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1、Napoleon’sThreeQuestionsAstoryistoldaboutaSwedewhowasdyingtojoinNapoleon’sGrandArmy.OneeveningsomeofNapoleon’ssoldiersweredrinkingtogetherwhenayoungFrenchmanbroughtafriendtotheirtable.HeexplainedtothemthathisfriendwasaSwedeandknewnoFrench,butthisSwedeadmiredNapoleonsomuchthathewantedtojoin
2、theFrencharmyandfightforhim.Thesoldierslookedupandinfrontofthemstoodatallyoungmanwithblueeyes,afriendlyface,strongarmsandbroadshoulders.Theylikedhimatfirstsight.Theofficerssawthathewasjusttherightsortofman,sotheyacceptedhimandhebecameoneofNapoleonssoldiers.Hisnewfriendssmoothedawaythediffi
3、culties.Hefoughtbravelyinmanybattlesandgainedtheirrespect.However,hisknowledgeofFrenchremainedveryweak,becausehewasnotgoodatlearninglanguages,butthisdidnotpreventhimfromfightinghard.Severalyearslater,wordcamethatNapoleonhimselfwascomingtoinspectthem,andtheSwedewaswarnedthatthegreatmanwould
4、probablyaskhimsomequestions.TherewassomedifficultyinexplainingthistotheSwede,butwhenatlastheunderstoodhebecameatalossandveryanxious.“TheSwedewon’tunderstandthequestions.”OneoftheFrenchmensaid,“Whatcanhedo?”ItwaswellknownthatNapoleonalwaysaskedthesamethreequestions,andusuallyinthesameorder.
5、Thefirstquestionwas,“Howoldareyou?”Thesecondwas,“howlonghaveyoubeeninmyarmy?”Andthethirdwas,“Didyouserveineitherofmylasttwocampaigns?”TheSwedecouldnotpossiblyrememberallthesewordsandsohisfriendsdecidedtoteachhimonlytheanswersintheirproperorder.Theygavehimalotofpractice.Wheneverpossible,one
6、ofthemwouldstophim,makehimstandatattention,andaskhimthethreequestions.“Howoldareyou?”hewoulddemand,andtheSwedewouldanswer,“Twenty-three,sir.”Thenhisfriendwouldask,“Howlonghaveyoubeeninmyarmy?”andtheSwedewouldanswer,“Threeyears,sir.”Tothethirdquestion,“Didyouserveineitherofmylasttwocampaign
7、s?”theSwedewouldanswerwithpride,“Both,sir!”Formanydaysthispracticecontinued.TheSwedewouldwalkabout,sayingtohimself,“Twenty-three,sir.Threeyears,sir.Both,sir!”Beforethedayoftheinspection,hisfriendsweresatisfied.Heknewhisanswer.Thereoughttobenotrouble.Napoleonar
