THE EMPEROR'S BARBER

New Zealand Tablet, 4 September 1913, Page 61

THE EMPEROR'S BARBER

An excellent story is told of one of the predecessors of his Imperial Majesty Franz Joseph on the Austrian throne. A wealthy farmer, residing in- the neighborhood of Vienna, had an extremely fine young horse,—so remarkable an animal that the owner conceived the desire of presenting him to the Emperor as a gift. With this view he approached a friend of hip, a man of high position in the capital, who promised to procure him an audience with his Majesty. One day, as the farmer was exercising the horse, leading him by the bridle along a forest road, a gentleman in hunting costume came out of the neighboring woods and entered into conversation with him. The farmer extolled the points of his horse, showed his paces, and presently mentioned his own keen desire to make a present of him to the Emperor. The gentleman was full of admiration for the animal, praised him unstintingly, and asked to be allowed to try him. 'No,' said the farmer: 'the Emperor shall be the first man to ride him.' The hunter explained that he was the Emperor's barber, and knew his Majesty's tastes exactly, so that he could tell at once whether the horse would suit him. But he got leave only to lead the horse about for a little while, the farmer jealously keeping a watch on him. The gentleman gradually took longer turns up and down, then a longer turn still, and suddenly mounted the horse and was off at a gallop, whistling as he rode away. The poor farmer, covered with chagrin and disgust, went to his influential friend in Vienna, who advised him to go straight to the Emperor himself, and gave him a letter to one of the high officials of the court. The farmer went to Schonbrunn without loss of time, was readily admitted at the palace, and introduced into an anteroom, where some other gentlemen were waiting. After a while the door of an inner room opened, and the Emperor appeared—it was the man who had run away with the horse! For some moments the good farmer was utterly bewildered, but the kindly greeting and words of his sovereign soon reassured him. The Emperor thanked him with royal cordiality, and assured him that he valued his gift very highly. 'But, sire,' said the farmer, you told me you were the Emperor's barber. I would sooner have lost the horse than that you should have told— untruth.' His Majesty laughed heartily. 'I told you no untruth, my friend,' he said. ' Who is my barber ? The man who shaves me, it is not? Well, I always shave myself; so surely I am the Emperor's barber.' The farmer's delight was as great as his previous bewilderment had been. His beloved Emperor had not only accepted his gift, but had treated him with a kindness far beyond what he had looked for. And the Kaiser himself, we may be sure, rejoiced that he had made the acquaintance of a faithful subject, who not only wished to give his Emperor the best of his possessions, but whose honesty and outspoken truthfulness were equal to his devoted loyalty. Ave Maria.