“O king!” said the abbot, “these are deep, hard questions, and I cannot answer them just now.  But if you will give me two weeks to think about them, I will do the best that I can.”

“Two weeks you shall have,” said the king; “but if then you fail to answer me, you shall lose your head, and all your lands shall be mine.”

The abbot went away very sad and in great fear.  He first rode to Oxford.  Here was a great school, called a u-ni-ver’si-ty, and he wanted to see if any of the wise pro-fess-ors could help him.  But they shook their heads, and said that there was nothing about King John in any of their books.

Then the abbot rode down to Cam-bridge, where there was another u-ni-ver-si-ty.  But not one of the teachers in that great school could help him.

At last, sad and sor-row-ful, he rode toward home to bid his friends and his brave knights good-by.  For now he had not a week to live.

II.  The three answers.

As the abbot was riding up the lane which led to his grand house, he met his shep-herd going to the fields.

“Welcome home, good master!” cried the shepherd.  “What news do you bring us from great King John?”

“Sad news, sad news,” said the abbot; and then he told him all that had happened.

“Cheer up, cheer up, good master,” said the shepherd.  “Have you never yet heard that a fool may teach a wise man wit?  I think I can help you out of your trouble.”

“You help me!” cried the abbot “How? how?”

“Well,” answered the shepherd, “you know that everybody says that I look just like you, and that I have some-times been mis-tak-en for you.  So, lend me your servants and your horse and your gown, and I will go up to London and see the king.  If nothing else can be done, I can at least die in your place.”

“My good shepherd,” said the abbot, “you are very, very kind; and I have a mind to let you try your plan.  But if the worst comes to the worst, you shall not die for me.  I will die for myself.”

So the shepherd got ready to go at once.  He dressed himself with great care.  Over his shepherd’s coat he threw the abbot’s long gown, and he bor-rowed the abbot’s cap and golden staff.  When all was ready, no one in the world would have thought that he was not the great man himself.  Then he mounted his horse, and with a great train of servants set out for London.

Of course the king did not know him.

“Welcome, Sir Abbot!” he said.  “It is a good thing that you have come back.  But, prompt as you are, if you fail to answer my three questions, you shall lose your head.”

“I am ready to answer them, O king!” said the shepherd.

“Indeed, indeed!” said the king, and he laughed to himself.  “Well, then, answer my first question:  How long shall I live?  Come, you must tell me to the very day.”

“You shall live,” said the shepherd, “until the day that you die, and not one day longer.  And you shall die when you take your last breath, and not one moment before.”