CZAR AND GENERAL.

Northland Age, Volume 2, Issue 44, 12 June 1906, Page 7

CZAR AND GENERAL.

The Emperor Nicholas of Russia ( was in the habit of travelling about j incognito in public stage coaches, accompanied only by one of his generals. On one of these occasions he I and General A. were told, on arriving at a postal station, that the next piece of road was so bad it 1 would take the coach three hours to reach the town, but if they liked to ■ walk by, the woods it would not ’ take half the time. As the weather : was fine, and the road was said to be a good one. the Emperor and the general started off on foot. By and by they came to a rapid river, but could see ho bridge. A peasant happened to come by, and the Emperor , asked him where the bridge was. | “There is none,” replied the peasant . I “Then .there is no way across ?” j “No, only through the water.” j “Well, L will give you ten silver roubles to carry me across.” j The peasant took, the Emperor on | his shoulders, and in a few minutes landed him on the opposite shore. K “Now,” said the Emperor, “ten ; roubles more to bring my friend over. . The peasant waded back and took j the general on his back. When they j got half way across the Emperor | called out : “I'll give you twenty j roubles to drop him into the water.” | The peasant, who was a giant in size and strength, and able easily to I withstand the swift current iaimed- j ialoly dropped the general in the | water. “One hundred roubles to j carry me on,” he gasped, unable to stand against the current. The peasant picked him up again, but I rd not gone three steps before , Nicholas cried out : “Two hundred roubles to drop him in again.” The peasant stood still perplexed. | “Five hundred to carry me on to : j the shore,” yelled the general. “Eight hundred to drop him,” shouted his Majesty. The peasant began to slip the gen- ! era! off his back, but the latter clutched him tightly, and cried : j j “One thousand to put me on the < bank.” I The Emperor was laughing to much !to sa.v any more. The general was landed, and the two, with the peasant for the guide, soon reached the town. After luncheon the general , made up his official Imperial accounts. 1 On them were these items:— i “To carrying his Majesty across J the river, ten roubles.” v jj “To carrying General A., under ] great difficulties created by his Majesty, one thousand roubles.”