The little pilgrims began to fear that they would have to spend the night beneath the net of the Flatterer. “And perhaps,” said Christian, “he has gone to tell the Wicked Prince, and he will send his soldiers to carry us away.”
Just when the sun was setting, the children heard footsteps coming nearer and nearer, and even Hopeful could not help trembling. But only one man came in sight, and they knew by his shining garments and gentle face that he was really one of the King’s true servants.
When he saw the little pilgrims he stopped. “How did you get into this net?” he asked.
“We were puzzled,” said Christian, “and we could not make out which way to take. Then a man with a white robe came to us and told us he was going to the Celestial City, so we followed him.”
“It was the Flatterer,” said the King’s servant, and then he stooped down and tore the net into pieces. Christian and Hopeful were soon able to creep out of it, and they stood upon the path before him, waiting until he should tell them what to do. His face was grave, and Christian remembered how Evangelist had looked at him in the same way when he found him wandering among the terrible rocks.
The Shining One turned toward the Way of the King and bade the boys come after him. Christian slipped his hand into Hopeful’s, and they walked on together. When they were once more in the right path the Shining One stopped. “Where did you sleep last night?” he asked.
“With the Shepherds upon the mountains.”
“Did they not give you a little map of the way?”
“Yes,” said the boys, and they hung their heads, for they felt very much ashamed.
“Did you look at your map when you were puzzled?”
“No,” whispered Hopeful, and Christian added, “We forgot.”
“And what else did the Shepherds say to you? Did they warn you about the Flatterer?”
“They told us we were not to listen to him.”
“And yet you did listen to him. How was that?”
“We did not think that man could be the Flatterer, because he spoke so kindly to us.”
The tears were now running down the little pilgrims’ cheeks, and the Shining One laid his hands upon their shoulders and spoke gently to them. “You have been very foolish,” he said, “but I think you are sorry.”
“We are very, very sorry,” sobbed poor little Christian, “and it was more my fault than Hopeful’s.”
“No,” said the Shining One, “you were both wrong. If the King had not sent me to look for you, you might have been killed or carried away by the soldiers of the Wicked Prince.”
But although the King had sent His servant to seek for the lost children and to bring them back into the right path, He was not pleased with them, and He had commanded the Shining One to punish them for their foolishness.
“The King will forgive you,” he said, “but I shall be obliged to punish you, because you have now been pilgrims for a long time, and you would not have lost your way if you had done as the Shepherds told you.”
Then Christian and Hopeful saw that he held a little whip in his hand, and with this he struck them both many times. The strokes of the whip hurt them very much, but they knew that they deserved the punishment. When it was over, the Shining One told them that the King would not remember their naughtiness anymore.
“Our dear Prince,” he said, “was once a pilgrim, and He has not forgotten the dangers and difficulties of the way. He is always watching over you, and when you are careless He begs His Father to forgive you for His sake.”