The King smiled, and said:
“I am very glad to hear it, Lieutenant von Stira Stora Stazarneda,” and with a wave of his hand, dismissed him.
Plenty of Company
The Prussian Ambassador at the Court of England, wrote to Frederick the Great that his salary being insufficient, he would be compelled to sell his carriage and go to Court on foot. The King answered laconically: “You can just walk; it won’t hurt you. If anybody makes a remark about it, you can tell them you are my ambassador, and 300,000 men are walking behind you.”
No Suggestions Wanted
From the beginning of the War of Independence (1813-14, against Napoleon I) Field-Marshal Prince Blücher urged the allied powers to go forward (hence his name, Marshal Vorwärts) and thus created more confusion among them than among the enemy. But the old soldier did not pay the slightest attention to that. Once when he received a dispatch to turn back with his army he growled:
“Those diplomatic fool tricks and this scribbling of notes will have to be stopped. I shall direct this campaign without notes.”
Cobblers Lacking
Once, while trying to ascertain the enemy’s whereabouts, a bullet struck Prince Blücher’s foot, but fortunately tore only his boot.