Show frederick the great knew how to rebuke a grumbling officer it is a story they tell of fred enck erick the great how at one of his levees toward the end of his reign an old field officer came up and prayed a word with his majesty why nota says frederick who loved his soldiers step over to the window with me good herr oberst you were saying majesty says the oberst I 1 have spent my life in your service my hair has grown gray follow ing your standard my health is broken my old body is covered with wounds from your cam and your battles and maj esty all these hard years all this toil toll all these battles and marches count as nothing when I 1 see youn kers promoted over my head chil dren who were cadets when I 1 led ie tt company in your grenadiers look at so and so look at that one lieutenant generals and I 1 am still a major majesty I 1 grow to the he end of my mortal term for all my years of service if for noth ing ng else grant me promotion the prussian king took his arm and pointed to the window where a picket line of artillery mules munched their straw major you see those mules you see the old flea bitten mule at this end they have made many campaigns the old one this way r has made 20 campaigns but my good herr oberst they are still mules john W thomason jr in american mercury |