A simplified retelling for children of John Bunyan's classic allegory. It follows the journey of a pilgrim named Christian as he travels from his home to a distant city, encountering various characters and trials that represent the Christian life. This edition makes the timeless story accessible to young listeners.
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Text source: gutenberg.org · The work is in the public domain.
Opening of the book
Christian Confides in His Wife. Christian Confides in His Wife. See page 13 Front Page The Pilgrim's Progress By JOHN BUNYAN EVERY CHILD CAN READ EDITED BY REV. JESSE LYMAN HURLBUT, D.D. ILLUSTRATED EVERY CHILD'S LIBRARY THE JOHN C. WINSTON CO. PHILADELPHIA
Copyright, 1909, by The John C. Winston Co. PREFACE It may seem a very bold undertaking to change even a word of the book which, next to the Bible, has been read by more people, old and young, than any other book in the English language. But, it must be remembered that, although the Pilgrim's Progress has come to be a children's book, and is read more often by young people than by those who are older, it was not in the purpose of John Bunyan to write a book for children or even for the young. The Pilgrim's Progress was a book for men and women; and it was aimed to teach the great truths of the gospel. Hence while most of it is written in a simple style,—as all books should be written,—it contains much that a child cannot understand; not often in the story, but in the conversations and discussions between the different persons. Some of these conversations are in reality short sermons on doctrines and teachings which Bunyan believed to be of great importance. But these are beyond the minds of children and give them great trouble when the book is read. They do not like to have them left out of the reading, thinking that they may lose something interesting. Many a young person has stumbled through the dull, doctrinal parts of the book, without understanding them; and even grown people find them in our time somewhat of a blemish upon the wonderful story, valuable as they were supposed to be in Bunyan's own time. For many years it has been in my mind, not to re-write the Pilgrim's Progress, for that would destroy its greatest charm, but to change the words here and there to simpler ones, and to omit all the conversations and arguments
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