So when the battle was over, Christian said, “I will give thanks to Him that did help me against Apollyon.”

He also sat down in that place to eat and drink, so being refreshed, he again began his journey, with his sword drawn in his hand, “For,” said he, “I do not know if some other enemy may not be at hand.”

Now at the end of this valley was another, called the Valley of the Shadow of Death.  Through it Christian must go, because the way to the Celestial City lay through it.  Now this valley is a very lonely place.  It is like a wilderness or a desert full of pits.  No man dwells in it, and no man but a Christian passeth through it.  Here Christian had a worse time than even in his fight with Apollyon.  I saw then in my dream that when Christian had reached the borders of this valley, there met him two men, making haste to go back.

Christian said to them, “Whither are you going?”

“Back, back,” they cried, “as you will go, if you prize life or peace!”

“Why, what is the matter?” said Christian.

“Matter!” said they.  “We were going the way you are going, and we went as far as we dared.  But had we gone a little farther we had not been here to bring the news to thee.”

“But what have you met with?” said Christian.

“Why, we were almost in the Valley of the Shadow of Death, but by good chance we looked before us and saw the danger before we came to it.”

“But what have you seen?” said Christian.

“Seen!” said the men, “why, the valley itself was as dark as pitch.  We also saw hobgoblins and dragons, and we heard a continual howling and yelling as of people in great misery.  Death also doth always spread his wings over it.  In a word, it is altogether dreadful, being utterly without order.”

“But,” said Christian, “this is the way to the Celestial City.”

“Be it your way, then; we will not choose it for ours.”  So they parted.  Christian went on his way, but still with his sword drawn in his hand, lest he should be attacked.

I saw then in my dream, that as far as this valley reached, there was on the right hand a very deep ditch.  Again, behold, on the left hand, there was a very dangerous mire, into which if a man falls he finds no bottom for his foot to stand on.  The pathway here was also exceeding narrow, and therefore Christian was the more distressed.  For when he sought in the dark to shun the ditch on the one hand, he was ready to tumble over into the mire on the other, and when he sought to escape the mire, without great carefulness he would nearly fall into the ditch.  Then he went on, and I heard him sigh bitterly.  For besides these dangers, the pathway was here so dark, that when he lifted up his foot to go forward, he knew not where, nor upon what he should set it next.  About the middle of this valley I saw the mouth of hell to be, and it stood close to the wayside.

“Now,” thought Christian, “what shall I do?”