"Then see that some is threshed immediately."
"That is impossible, for the harvests have been burned down," replied the steward.
"You can at least sow grain, that we may have new harvests as soon as possible."
"We cannot even do that, for our enemies have burned down all the buildings where the grain was stored for seed-time."
Frederick now turned to his visitors, and told them they must eat their meat without bread. But that was not all. He told them they must give him enough money to build new houses and barns to take the places of those they had destroyed, and also to buy new seed for grain.
"It is wrong," he said, sternly, "to carry on war against those who are helpless, and to take away their seeds and tools from the poor peasants."
It was a sensible speech. It made the knights ashamed of the way they had been carrying on war in the country, and they left the castle wiser and better men.
All this happened long, long ago, before Germany could be called one country, for the different parts of the land were ruled over by different people and in different ways.
This same Count Frederick, their father told them, had great love for the poor. When he was still quite young, he made a vow. He said, "I will never marry a woman of noble family."
Not long after this, he fell in love with a princess. But he could not ask her to marry him on account of the vow he had made.