photo by Basilio
A soldier with long service in the Army presented himself to Philip II and said: “Sire, I’ve served in Your Majesty’s army my whole life, and now I see myself constrained to move to the Reserves without enough to eat.”
The king gave him an adequate pension, but the soldier came back a few months later with a new request, and the king then asked: “But wasn’t the pension I gave you some months ago sufficient?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. You gave me a pension sufficient for me to eat, but I forgot to request a pension for something to drink.”
The solemn Philip II almost broke out laughing and increased the soldier’s pension.
Celnart, Choix d’anecdotes (Paris: Roret, 1828), Vol. 3, p. 121. (Nobility.org translation.)
Short Stories on Honor, Chivalry, and the World of Nobility—no. 75
