An Army of Carrot Soldters. 105

a foreign land than he heard that the Emperor of the country
had declared war on a neighboring Prince. Peter bought a
field of carrots, and when they were ripe he changed them into
an army of splendid soldiers, and placed himself at the head in
a gold uniform to match the yellow colors of the regiments.

“«We serve under the Emperor,’ he said, drawing up his
men before the Imperial Palace.

“«Will you charge the enemy now? asked the Emperor.

“The sooner the better, returned the brave Peter. ‘The
troops will not wither then; and if they do fall, they are only
vegetable men after all, he added to himself.

“Peter and his carrot soldiers attacked the enemy with tre-
mendous vigor, so that they were driven at the point of the bay-
onet into the river, their only choice being to jump into the wa-
ter or become spiked on the weapons like cockchafers.

“ After the engagement the carrot troops retired into the for-
est, where they died, and the Fairies buried them in considera-
tion of their valiant deeds.

“ Peter was created commander-in-chief of the Imperial forces,
as he was flesh and blood instead of carrot. Of course he could
not be made commander-in-chief without stepping into some
other man’s shoes. General Rub-a-dub did not like the change
at all. He declared that if the Emperor would only have given
him time he could have dug trenches about the enemy, attacked
them by flank movements and other military tactics, until they
were safely bagged, every soldier of them, instead of giving
Peter all the glory.

“«Where are your troops?’ asked General Rub-a-dub, before
the Emperor himself.