Now the Giant’s wife asked him concerning the prisoners, and if they had taken his counsel. To which he replied, “They are sturdy rogues; they choose rather to bear all hardships than to make away with themselves.”
Then said she, “Take them into the castle yard to-morrow, and show them the bones and skulls of those that thou hast already despatched; and make them believe, ere a week comes to an end, thou wilt tear them in pieces as thou hast done their fellows before them.”
So when the morning was come, the Giant goes to them again, and takes them into the castle yard and shows them, as his wife had bidden him.
“These,” said he, “were once pilgrims as you are, and they trespassed on my grounds as you have done, and when I thought fit, I tore them in pieces; and so within ten days I shall do you. Go, get you down to your den again!” and with that he beat them all the way thither. They lay, therefore, all day on Saturday in lamentable case, as before.
Now, when the night was come, Mistress Diffidence and her husband the Giant began to renew their discourse of their prisoners; and the old Giant wondered that he could neither by his blows nor counsel bring them to an end. And with that his wife replied:—
“I fear,” said she, “that they live in hopes that some one will come to relieve them; or that they have pick-locks about them, by means of which they hope to escape.”
“And sayest thou so, my dear?” said the Giant. “I shall therefore search them in the morning.”
Well, on Saturday, about midnight, they began to pray, and continued in prayer till almost break of day.
Now, a little before it was day, good Christian, as one half amazed, brake out into this passionate speech:—
“What a fool,” quoth he, “am I to lie in a dungeon, when I may as well walk at liberty! I have a key in my bosom, called Promise, that will, I am persuaded, open any lock in Doubting Castle.”