■ 3 The King goes to his coronation

I do not know how long I was asleep， but when I woken I was cold and wet． Sapt and Fritz stood there looking at me． 'We had to wake you， 'Sapt said． 'Gold water was the only way． '

Fritz took my arm and turned me round． 'Look！ 'he said．

The King was on the floor， and when Sapt pushed him with his foot， he did not move．

'We've been trying to wake him for half an hour， 'said Fritz． 'But he's sleeping like a dead man． '

The three of us looked at each other．

'Was there something in that last bottle of wine？ 'I asked．

'I don't know， 'Sapt said， 'but if be doesn't get to his coronation today， there'll never be a coronation for him． All Ruritania is waiting for him in Strelsau and Black Michael with half the army， too． We can't tell them that the King is too drunk to go to his own coronation！ '

'You can say he's ill， ' I said．

'Ill！ 'Sapt laughed angrily． 'Everybody will know what that means． He's been“ill”too many times before． '

'Tell me， do you think somebody put something in his wine？ 'I asked．

'It was Black Michael！ 'Fritz replied． 'We all know he wants to be King himself． '

For a moment or two we were all silent， and then Sapt looked at me， 'You must go to Strelsau and take his place！ '

I stared at him． 'You're crazy， man！ How can I do that？ The King…'

'It's dangerous， I know， 'said Sapt． 'But it's our only chance． If you don't go， Black Michael will be King and the real king will be dead or a prisoner． '

How could I refuse？ It took me two minutes to decide．

'I'll go！ 'I said．

'Well done， boy！ 'cried Sapt． He went on quickly and quietly． 'After the coronation they'll take us to the palace for the night． When we're alone， you and I will leave and ride back here to fetch the King． He'll be all right by then． I'll take him back to Strelsau and you must get out of the country as fast as you can． '

'But what about the soldiers？ Fritz asked． 'They're Duke Michael's men， and they're coming to take the King back to Strelsau for the coronation． '

'We'll go before the soldiers get here， 'Sapt said， 'and we'll hide the King． '

He picked up the King in his arms and we opened the door． An old woman， Johann's mother， was standing there． She turned， without a word， and went back to the kitchen．

'Did she hear？ 'Fritz asked．

Don't worry． I'll make sure she can't talk， 'Sapt said， and he carried the King away．

When he returned， he told us that he had locked the old woman in a room underground． The King and Josef were hidden in another room underground． 'Josef will take care of the King and tell him everything when he wakes up． Come， 'he went on， 'there's no time to lose． It's already six o'clock． '

Soon I was dressed in the King's clothes， the horses were ready and we were on our way． As we rode through the forest， Sapt told me everything that he could about my life， my family， my friends， and the things I liked or did not like． He told me what to do when we got there， and how to speak to different people． He was a wonderful teacher， and I listened hard． One mistake could mean death for all three of us．

It was eight o'clock when we arrived at the station and got on the train， and by halfpast nine we were in Strelsau．

And when King Rudolf the Fifth stepped out of the train， the people shouted， 'God save the King！ '

Old Sapt smiled， 'God save them both， 'he said quietly． 'I only hope we are all alive tonight！ '

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