The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope
Classic adventure story
Setting: The fictional Central/Eastern European kingdom of Ruritania.Time Period: The 1880s. English language level: A2 (low-intermediate
1. The Rassendylls and the Elphbergs
- Young Rudolf Rassendyll is bored in London.
- Rassndyll reads in The Times about his cousin Rudolf Elphberg.
- The two Rudolfs have never met but physically are like identical twins.
- Elphberg is about to be crowned King of Ruritania.
- Rudolf secretly takes the train to Strelsau to attend the coronation.
- He sees the mysterious Antoinette du Mauban and stops in Zenda.
- Zenda is home to a famous castle - and ‘Black Michael’.
- Locals confuse Rudolf Rassendyll for his cousin.