“I am William, Emperor of Germany!”
“Well, this beats all!” said the countryman, partly amused, partly indignant, “but I should certainly not have thought that such old dignified gentlemen would find pleasure in fooling the likes of me! So that you may know who is driving you, I’ll introduce myself: I, I am the Shah of Persia!”
The shouts of laughter at this sally made the gentlemen forget their fatigue.
The Day’s Expenses
While Crown Prince Rudolph of Austria was on his last visit to Emperor William at the shooting-lodge, Letzlingen, the two, with four other royal gunners, were playing a game of billiards at fifty pfennig, about eleven cents, each.
The Emperor won, and soon after retired, but returned again to give some directions about the next day’s hunt. The gentlemen were still playing.
“What is this game you are playing?” asked the Emperor.
“Oh, a child’s game, your Majesty, called ‘Meine Tante, deine Tante,’ my aunt, your aunt, or ‘Naschi-Waschi.’”
“I can play that,” said the Emperor, and staked the thaler he had just won, and won another. Smiling, the Emperor put the money in his vest pocket when one of the gentlemen remarked: “Your Majesty might try it again,” but he replied, “No, thank you, this just covers to-day’s expenses,” and retired again.