e had taken a couple of
prisoners, and had cast them into his dungeon for trespassing on his
grounds. Then he asked her also what he had best do to them. So she
asked him what they were, whence they came, and whither they were bound;
and he told her. Then she counseled him, that when he arose in the
morning he should beat them without mercy.

So when he arose, he getteth him a grievous crabtree cudgel, and goes
into the dungeon to them, and there first falls to rating of them as if
they were dogs, although they never gave him an unpleasant word. Then he
fell upon them, and beat them fearfully, in such sort that they were not
able to help themselves, or to turn them upon the floor. This done he
withdraws, and leaves them there to condole their misery, and to mourn
under their distress. So all that day they spent their time in nothing
but sighs and bitter lamentations.

The next night she, talking with her husband further about them, and
understanding that they were yet alive, did advise him to counsel them
to make away with themselves. So, when morning was come, he goes to them
in a surly manner as before, and perceiving them to be very sore with
the stripes that he had given them the day before, he told them that,
since they were never like to come out of that place, their only way
would be forthwith to make an end of themselves, either with knife,
halter, or poison: "for why," he said, "should you choose to live,
seeing it is attended with so much bitterness?"

But they desired him to let them go. With that he looked ugly upon them,
and, rushing to them, had doubtless made an end of them himself, but
that he fell into one of his fits, and lost for a time the use of his
hands. Wherefore he withdrew, and left them, as before, to consider what
to do.

Then did the prisoners consult between themselves, whether it was best
to take his counsel or no. But they soon resolved to reject it; for it
would be very wicked to kill themselves; and, besides, something might
soon happen to enable them to make their escape.

Well, towards evening the giant goes down to the dungeon again, to see
if his prisoners had taken his counsel; but when he came there, he found
them alive. I say, he found them alive; at which he fell into a grievous
rage, and told them that, seeing they had disobeyed his counsel, it
should be worse with them than if they had never been born.

At this they trembled greatly, and I think that Christian fell into