In Russia then the Tsar was Alexander the Blessed—­the same Tsar who stands now on the top of the column in Petersburg-town and blesses the people with a cross, and that’s why he is called “the Blessed.”

When he saw Napoleonder marching against him with twelve languages, Alexander the Blessed felt that the end of Russia was near.  He called together his generals and field-marshals, and said to them:  “Messrs. Generals and Field-marshals, how can I check this Napoleonder?  He is pressing us terribly hard.”

The generals and field-marshals reply:  “We can’t do anything, your Majesty, to stop Napoleonder, because God has given him a word.”

“What kind of a word?”

“This kind:  ‘Bonaparty.’”

“But what does ‘Bonaparty’ mean, and why is a single word so terrible?”

“It means, your Majesty, six hundred and sixty-six—­the number of the Beast [Footnote 3:  A reference to the Beast of the Apocalypse.  “The number of the beast is the number of a man:  and his number is Six hundred threescore and six” (Rev. xiii. 18).]; and it is terrible because when Napoleonder sees, in a battle, that the enemy is very brave, that his own strength is not enough, and that his own men are falling fast [Footnote 4:  Literally, “lying down with their bones."], he immediately conjures with this same word, ‘Bonaparty,’ and at that instant—­as soon as the word is pronounced—­all the soldiers that have ever served under him and have died for him on the field of battle come back from beyond the grave.  He leads them afresh against the enemy, as if they were alive, and nothing can stand against them, because they are a ghostly force, not an army of this world.”

Alexander the Blessed grew sad; but, after thinking a moment, he said:  “Messrs. Generals and Field-marshals, we Russians are a people of more than ordinary courage.  We have fought with all nations, and never yet before any of them have we laid our faces in the dust.  If God has brought us, at last, to fight with corpses—­his holy will be done!  We will go against the dead!”

So he led his army to the field of Kulikova, and there waited for the miscreant Napoleonder.  And soon afterward, Napoleonder, the evil one, sends him an envoy with a paper saying, “Submit, Alexander Blagoslovenni, and I will show you favor above all others.”

But Alexander the Blessed was a proud man, who held fast his self-respect.  He would not speak to the envoy, but he took the paper that the envoy had brought, and drew on it an insulting picture, with the words, “Is this what you want?” and sent it back to Napoleonder.

Then they fought and slashed one another on the field of Kulikova, and in a short time or a long time our men began to overcome the forces of the enemy.  One by one they shot or cut down all of Napoleonder’s field-marshals, and finally drew near to Napoleonder himself.

“Your time has come!” they cry to him.  “Surrender!”