At this there was an outcry, the whole group protesting and talking.
"Hold your tongue, old fool!" cried a fat, rude Prussian.
"Ja, ja!" all the others approved him.
"Are not the soldiers of Frederick the Great as brave as the sailors of Nelson? Did not the Great Frederick himself say that the world was not so well poised on the shoulders of Atlas as the Prussian monarchy on the bayonets of the Prussian army?"
"Ja wohl," cried the company.
Then, suddenly, little Bettina's childish voice made the whole party pause and listen. She spoke as fearlessly as if alone with Hans.
"Grandfather," she said, "grandfather, do the soldiers know of Frederick Barbarossa? Tell them, dear grandfather," her little face glowed with excitement, "tell them the ravens will wake him and he will come with the sword and kill the wicked Emperor," and she gazed from one face to the other, her eyes bright and eager.
A great laugh answered her, but one soldier, a kind-looking young man with blue eyes, patted her head and said:
"Brava, little one, brava! If the ravens won't caw enough, we'll wake the old Redbeard with our cannon. Never fear, we'll wake him."
He smiled at Bettina as if he knew how little girls feel, for perhaps he had a little sister at home who also loved stories.