雙語+MP3|美國學(xué)生世界歷史74 逃跑的王子

74
A Prince Who Ran Away
逃跑的王子

     IF you put a P in front of Russia it makes-Prussia. This was the name of a little country in Europe that was later a part of Germany. Russia was big, and Peter made it great. Prussia was small, but another king made it also great. This king was named Frederick. He, too, lived in the eighteenth century, but a little later than Peter, and he, too, was called "the Great"-Frederick the Great.
     Frederick's father, who was the second king of Prussia, had a hobby for collecting giants as you might collect postage stamps. Wherever he heard of a very tall man, no matter in what country and no matter what it cost to get him, he bought or hired him. This collection of giants he made into a remarkable company of soldiers, which was his special pride.
     He was a very cranky, cross, and bad-tempered old king. He treated his children terribly, especially his son Frederick, whom he called Fritz. Fritz had curls and liked music and poetry and fancy clothes. His father didn't like this, for he wanted a son who would be a soldier and fighter. His father, when angry, used to throw dishes at him, lock him up for days at a time, and feed him on bread and water and whip him with a cane. Finally Fritz could stand it no longer, and he ran away. He was caught and brought back. His father was so angry with his son for disobeying and acting as he had done that he was actually going to have him killed-yes, put to death-but at the last minute was persuaded not to do it.
     But here is a strange thing: When Fritz grew up to be Frederick, he turned out to be just what his father wanted him to be-a great soldier and fighter. He still loved poetry and even tried to write poems himself, and he was very fond of music and he played the flute very well indeed. But Frederick wanted above everything else to make his country important in Europe; for before his time it was of little account, and no one paid much attention to it.
     Now, the neighboring country to Prussia was Austria. Austria was ruled over by a woman named Maria Theresa. Maria Theresa had become ruler of Austria at the same time that Frederick had become king of Prussia. Some people said that a woman should not rule a country and they wanted to use this as an excuse to start a war. Frederick's father had promised to let Maria Theresa alone-he  had promised not to fight just because she was a woman-but when Frederick became king, he wanted to add a part of Austria to his own country, so he simply helped himself to the piece of Maria Theresa's country that he wanted. He didn't care if she was a woman or what his father had promised. Of course this started a war. Before long almost every country in Europe was fighting either with Frederick or against him. But Frederick not only succeeded in getting what he was after; he succeeded in holding on to it.
     Maria Theresa, however, would not give up. She wanted to get back what had been wrongfully taken away from her. She began quietly and secretly to get ready for another war against Frederick. Quietly and secretly she got other countries to promise to help her. But Frederick heard of what she was doing, and suddenly he attacked her again, and for seven long years this next war went on. This was called the Seven Years' War. Frederick kept on fighting until he had beaten Austria for good and until he had gained his purpose, which was to make his little country of Prussia the most powerful country in Europe. He still held on to the part of Austria that he had at first taken away. Maria Theresa was a great queen, and she would have won against Frederick had he been an ordinary king. But she had too strong a ruler against her. Frederick was one of the world's smartest generals and too much for her.
     The Seven Years' War, strange to say, was fought out not only in Europe but in far-off America, also. England had taken Frederick's side. France and other countries had taken sides against him. The English settlers in America, who were on Frederick's side, fought the French settlers, who were against him. When Frederick won in Europe, the English in America also won against the French in America. I am telling you all this because that is why we in America speak English instead of French today. If Frederick had lost in Europe and the English had lost in America, France would have won, and we here in America would probably now speak French instead of English.
     Frederick, like some other kings we have heard of before, thought nothing of lying or cheating or stealing if he had to in order to get the better of other countries. Fair means or foul means made no difference to him. But his own people he treated as if they were his children and did everything he could for them. Like a lioness with her cubs, he fought for his family, even with the world against him.
     There was a mill close by Frederick's palace that belonged to a poor miller. As it was not a pretty thing to be so near, the king wanted to buy it in order to tear it down and get rid of it. But the miller would not sell. Although Frederick the Great offered a large sum of money, the miller refused. A great many kings would simply have taken the mill and perhaps put the miller in jail or put him to death. Frederick did neither, for he thought his lowliest subject had his rights and that if he didn't want to sell he shouldn't be made to. He left the miller undisturbed, and the mill stands today as it did then, close to the palace.
     Though Frederick was a German, strange to say, he hated the German language. He thought it the language of the uneducated. He himself spoke French and wrote in French and only spoke German when he had to talk to his servants or those who did not understand French.