Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1911-01-13

Time Braved the Anger of Peter the |
Great-His Miracle Of the Sword and |
a Wondrous Deed of Daring.
Every nation has its typical Jester,
around whom crystalline all the float
ing stories of people. Thus England
has its Joe Miller, Germany its Till
Eulenspiegel, Italy its Punchinello, the
orient its Nasreddin ell Khoja and
Russia its Balakireff. Like Joe Mil
Ter, the last was real character,
though not all the jokes credited to
tons of later age; others were bor
rowed from the past. He shares the
credit for many of the latter with Joe
Miller and Eulenspiegel.
History records that Balakireff was
the favorite jester of Peter the Great.
Tradition represents him as the con-
slant company of that car, frequent
ly exercising his wit at royal expense.
One day, for example, cousin of his
had fallen under the cars displeasure
and was sentenced to death. Balak1-
ref undertook to obtain a reprieve.
The car guessed his errand even be-
fore he opened his mouth.
"Now he cried. "'Tis no use your
coming here. swear that l will not
grant what you are going to ask"
Balakireff dropped at once to his
knees. peter Alexeivitch," he cried,
II pray you, put to death that scamp
of a cousin of miner
Peter, thus caught in his own trap,
had no choice but to laugh and send
a pardon to the culprit.
On another occasion Balakireff ask
ed that he might he enrolled among
his masters domestic guards. Peter
consented for the sake of the joke,
but warned his jester that death was
the penalty if any officer Of the
guards absented himself from his post
or mislaid his sword. Then to test
the volunteer he sent him up fiagon
of wine to "moisten his commission"
Balakireff. as was expected, drank to
the intoxicating point. While he was
sleeping off his debauch the cZar him.
self crept into the room and carried
off his sword from the scabbard. Bala-
kireff. though badly scared, on awak-
ing made shift to replace the missing
weapon with his own wooden imita-
ton of the guardsmen's sword. He
was called to parade next morning,
when Peter feigned hot indignation
at the untidiness of one of the guards.
Captain Balakireff." he cried at last,
"draw your sword and cut off the head
Of that slovenr'
Balakireff cast his eyes up to heav-
en- "Oh, merciful Cod" he prayed,
grant that my sword may turn into
wood before use it on one of my own
| fellow soldiersr'
And, 10, when he unsheathed it the
blade stood revealed as a wooden one.
Peter laughed heartily at the knave's
presence Of mind and restored him to
/ favor.
| A more serious offense resulted In
the Punishment of the Jester. "Never
! dare to appear again on Russian soii!'
, stormed the emperor Judge then of
| Peters surprise when, a week later,
he beheld his old favorite coolly driv-
ing a cart past the palace.
! How dare you disobey me?" shout
cd the enraged monarch. Did I not
| forbid you ever to show yourself on
Russian soi?'
"Nay." replied Balakireff, Il have
not disoheyed you. This is not Rus
sian soil"
| How say you-not Russian soil?"
"Truly not This CARLOAD of earth
on which am sitting is Swedish soil
dug it up in Finland only the other
day"
Again the ear laughed uproariously
| and readmitted his buffoon to favor
J Some historians add that when he
| heard the excuse he said. IF Finland
| be Swedish soil now it shall be Rus
sian before long" a threat he was not
| slow to fulfil.
| This story. however, was an old one
| long before the time of Balakireff. 1t
| forms the twenty seventh adventure
| of Till Eulenspiegel, who is reputed tc
have died in 1850. Having offended
| the Duke of Lunenber@. Till was for
| hidden the land" He purchased shil
| ling's worth of earth to fill his carl
with. and, being duly challenged by the
| duke, he answered:
"My gracious lord, am not in your
land, but in mine own, wherein l &c
| sit. l bought it of boor for shil
ling. And rightfully could he sell it
| for from his forefathers he inherited
| it. So is this truly my land"
At the close of one of Gar Peters
campaigns Balakireff overheard some
| Russian officers boasting of exploits
they had performed.
| "Nay," he cried, II can tell better
story than any of you" And, beirs
pressed for the story. he continued:
"Never have liked this modern way
| of fighting all in a body together
| Surely it would be more manly fol
| each to stand by himself. Therefore
| went l out alone in search of adven
| lures. One day while accommodating
Swedish soldier lying on the ground
| Before he could rise and give the
alarm 1 rushed upon him and witt
one blow from my sword cut off his
right foot"
| "Yon foolw cried one of his auditors
| "Why did you not cut off his head?"
$50 would | have done" retortet
Ralakireff, except that somebody elst
had already Done it."-Washlngto1
J Star