The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1911-02-24
RUSSIA'S JESTER.
BaIakireff Is the Joe Miller of the
~ Muscovites.
HIS WIT TlcKLES THE BEAR.
He Was the Court Fool That Many
Time Bravod the Anger of Peter the
Great-His Miracle Of the Sword and
a Wondrous Deed of DARING.

ing stories of people. Thus England II
has it's Joe Mixer. Germany its Till Il
Eulenspiegel, Italy its Puschinello the
orient its Nasreddln ell Khoja and
Russia its Balakireff. Like Joe Mil
Ter, the last was real character.
though not all the jokes credited to
him were his own. Some were inven-
tons of later age others We're Dor
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 |
" exercising his wit at royal expense. |
One day, for example, d cousin of his |
had fallen under the cars displeasure
and was sentenced to death. Dalaki- |
ref undertook to obtain a reprieve
The car guessed his errand even be-
fore he opened his mouth.
"Nor' he cried. IT'S no use your
coming here. | swear that / will not
grant what you are going to askr'
Balakiref dropped at once to his
knees. Peter AlcXeivitch," he cried,
81 pray you, put to death that scamp
of cousin Of minew
Peter, thus caught in his own trap.
had no choice but 10 laugh ANA send
a pardon TO the culprit.
On another occasion Balakireff ask
ed that he might be enrolled among
his masters domestic guards. Peter
consented for the sake of the joke,
but warmed his Jester that death was
the penalty if any officer Of the
guards absented himself from his post
or mislatd his sword. Then TO test
the volunteer he sent him up a flagon
| of wine to "moisten his commission"
Balakiref, as was expected. drank to
the intoxicating point. While he was
sleeping off his debaueh the 0zar him
| self crept int 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 gusrds4nens sword. He
was called 10 parade next morning,
when Peter feisned hot Indignation
at the untidiness Of one of the guards.
Captain Balakireff, he cried at last
draw your sword and cut eff the head
of that sloyen.'
Balakireff cast, his eyes up to heav-
en-. "Oh merciful God" he prayed,
grant that my sword may turn into
wood before use it on one of my own
fellow soldiers
And, 10, when he unsheathed it the
blade stood revealed as wooden one.
Peter laughed heartily at the knave's
presence of mind and restored him to
favor.
A more serious ofense resulted in
the Punishment Of the Jester ''Never
dare to appear again on Russian soh!'
stermed the. emperor. Judge then Of
Peters swrprSe VIXEN. week later,
he behald his old favorite coolly dEiv-
ing cart past the palace.
~How dare you Sisobey me?' shout
ed the enraged monarch. Did l not
forbid YOU cfsar to show yourself on
Russian SoilY'
May" repGed EalaAre&, Il have
not disobcyed you This is not Rus
sian SOIL
glow say you--not Russian soilf'
"Fruly not This carload of earth
on which am sitting is Swedish soil.
dug it Mp in Finland only the other
day"
Asain, the ear laughed ,uproariouslV
asd seSdmited his bsffson to favor,
Seine historians add that when he
heard the excuse he said. eff Finland
be Swedish soil now it shall be Rus
sian before long" threat he was not
slow to fulfill.
This story. however. was ansold one
long before the time of Ralakireff. 1t
fo4sns the twenty-seyenth adventure
of Till Eulenspiegel, who is reputed to
Nave died In 1873. Having offended
tho DNle ef Iuncnberg. tbs was "for-
hidden the land" He purchased shil-
Hns's worth Of earth to fiji his cart
with. ana, 'bsslg,thiy challenged By the
duke he answerth
MY gracious lord, l am'not n your
land, bu Fin ,Nne .wn, wherein do
nj. ! Bought It Of Door for shil-
ling. Axd rightfully could he sell 1t,
! for from his f0refshers he Inherited
It. So Is this truly ny land.
At the close of'..e of Gar Peters
campaigns BShLireE.ov overheard. some
Russian efsers beaSing az exploits
Ssy had performed.
"Nay," he rrisd, II can tell better
%sry thar any of YOU And. beinG