In His Majesty’s Service
Some time after having sustained a severe defeat at Kolin, Frederick the Great, at a review, jokingly asked a soldier, who had a deep cut in his cheek:
“Friend, at what ale-house did you get that scratch?”
“I got it,” said the soldier, “at Kolin, where your Majesty paid the reckoning.”
The King Would Run Too
Just before the battle of Rosbach (1757), things looked bad for the King. Frederick the Great was lying asleep on a heap of straw near a camp-fire, when he was awakened by one of his grenadiers calling:
“Frederick!” (The grenadiers of his guard were allowed to call him that.) “Look, they are bringing in one of your grenadiers who has deserted!”
“Why did you run away and leave your King?” was Frederick’s question.
“Well, things were going so badly with you, that I wanted to try my luck elsewhere.”
“You are right,” concluded the King; “but just try one more campaign, and if things don’t look any better for me after that, I’ll promise you, I will run away with you!”