Tikumu’s letter

Press, 30 August 1977, Page 12

Tikumu’s letter

Dear Children. Famous books are sometimes written in the most unlikely places, and “The Pilgrim’s Progress” is no exception. Its author, John Bunyan, who died nearly 300 years ago (August 31, 1688), began this great work in prison. He wrote other books there, for he was imprisoned twice. The first time was for 12 years.

Bunyan was a good man who, after serving as a soldier in Oliver Cromwell’s army, began to preach. However. the authorities did not approve of what he said and locked him up.

But John Bunyan did not mope. He was busy in his cell. As well as writing, be made a living for his family by fastening metal tags to leather shoe laces.

He liked music, too, as this tale about his prison days shows. Bunyan’s keeper used to hear flute music outside his cell and he would go in to find out what was going on. However, when he entered, he always found Bunyan sitting on his stool, tagging the shoe laces. There was no sign of a flute anywhere. Again and again the keeper heard the music, but he could not solve the mystery. I am glad he didn’t, for John Bunyan had found a way to snatch some merry moments. He had made himself a flute by whittling at one of the legs of

his wooden stool with his knife until at last he could play on it Whenever he heard the keeper rattling the heavy key in its lock, he quickly put his flute back in the stool and sat down on it before he was caught. John Bunyan was the son of a tinker; and when he was young he was lively and high-spirited. Perhaps he never completely lost his love of mischief, even though he became a devout and serious man.