's hut
in which the king had taken refuge. They climbed the rook as nimbly
as cats, and now the old boards cracked and groaned and flew in every
direction, and were received with shouts of joy by the surrounding
soldiers. Suddenly a guard officer stepped from the hut, and saw with
horror its destruction; he ordered the soldiers to lay the boards as
they had found them, and to go off at once. The soldiers mocked at him,
and continued at their work quietly.

"We are going to eat noodles," they said, "common noodles, of meal and
lard, that we may have the courage to swallow iron noodles to-morrow. To
cook noodles, we need wood. We find it here, and we shall take it."

"What!" cried the officer, "I forbid it, and you refuse to
obey?--Sentinels, forward!"

The four guards, who, until now, had walked quietly to and fro before
the hut, placed themselves at the door and shouldered arms.

"Fire at the first one who dares to touch another piece of wood,"
commanded the officer. But the wanton soldiers paid no attention to this
order; they regarded it as an empty threat.

"Fire," cried one, laughing, "fire is just what we want--without fire,
no noodles; and to make fire we must have wood."

"Whew! I have a big splinter in my finger," cried another soldier, who
was on the roof, and had just broken off a plank; "I must draw it out
and put it back, mustn't I, lieutenant?"

At this question the gay group broke into a loud laugh; but it was
interrupted by the angry words of the officer.

Suddenly a mild voice asked: "What is the matter?" At the first sound
of this voice the soldiers seemed dismayed; they stopped their work, and
their merry faces became earnest and thoughtful. Stiff and motionless
they remained on the roof awaiting their punishment; they knew that
voice only too well, they had heard it in the thunder of battle. The
king repeated his question. The officer approached him.

"Sire, these dragoons are tearing the roof from your majesty's quarters,
all my threats are useless; therefore I ordered the sentinels forward."

"What do you want with the sentinels?" asked the king.

"To fire amongst them, if they do not desist."

"Have you tried kindness?" said the king, sternly; "do you think, on the
day before a battle, I have soldiers to spare, and you may shoot them
down because of a piece of wood?"

The officer murmured a few confused words; but the king paid no
attention to him; he looked up at the soldiers sittin