Little Christian had no rest that night. He did not dare to lie down and sleep in the Dark Valley, for he feared lest the wicked soldiers, whom he could hear passing up and down among the rocks, would find him and put him to death or carry him back to the City of Destruction. He was very tired, but he walked bravely on through the mist and darkness, praying in his heart that the King would watch over him. And after a time he thought of some words that he had read in the King’s Book. “He shall give his angels charge over thee.”
Then he remembered the picture that Charity loved so much—of the little child with the Guardian Angel.
“The picture was true,” he said to himself. “That little child was walking on a path like this, and the King’s angel was taking care of him. Perhaps there is an angel with me now!”
I am sure you know that little Christian was quite right. The angel had been with him all through that dreadful night, and although the little pilgrim could not see his bright guardian, there were gentle hands spread out to shield him from the terrors of the way, and strong arms ready to hold him fast if his feet slipped on the dangerous path.
At last the mist began to roll away, and a soft, pale light shone overhead. Little Christian looked up and found that he could now see a strip of sky between the overhanging rocks, and he knew that the day was breaking. As the sun rose and its glorious rays streamed even into the Dark Valley, he stood still and looked behind him. The black rocks that surrounded him, and the narrow track with the treacherous marsh on one side and the steep precipice on the other, seemed more fearful than they had been in the darkness. Little Christian wondered how he had ever come safely through such a dreadful place.
Then he looked forward and felt more and more thankful that the sun had risen, for he saw that the rest of the path was strewn with snares and nets, which the wicked soldiers had laid there to hinder and hurt the King’s pilgrims. They had also dug holes in dangerous places and had done everything they could to make the road difficult and unsafe, so that Christian thought, If I had passed over it in the darkness, I should very likely have fallen and crippled myself.
At the end of the Dark Valley there was a large cave in the side of the mountain, and in this cave two very powerful giants had once lived. Whenever pilgrims passed by their dwelling, the giants attacked them and tried to kill them, and for a long time this was one of the most dangerous places on the way to the Celestial City. But one of the giants died, and the other grew old, and his limbs became stiff, so that he could no longer rush out upon the pilgrims.
When little Christian came near to the cave, he saw the old giant sitting outside it. He felt a little frightened, but the giant did not move, so he walked straight on. The giant was full of rage when he saw him, and he would have liked to seize the boy and drag him into his cave, but he had no strength left, and little Christian passed on safely.
The Dark Valley, with all its terrors, now lay behind him, and just before him the ground rose a little. Christian climbed quickly up the path, and when he reached the top of the ascent, he found that he could see for some distance along the road.
Not very far from him a boy was walking with his face toward the King’s City. He was wearing a white suit, like Christian’s own, but he had no armor.
It must be Faithful, thought Christian, and he called out, “Wait for me, and I will walk with you.” Then Faithful looked around, and Christian cried again, “Wait till I can overtake you.”
But Faithful answered, “I am going to the King and there are enemies behind me.”
When Christian saw that Faithful would not wait for him, he felt vexed, and he began to run as fast as he could. He soon caught Faithful, and instead of stepping by his side he ran on farther, so that Faithful, in his turn, might be left behind. But he forgot to look where he was going, and, striking his foot against a stone, he fell to the ground, and Faithful had to hurry after him and help him to get up.
