Folk-Tales of Napoleon - The Napoleon of the People; Napoleonder by Honoré de Balzac;Alexander Amphiteatrof
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page 9 of 48 (18%)
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land in the island, and Napoleonder lives there and watches geese. Night
and day he looks after the geese, without eating, or drinking, or sleeping, or smoking; and his only thought is--how to conquer the whole world." The Lord God thought and thought, and then he ordered: "Bring him to me." Satan at once brought Napoleonder into the bright heaven. The Lord God looked at him, and saw that he was a military man with shining buttons. "I have heard, Napoleonder," says the Lord God, "that you want to conquer the whole world." "Exactly so," replies Napoleonder; "that's what I want very much to do." "And have you thought," says the Lord God, "that when you go forth to conquer you will crush many peoples and shed rivers of blood?" "That's all the same to me," says Napoleonder; "the important thing for me is--how can I subdue the whole world." "And will you not feel pity for the killed, the wounded, the burned, the ruined, and the dead?" "Not in the least," says Napoleonder. "Why should I feel pity? I don't like pity. So far as I can remember, I was never sorry for anybody or anything in my life, and I never shall be." |
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