Removing drive axles from '98 Ford Escort?

We've followed the Hayne's manual exactly and it says to pry using a pry-bar or a screwdriver, but it just won't budge. We've tapped it with a hammer, everything we can think of. Is there a certain step that they left out of the manual by mistake? Both of them, the left and right axles, are stuck. They rotate and seem to function fine other wise.