Fritz and Hans were home again.

The first days they had been very busy cleaning their weapons and mending their clothes. Whew! What a trip it had been through the moun­tains! It was a wonder they had not frozen, or plunged to their deaths in the deep ravines!

No, the emperor should never again make such a trip in the middle of the winter. But he had to, the old soldier had told them, otherwise the Pope and the noblemen in Germany would have chosen another emperor.

Ah, that plan had been unsuccessful. Good! The boys wanted Henry IV to remain their emperor. He was such a nice man! Henry IV had been just in time to ask the Pope for forgiveness. Now the Pope could not help the noblemen choose another emperor. Now he had to help Henry IV. That was good!

After they had finished their tasks, the two friends went to visit the cook again. It was nice and warm in the kitchen, and the cook often had leftovers. Fritz and Hans never could reject his offers to get rid of those leftovers. Their stomachs seemed to be growling all the time.

"Hah! There are my friends!" the cook greeted them joyfully. "Please, fetch two pails of water for me. I am getting too old for that."

"He is getting too fat," Fritz grinned as he went to the well with Hans.

Soon they came back into the kitchen, each carrying a pail of water.

"Thank you, boys. Now, here is another job; please empty that pan with sauce. I need that pan."

The boys obeyed immediately and smacked their lips.

"I need that pan," the cook repeated. "I just got instructions to make a meal for ten persons. I saw eight horsemen coming an hour ago. They were in a hurry. I don't know, but I don't like the looks of it."

The boys looked at him, questioning. What was happening? More trouble?

When they came back to their quarters, they sensed the excitement. All the soldiers were busily talking, and because everyone wanted to say something, most of them started to shout. It took a while before the boys could figure out what was happening. What chaos! It was unbelievable!

The noblemen in Germany had chosen another emperor anyway, even though Henry IV had gone to the Pope to ask for forgiveness. It was difficult to understand.

"They made Rudolph an emperor. That means war, boys," one of the older soldiers told them.

The boys looked at each other. War? Would there be a war? That would be something very different from their trip through the mountains.

And the war began.

The noblemen of Germany fought with their soldiers against the emperor, who was helped by his friends, the bishops and their soldiers. And the Pope? Did the Pope help the emperor, who had come so humbly to him to ask for forgiveness? No, he did not help him at all, and the army of Henry IV was defeated.

The Pope was glad. Finally he had gotten rid of that emperor, and he could excommunicate him again.

"Did you hear that?" Fritz looked at his friend. Their clothes were torn, their faces dirty – they had just come from the battle. And now they heard that the Pope had excommuni­cated Henry IV. They were filled with indignation.

"I cannot have any respect for that Pope," Hans said bitterly. "Is that a man of God?"

The two friends sat together silently, still exhausted. They felt very sad. Now what? Had everything been in vain?

"All the people want to help us! They all want to fight for the emperor! They think it is unfair and mean of the Pope, and they do not want Rudolph as an emperor!"

Fritz heard his friend. He looked at him and sighed. "Then there will be a war again," he said.

It was true. Soon Henry IV had assembled a powerful army. For the second time there was a bitter war against his opponent, Rudolph. This time Rudolph was defeated and killed in battle. Now Henry IV was the only ruler again.

"Now my time has come," the emperor thought. He called his men together.

"The Pope has betrayed me!" he spoke bitterly. "Who is going to help me teach him a lesson?"

"Me! Me!" all the men shouted. Fritz and Hans also joined in. They wanted to help their emperor. The Pope was a mean man, they agreed with that. So they made the trip to Italy for the second time. What a difference! Fortunately it was not in the middle of the winter this time, and they travelled with a powerful army.

After a long march they saw the big city of Rome. Fritz and Hans looked down on the beautiful build­ings. The Pope lived there. He had humiliated their emperor and now the emperor was coming in his wrath, and the two friends would help him.

Day after day they fought and tried to enter the city. The Pope, however, had his soldiers, too, and the struggle continued for three long years.

Would they ever get there? Sometimes Hans and Fritz would think about home. How long was it since they had seen their parents? Would they ever see them again?

"Before the winter is here again, we have to capture the city. I know that you can do it." The emperor was speaking. All the men stood before him in long rows. The wind rustled through the leaves, which already showed the first colors of fall. The sun sank low on the horizon.

"Tomorrow," the emperor said. "Tomorrow we will capture Rome!"

The men shouted. They believed they could do it. Fritz and Hans looked at each other. Their eyes glistened. Finally! They would do it!

And they did!

They captured the city. The Pope fled and never came back.

Henry IV entered the ancient town and visited the priests who had stayed behind. He appointed a new pope. No one dared to say anything against him.

Finally Fritz and Hans could go home. They were tired of all the fighting, and they were tired of the poor food they received in the army. The first thing they would do when they came to the castle was to visit their old friend, the cook, and then, when they had put on some new clothes, they would visit their parents. They had so much to tell!