A Frenchman, handpicked for the life guards of Frederick the Great of Prussia, knew no German. His Captain wondered how he would answer the three questions that the king reliably put to every new recruit: his age, his length of military service, and his satisfaction with pay and clothing. At length, he decided to coach him in the appropriate replies.

Unluckily, the King shuffled his questions, and thus heard that the fresh-faced Frenchman had seen twenty-one years’ military service, yet was one year old. ‘One of us is a fool’ muttered Frederick. ‘Both’ replied the Frenchman eagerly, hoping to express satisfaction with pay and clothing. Happily the confusion was soon cleared up, the king laughing as heartily as anyone.

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