The Emperor's Dumplings

If anybody in Vienna insists with stubhornness on having a silly whiin gratifled, he will certainly be ridiculed with the phrase, "Kaiser bin i', Knoedel muss i' haben." ïhe orijiu of tlii3 good-natured rebuke is this : Duriiig the first year of his rein the Emperor Ferdinand' made a trip to Styria, and while on an excursión to some mountaiu valley was surprised by a heavy shower. The Eraperor, with his suite, sought refuge froin the storm in a farnier's cottage where dinner had just been served. Dumplings of very coarse flour formed the principal feature of his meal, to which tho Emperor waf) cordially invited by the farmer's wife. ïó the horror of the chamberlaina and courtiers Ferdinand helped himself very freely, and made a hearticr meal of the dumplings tháh they had ever seen him enjoy at a grand dinner at the 'Hofburg' in Vienna. After his return to the capital the Emperor gave orders that dumplings of coarse flonr should heneeforth figure every day on the Imperial dinner table. ïhe disgust of the chef de cuisine may easily be imagined, and the Emperor's physicians also unanimoucly vetoed his new favorite dish. But Ferdinand, wlio on other occasions had never shown a will of his own, remained this time as firm as a rock, and would not givc up his fancy for dumplings. Wlien the physicians positively declai1ed that thoy coiild not allow his Majesty to dine off dumplincs, he stamped with his foot, and eriei : that he would not sign another official document nntil he had got dumpliugs for his dinner. "Emperor I am, and dumplings I will have !" ("Kaiser bin i', and Knoedel muss i' haben !") he shouted, and to pivent a complete deadloek of the Government machine in Austria, his fancy had to be gratiiied.