blue eyes, fair hair, unshaven
to his cheek bones, who looked stupid, timid and good. The shrewd Norman
read him at once, and, reassured, he made him a sign to sit down. Then he
said: "Will you take some soup?"

The stranger did not understand. Anthony then became bolder, and pushing
a plateful of soup right under his nose, he said: "Here, swallow that,
big pig!"

The soldier answered "Ya," and began to eat greedily, while the farmer,
triumphant, feeling he had regained his reputation, winked his eye at the
servants, who were making strange grimaces, what with their terror and
their desire to laugh.

When the Prussian had devoured his soup, Saint Anthony gave him another
plateful, which disappeared in like manner; but he flinched at the third
which the farmer tried to insist on his eating, saying: "Come, put that
into your stomach; 'twill fatten you or it is your own fault, eh, pig!"

The soldier, understanding only that they wanted to make him eat all his
soup, laughed in a contented manner, making a sign to show that he could
not hold any more.

Then Saint Anthony, become quite familiar, tapped him on the stomach,
saying: "My, there is plenty in my pig's belly!" But suddenly he began to
writhe with laughter, unable to speak. An idea had struck him which made
him choke with mirth. "That's it, that's it, Saint Anthony and his pig.
There's my pig!" And the three servants burst out laughing in their turn.

The old fellow was so pleased that he had the brandy brought in, good
stuff, 'fil en dix', and treated every one. They clinked glasses with the
Prussian, who clacked his tongue by way of flattery to show that he
enjoyed it. And Saint Anthony exclaimed in his face: "Eh, is not that
superfine? You don't get anything like that in your home, pig!"

From that time Father Anthony never went out without his Prussian. He had
got what he wanted. This was his vengeance, the vengeance of an old
rogue. And the whole countryside, which was in terror, laughed to split
its sides at Saint Anthony's joke. Truly, there was no one like him when
it came to humor. No one but he would have thought of a thing like that.
He was a born joker!

He went to see his neighbors every day, arm in arm with his German, whom
he introduced in a jovial manner, tapping him on the shoulder: "See, here
is my pig; look and see if he is not growing fat, the animal!"

And the peasants would beam with smiles. "He is so comical, that reckless
fellow, Ant