The Ungrateful Soldier

by James Baldwin

　　

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Here is another story of the bat-tle-field, and it is much like theone which I have just told you.Not quite a hundred years after the time of Sir Philip Sidney therewas a war between the Swedes and the Danes. One day a great battle wasfought, and the Swedes were beaten, and driven from the field. Asoldier of the Danes who had been slightly wounded was sitting on theground. He was about to take a drink from a flask. All at once heheard some one say,--"O sir! give me a drink, for I am dying."It was a wounded Swede who spoke. He was lying on the ground only alittle way off. The Dane went to him at once. He knelt down by theside of his fallen foe, and pressed the flask to his lips."Drink," said he, "for thy need is greater than mine."Hardly had he spoken these words, when the Swede raised himself on hiselbow. He pulled a pistol from his pocket, and shot at the man whowould have be-friend-ed him. The bullet grazed the Dane's shoulder,but did not do him much harm."Ah, you rascal!" he cried. "I was going to befriend you, and yourepay me by trying to kill me. Now I will punish you. I would havegiven you all the water, but now you shall have only half." And withthat he drank the half of it, and then gave the rest to the Swede.When the King of the Danes heard about this, he sent for the soldierand had him tell the story just as it was."Why did you spare the life of the Swede after he had tried to killyou?" asked the king."Because, sir," said the soldier, "I could never kill a woundedenemy.""Then you deserve to be a no-ble-man," said the king. And here-ward-ed him by making him a knight, and giving him a noble title.

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