“I can teach you,” said Blücher; “I know every aria in the ‘Magic Flute.’”
“What,” cried Emperor Alexander, “Blücher can sing too? You must give us a song then!”
The old soldier stood up and began in his rough voice, dreadfully out of tune, but still recognizable: “The Bird Catcher I Am.”
Emperor Francis listened with visible emotion, the dignified King of Prussia smiled quietly to himself, while Emperor Alexander laughed as hard as he could and started a vigorous applause. Blücher, encouraged, sang again, and wound up with “Bacchus is a Brave Man.” The last number created such a storm of applause that Catalani said jokingly:
“I can’t compete with old Blücher; he has beaten me, too; he received more applause than I did.”
Portraits of His Ancestors
When Field-Marshal Wrangel was Commander-General of Stettin, he sent for the painter, Most, and gave him an order to paint several portraits of his ancestors for his dining-room. The painter asked if the General had some pictures to copy from.
“That isn’t necessary,” said Wrangel; “just make them look somewhat like me, and dress them correctly. Nobody knew them personally anyhow.”