“Well done, Quantz, but another time you must not be quite so rude; do you hear?”
A Chronic Cough
At all the evening concerts, the King played the flute. Once he played a new composition of his own, which contained a faulty passage. Quantz, on hearing it, coughed significantly. Frederick understood the meaning of it, but said nothing. The next day he asked one of the other musicians his opinion of the passage. The latter pointed out the mistake. The King corrected it at once, saying:
“We must not let Quantz get a chronic cough.”
No Relation
After one of the victorious battles of the seven years’ war, Frederick the Great gave orders that a young cornet, whose bravery he had had occasion to witness himself, be brought to him.
“What is your name?” the monarch asked the young man.
“Von Stira Stora Stazarneda, your Majesty,” was the answer.
“What, sir,” cried the King, indignant at a name so hard to remember, “why, the devil isn’t called that!”
“He is no relative of mine, either, your Majesty,” was the impudent cornet’s prompt answer.