CHAPTER IV.

HOW THEY DO IN PRUSSIA.

WE

E are to crowd a kingdom into a single chapter, and that a kingdom that occupies a central position, and has a commanding influence among the nations of Europe.

Our travellers were at a comfortable hotel in the city of Frederick the Great, the people of which were just pouring out from their homes to the business of the day.

"What have you ordered, Walter?" asked his father, as the lad came in from the office. "A bath, a breakfast, and a droskie, sir." “All at once?"

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No, sir; the bath now; the breakfast in an hour; the droskie at nine o'clock."

"Very well."

The bath was taken, and soon breakfast was eaten, and the droskie came to the door. It was decided that a few hours should be spent in riding about the city, seeing the outside of things, and becoming acquainted with the general appearance of the place. As they rode

around, a valet de place pointed out the objects of interest, and gave such information as the party needed, they meanwhile being engaged in conversation.

"What street is this?" asked Minnie, as they rode through a beautiful avenue.

"This," replied her father, " is the celebrated Unter der Linden."

"Why so called?"

"Can you not tell?" "No."

"Can you, Walter?"

"Yes, sir, I have heard. Besides, if I had not, I should have known. The street derives its name from these beautiful rows of Linden trees."

"That is right; the name signifies under the Linden trees; and the street is said by the people here to be the most beautiful on the continent."

"Who is king, father?" asked the boy. "Frederick William IV."

"Is he an able monarch?

"No, quite otherwise."

"Please tell us all about him."

"For a long time the king has been in an idiotic state, and the kingdom is governed by the prince regent."

"How came he idiotic?"

"When he came to the throne, being incapaole of sustaining himself, he left the offices of state to others, and fell into habits of intemperance. His queen, a woman of much more character than her husband, for a long time concealed his faults, but with all her ingenuity the fact of his idiocy came out."

"There are," said Mr. Tenant, joining the conversation, "many good stories told of this king, growing out of his demented state."

"O, tell them," said Minnie; "tell them, if they are funny."

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"One thing I have read is this: There exists still an old custom at Potsdam, according to which the fishermen once in the year pay to the king an old feudal tribute of fish. On that occasion, the queen, to prove to the mass of the people the falsehood of the rumors then freely circulating as to the state of the royal mind, dared to invite the foremost of these men to a fish dinner, to be presided over by the king himself. In fact, the dinner went off pretty well, the king muttering some words learned by rote, smiling, and, on the whole, behaving properly. The queen, anxious lest the scene so well got up should be spoiled, hastened to give the guests the signal of departure, when all at once the

king rose, and in a thundering voice, demanded to be put in the frying pan.' This story I give you just as I read it."

"Do you believe it?"

"More than likely it is true."

"Tell us another."

"It is said that on the occasion when the Queen of Portugal celebrated her nuptials at Berlin by proxy, the king"

"Plague take the French," cried Minnie; "what does by proxy mean."

"It is not French, I know," interposed Walter.

"Well, go on; I won't interrupt again."

"The king was to have publicly assisted at the church ceremonies. Every thing was ready, and ministers, aides-de-camp, courtiers, foreign ambassadors, and the bride herself, were waiting for him, when, all at once, despite the desperate efforts of the queen, he was overtaken by the hallucination of believing himself the bridegroom. Some queer remarks he dropped as to his singular destiny in being married again during the lifetime of his first spouse, and as to

the impropriety of his (the bridegroom's) appearance in a military uniform, left his exhibitors no chance but to countermand the spectacle which had been announced.'"

"That is a good one," exclaimed both children at once.

"I have another," said Mr. Tenant.

"What is it?"

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"When it was seen that the king could not be retained in Berlin with safety, he was sent, under keepers, to Italy. He made some stay in the beautiful city of Florence, and there the following story is told of him: The royal patient was perfectly sane all day, received his guests, chatted, laughed, and was quite jolly; the dinner was announced, the company marched in; the king, of course, took his place at the head of the table, and every body waited for him to set the example to put their spoons in their mouths. But instead of doing what was expected of him, his majesty deliberately washed his face in the soup, and then sat complacently smiling on his friends, the long strings of vermicelli hanging down over his eyes and nose, and in his hair and mustache. You may imagine the effect; no one dared to laugh, however, and they had to sit out the dinner with this ridiculous figure-head, covered with gravy, (for he