第10章

FREDERICK WILLIAM.

The little flag-bearer skipped into the room with graceful vivacity, and sprang, with a merry bound, up to the king, took his hand without ceremony, and pressed it to his lips. Then, raising up his head and shaking back his light-brown curls from his rosy cheeks, his bright-blue eyes sparkling, he looked him full in the face.

"Your majesty, you say that you sent for me; but I must tell you that if you had not sent for me I would have come here alone, and begged so long at the door, that you would have let me come in!""And what if I would not have let you come in at all?" said the king, smiling.

The little flag-bearer reflected a moment, then answered with a confident air: "Your majesty, I would have forced open the door, thrown myself at your feet, and kissed your hand, saying, 'My king, my dear great-uncle, I must come in to thank you a thousand times for the flag-bearer's commission you have sent me, and for the beautiful uniform." Then I would see if your majesty had the courage to send me away.""Let me see, my prince--do you think my courage could fail me upon any occasion?""Yes, in bad things," zealously cried the prince, "and it would be bad if you would not let me thank you. I am so happy with the commission and the beautiful uniform which you so graciously sent to me! Tell me, your majesty, do I not look beautifully?" The boy straightened his elegant, slender form, and saluted the king, putting the two fingers of his right hand upon his cap.

"Yes, yes," said Frederick, "you look very nicely, my prince; but it is not enough that you look well--you must behave well. From a flag-bearer in my army I expect very different things than from any common child. Who wears my uniform must prove himself worthy of the honor.""Your majesty," cried the prince, "I assure you, upon my word of honor, that I have no bad marks when I wear the uniform. Your majesty can ask my tutor. He came with me, and waits in the anteroom to speak with you. He will tell you that I have a good report.""Very well, we will call him presently," said Frederick, smiling.

"Now we will chat a little together. Tell me whether you are very industrious, and if you are learning anything of consequence?""Sire, I must learn, even if I had no inclination to; Herr Behnisch leaves me no peace. I have scarcely time to play. I am always learning to read, to write, to cipher, and to work.""How about the geography and universal history?""Oh, your majesty, I wish there were no geography and history in the world, and then I should not have to study so cruelly hard, and Icould play more. My mother sent me last week a new battledore and shuttlecock, but I can never learn to play with it. I no sooner begin, than Herr Behnisch calls me to study. To-day I was very cunning--oh, I was so sly! I put it in the great-pocket of my tutor's coat, and he brought it here without knowing it.""That was very naughty," said the king, a little severely. The prince colored, and, a little frightened, said: "Sire, I could not bring it any other way. I beg pardon, the uniform is so tight, and then--then, I thought it would be dishonoring it to put a shuttlecock in the cartridge-box.""That was a good thought, prince, and for that I will forgive you the trick upon your tutor. But what will you do with the ball here?

Why did you bring it?"

"Oh, I wished to show it to your majesty, it is so beautiful, and then beg you to let me play a little.""We will see, Fritz," said the king, much pleased. "If you deserve it, that shall be your reward. Tell me the truth, is your tutor satisfied with you?""Sire, Herr Behnisch is never really pleased, but he has not scolded me much lately, so I must have been pretty good. One day he wrote 'Bien' under my French exercise. Oh, I was so happy that I spent six groschen of the thaler my father gave me a little while since, and bought two pots of gilly-flowers, one for myself and one for my little brother Henry, that he should have a souvenir of my 'Bien!'""That was right," said the king, nodding approvingly. "When you are good, you must always let your friends and relations take part in it; keep the bad only for yourself.""I will remember that, and I thank you for the kind instruction.""The studies seem to go very well, but how is it with the behavior?

They tell me that the prince is not always polite to his visitors;that he is sometimes very rude, even to the officers who pay their respects to him on his father's account, and on my account, not on his own, for what do they care for such a little snip as he? They go to honor Prince Frederick William of Prussia, though he is only a little flag-bearer. They tell me that you do not appreciate the honor, but that at Easter you behaved very badly.""Sire, it is true; I cannot deny it--I did behave badly," sighed the little prince.

"What was the matter?" asked the king. "It was not from fear, Ihope? I should be very angry at that. Tell me yourself, and tell me the truth.""Your majesty can depend upon the whole truth. My tutor says that lying is despicable, and that a prince who will one day be a king should be too proud to tell a lie! I will tell you all about it. The officers came to see me at Easter, just as I had put the Easter eggs in the garden, for my little brother and some other boys whom I had invited to hunt for them. I had spent my last six groschen for the eggs, and I anticipated so much pleasure with the hide-and-seek for them. We had just begun, when the officers came.""That was really unfortunate," said the king, sympathizingly.

"Yes, sire, very disagreeable, and I could not possibly feel kindly.

While the officers were talking, I was always wishing they would go.