is this the happiness you told me of?" said Pliable. "If I get out
again with my life, you shall make your journey alone."

With a desperate effort he got out of the mire, and went back, leaving
Christian alone in the Slough of Despond. As Christian struggled under
his burden towards the wicket gate, I saw in my dream that a man came to
him, whose name was Help, and drew him out, and set him upon sound
ground. But before Christian could get to the wicket gate, Mr. Worldly
Wiseman came and spoke to him.

"How now, good fellow!" said Mr. Worldly Wiseman. "Where are you going
with that heavy burden on your back?"

"To yonder wicket gate," said Christian. "For there, Evangelist told me,
I shall be put into a way to be rid of my heavy burden."

"Evangelist is a dangerous and troublesome fellow," said Mr. Worldly
Wiseman. "Do not follow his counsel. Hear me: I am older than you. I can
tell you an easy way to get rid of your burden. You see the village on
yonder high hill?"

"Yes," said Christian. "I remember the village is called Morality."

"It is,