n the island, and Napoleonder lives there and watches geese. Night
and day he looks after the geese, without eating, or drinking, or
sleeping, or smoking; and his only thought is--how to conquer the whole
world."

The Lord God thought and thought, and then he ordered: "Bring him to
me."

Satan at once brought Napoleonder into the bright heaven. The Lord God
looked at him, and saw that he was a military man with shining buttons.

"I have heard, Napoleonder," says the Lord God, "that you want to
conquer the whole world."

"Exactly so," replies Napoleonder; "that's what I want very much to
do."

"And have you thought," says the Lord God, "that when you go forth to
conquer you will crush many peoples and shed rivers of blood?"

"That's all the same to me," says Napoleonder; "the important thing for
me is--how can I subdue the whole world."

"And will you not feel pity for the killed, the wounded, the burned, the
ruined, and the dead?"

"Not in the least," says Napoleonder. "Why should I feel pity? I don't
like pity. So far as I can remember, I was never sorry for anybody or
anything in my life, and I never shall be."

Then the Lord God turns to the angels and says: "Messrs. Angels, this
seems to be the very fellow for our business." Then to Napoleonder he
says: "Satan was perfectly right. You are worthy to be the instrument of
my wrath, because a pitiless conqueror is worse than earthquake, famine,
or deluge. Go back to the earth, Napoleonder; I turn over to you the
whole world, and through you the whole world shall be punished."

Napoleonder says: "Give me armies and luck, and I'll do my best."

Then the Lord God says: "Armies you shall have, and luck you shall have;
and so long as you are merciless you shall never be defeated in battle;
but remember that the moment you begin to feel sorry for the shedding of
blood--of your own people or of others--that moment your power will
end. From that moment your enemies will defeat you, and you shall
finally be made a prisoner, be put into chains, and be sent back to Buan
Island to watch geese. Do you understand?"

"Exactly so," says Napoleonder. "I understand, and I will obey. I shall
never feel pity."

Then the angels and the archangels began to say to God: "Lord, why have
you laid upon him such a frightful command? If he goes forth so, without
mercy, he will kill every living soul on earth--he will leave none for
seed!"

"Be silent!" replied the Lord God. "He wi