Pilgrim's Progress

Adventures on the Road

By John Bunyan

Then I saw in my dream, that as Christian was going joyfully on his way he came to a pleasant valley. And there he saw, a little way from the road, three men who were lying fast asleep on the brink of a precipice! They had fetters upon their heels, and their names were Simple, Sloth, and Presumption.

Christian went toward them, and cried out to awaken them. "Ho, there, you sleepers! Wake up, and come away from that dangerous place!"

But they only groaned and settled themselves for a deeper sleep.

"Wake up! wake up!" cried Christian again. "Wake up, and I will help you off with your fetters!"

They opened their eyes and looked at him.

"I don't see any danger," said SIMPLE.

"Let me sleep a little longer," said SLOTH.

"Every tub must stand upon its own bottom," said PRESUMPTION.

Then all went to sleep more soundly than before, and Christian went on his way.

He had not gone far when he saw two climbing over the wall from the field on the left-hand side of the road. As he came up, they joined him, and the three walked on together.

"Gentlemen," said Christian, "who are you, and whither are you going?"

One of them, who had a very soft voice and a goody-goody countenance, answered, "My name is HYPOCRISY, and I am from the land of Vainglory."

"And my name," said the other, "is FORMALIST. We two are close friends and companions, and we are on our way to the Celestial City."

"Why didn't you come in by the gate?" asked Christian.

"The gate?" answered Hypocrisy. "What is the use of going round by the gate — when one can make a short-cut across the fields, and jump over the wall?"

"But it is written in this book," said Christian, "that he that climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber."

"Oh, you needn't call us names!" answered Formalist. "It has been the practice a thousand years for people to climb over the wall, just as we have done."

"Well," said Christian, "I doubt if your practice will stand the test of trial."

"What of that?" asked Hypocrisy. "You are on the road to the Celestial City — we are on the same road. Are we not as far along on the way as you?"

"We shall see whether you are found true men at the end of the way," answered Christian.

"Well," said Formalist, "you are no better than we — even if you do wear finer garments."

"These garments," said Christian, "were given to me by the Lord of the place to which I am going. Surely they are a token of his kindness, for I had only rags before. And when I get to the city He will know me, for I shall be clothed in His garments."

To this the men made no answer. They only looked at each other and laughed; and Christian walked on ahead of them.

So they all went on until they came to a very high and rugged hill which is called the Hill of Difficulty. At the foot of that hill, there was a spring of clear water. And here there were two other roads besides the straight and narrow one. One of these wound around the hill on the right-hand side; the other branched off on the left-hand side. But the narrow road went straight forward over the steepest part of the hill.

Christian went to the spring and drank from it. Then feeling much refreshed, he went onward, right up the difficult way. And as he went he began to sing,

"The hill, though steep — I will ascend;
For me the toil — will not offend. 
Be brave, my heart — and do not fear; 
For the way to life — leads over here."

The other two men came also to the foot of the hill; but when they saw how high and steep it was — they dreaded to climb it. Then they saw the other two roads, how much easier they seemed; and they decided to follow them.

"All the ways will probably meet again on the other side of the hill," they said.

Now the name of one of these roads was Danger, and the name of the other was Destruction. But the two men did not know that.

So one of them walked briskly onward along the way of Danger — and the other went as fearlessly down the road to Destruction. Soon both were lost in dark forests where there was no pathway to guide them, and they were seen no more!

But Christian toiled onward and upward until he at length reached the top of the hill.