The Beet Soldters. 107

were green, with nodding plumes. Peter wore a costume of
crimson velvet to match his troops, studded with rubies, and
- his sword-hilt was incrusted with the same jewels.

“Peter told the Emperor that he believed in sudden action
and quick movements, like Napoleon. He knew well that the
vegetable men could not press the siege, as they would wither
by sundown, if exposed to intense heat.

“* General Rub-a-dub is an old fogy in his ideas,’ whispered
Peter in the Emperor's ear, and the Emperor nodded his
head.

“Tf the carrot soldiers had fought well, the beet men did ten
times better; and when they were slashed down, they shed real
blood-beet juice. The enemy was again driven back with ter-
rible. slaughter, and the beet men dragged themselves to the
wood, where the Fairies buried them. Rub-a-dub was not sat-
isfied. Peace was, indeed, restored to the country; still it was
all done through the tricks of the new commander-in-chief, he
declared.

“«There is not a ripe beet left in the kingdom,’ complained
this general. ‘Your last army was beet men.’

““How! cried the Emperor. ‘Shall I be deprived of my
favorite salad because the beets are gone?’

“Peter was again bewildered. The wasp buzzed in his
ear—

“«We must use radishes next time.’

“So when the warlike Prince, having been twice defeated, in-
duced two other Princes to join him in fighting against the
Emperor, Peter brought an overwhelming force of radishes,
some in scarlet jackets and others in bright yellow, to the