The prisoner had waited many months for help, but none had come. Now he felt he would do something to gain his freedom, to be free again to go about the world as he wished. But he could think of no way to run away. He spent many hours thinking of his life before he was captured, regretting the mistakes he had made and dreaming of the joys he had known. And over and over he said to himself that he was being punished for no reason. He was guilty of no crime, but he had not been given a chance to explain the events which made him guilty. Then one night the guard who sat outside the prisoner's door fell asleep. When he noticed this, the prisoner was struck by a feeling of hope. Perhaps he could steal the keys while the guard was sleeping. Silently the prisoner moved toward the guard. Very gently he lifted the ring of keys from the guard's belt. Then he turned and crawled toward the door. Could he work the lock from the inside? The key turned and the door was opened. Within two minutes he had crossed the yard and climbed the wall. Then he ran across the field, free at last, a smile of joy beginning to spread across his face. The prisoner had a wish  _  .
to be excused to go away freely with his family to be a free man in the prison to be helped out of the prison