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Volume 1, Chapter 1-Volume 1, Chapter 3

Volume 1, Chapter 1: The first chapter introduces the main character Pip.  He is ten years old and lives with his older sister and her husband, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Gargery.  Mr. Joe is a blacksmith.  As Pip was visiting his parent's grave one afternoon at the churchyard over looking the marshes, he is come upon by an escaped prisoner who grabs him.  The prisoner threatens him with his life and tells him to come back the next morning with a file and some food.  Pip is so frightened that he agrees to bring the food, file, and above all, not to tell anyone of it.  The convict lets him go and he runs home as fast as he can. 
Volume 1, Chapter 2: Pip arrives home to find that his sister is angry and out looking for him.  She comes home and begins chastising and beating him for her worry.  After she finishes her tirade, she slices bread and butter for Pip and Mr. Joe.  Pip hides his in his pants to give to the escaped prisoner the next morning, and Mrs. Joe forces him to take a terrible tasting elixir, Tar-water, because he ate his food so quickly.  He spends the rest of his evening stirring the pudding for the Christmas dinner the next day and while he is stirring Mrs. Joe tells him of a prisoner that escaped the night before and explains that another one must have escaped also. Pip goes to bed plagued by guilt for having to steal and from terror of getting caught doing so.  At the early hours of dawn he gets out of bed, goes into the pantry, gathers up food to take the convict, and gets the file from the blacksmith shop.  After Pip gathered everything, he runs to the marshes. 
Volume 1, Chapter 3: Pip runs to the marshes plagued by his guilty thoughts.  He comes up to a hunched figure dressed like the convict the day before and startles him.  The man tries to punch him but misses and runs into the marshes.  Pip continues down towards the Battery where he is supposed to meet the man and finds him limping about waiting for him.  The man comes towards him, gets the food and brandy, and devours it.  Pip tells him of the other escaped prisoner.  The man impatiently took the file and began filing at iron on his leg.  As he was doing this, Pip slips off to go home.