know that in such things I am more than a
match for ten graduates."

As a matter of fact he really gave me lessons, which, I may say in
advance, were kept up even after the need of them no longer existed,
and, peculiar as these lessons were, I learned more from them than
from many a famous teacher. My father picked out quite arbitrarily the
things he had long known by heart or, perhaps, had just read the same
day, and vitalized geography with history, always, of course, in such
a way that in the end his favorite themes were given due prominence.
For example:

"Do you know about East and West Prussia?"

"Yes, papa; that is the country after which Prussia is called Prussia
and after which we are all called Prussians."

"Very good, very good; a little too much Prussia, but that doesn't
matter. And do you also know the capitals of the two provinces?"

"Yes, papa; Koenigsberg and Danzig."

"Very good. I myself have been in Danzig, and came near going to
Koenigsberg, too, but something intervened. Have you ever heard
perchance who it was that finally captured Danzig after the brave
defense of our General Kalckreuth?"

"No, papa."

"Well, it is not to be expected. Very few people do know it, and the
so-called higher educated never know it. Well, it was General Lefevre,
a man of rare bravery, upon whom Napoleon later bestowed the title of
_Duc de Dantzic_, spelled with a final c, in which regard the
languages differ. That was in the year 1807."

"After the battle of Jena?"

"Yes, it may be put that way; but only in the same sense as if you
were to say, it was after the Seven Years' War."

"I don't understand, papa."

"Doesn't matter. I mean, Jena was too long ago. But one might say it
was after the battle of Prussian Eylau, a fearfully bloody battle, in
which the Russian Guard was almost annihilated, and in which Napoleon,
before surrendering, said to his favorite Duroc: 'Duroc, today I have
made the acquaintance of the sixth great power of Europe, _la boue_.'"

"What does that mean?"

"_La boue_ means the mud. But one can express it more strongly in
German, and I am inclined to think that Napoleon, who, when he felt
like it, had something cynical about him, really meant this stronger
expression."

"What is cynical?"

"Cynical--hm, cynical--it is a word often used, and one might say,
cynical is the same as rough or brutal. But I presume it may be
defined more accurately. We will look it up later in the en