AstoryistoldaboutaSwedewhowantedtojoinNapoleonsGrandArmy.OneeveningsomeofNapoleonssoldiersweredrinkingtogetherwhenayoungFrenchmanbroughtfriendtotheirtable.HeexplainedthathisfriendwasaSwedeandknewnoFrench,butthisSwedeadmiredNapoleonsomuchthathewantedtojointheFrencharmyandfightforhim.Thesoldierslookedupandsawatallyoungmanwithblueeyes,afriendlyface,strongarmsandbroadshoulders.Theylikedhimatonce.Theofficerssawthathewasjusttherightsortofman,sotheyacceptedhimandhebecameoneofNapoleonssoldiers.Hisnewfriendssmoothedawaythedifficulties.Hefoughtbravelyinmanybattlesandgainedtheirrespect.However,hisknowledgeofFrenchremainedveryweak,becausehewasnotgoodatlearninglanguages,butthisdidnotpreventhimfromfightinghard.Severalyearslater,wordcamethatNapoleonhimselfwascomingtoinspectthem,andtheSwedewaswarnedthatthegreatmanwouldprobablyaskhimsomequestion.TherewassomedifficultyinexplainingthistotheSwede,butwhenatlastheunderstoodhebecameveryanxious.“TheSwedewontunderstandthequestions.”OneoftheFrenchmensaid,“Whatcanhedo?”ItwaswellknownthatNapoleonalwaysaskedthesamethreequestions,andusuallyinthesameorder.Thefirstquestionwas,“Howoldareyou?”Thesecondwas,“howlonghaveyoubeeninmyarmy?”Andthethirdwas,“Didyouserveineitherofmylasttwocampaigns?”TheSwedecouldnotpossiblyrememberallthesewordsandsohisfriendsdecidedtoteachhimonlytheanswersintheirproperorder.Theygavehimalotofpractice.Wheneverpossible,oneofthemwouldstophim,makehimstandatattention,andaskhimthethreequestions.“Howoldareyou?”hewoulddemand,andtheSwedewouldanswer,“Twenty-three,sir.”Thenhisfriendwouldask,“Howlonghaveyoubeeninmyarmy?”andtheSwedewouldanswer,“Threeyears,sir.”Tothethirdquestion,“Didyouserveineitherofmylasttwocampaigns?”theSwedewouldanswerwithpride,“Both,sir!”Formanydaysthispracticecontinued.TheSwedewouldwalkabout,sayingtohimself,“Twenty-three,sir.Threeyears,sir.Both,sir!”Beforethedayoftheinspection,hisfriendsweresatisfied.Heknewhisanswer.Thereoughttobenotrouble.Napolonarrived.Standinginfrontofthestraightlinesofsoldiers,helookedatthemwithgreatsatisfaction.Thenhebegantowalkalongthelines,smilingsometimes,andsayingafewwordshereandthere.TheSwedestoodquitestill,exceptthathislipsmovedslightly.Hewasstillpracticing.Napoleonsuddenlycaughtsightofthetallsoldierandrealizedatoncethathehadneverseenhimbefore.HestoppedinfrontoftheSwede.Forsomereason,thistimethegreatmanbeganwiththesecondquestion.“Howmanyyearshaveyoubeeninmyarmy?”hedemanded.“Twenty-Three,sir,”saidtheSwedeclearlyandwell.Napoleonwassurprised.Helookatthetallmanandasked,“Howoldareyouthen?”“Threeyears,sir,”repliedtheSwedequickly.Napoleonwasastonished.“Eitheryouaremad,orIam,”hedeclared.“Both,sir!”criedtheSwedeproudly.一个瑞典人非常钦佩拿破仑。后来，他终于成为拿破仑军队里的一名士兵。一次，拿破仑要来检阅队伍。战友们提醒瑞典人：那伟大的人也许会问你几个问题。这个典人十分焦急。他听不懂法语啊！一个年纪大的士兵说：拿破仑总是按同样的顺序问三个同样的问题。第一个问题是：你多大了？，第二个问题是：你在我的部队多久了？，第三个问题是：你是否参加过我两次大战的一个？。瑞典人按顺序背下了这三个问题的答案：23岁，先生。，3年了，先生。，都是的，先生。检阅那天，拿破仑站在队伍前面，用满意的目光望着士兵们。然后，他开始检阅了，一会儿微笑着看这个士兵，一会儿对那个军官说句话。那瑞典一动不动地站着，只有嘴唇在轻轻地动着。拿破仑一眼看见了他，走到他面前，开始问他问题。遗憾的是，这次拿破仑问的第一个问题是：你在我部队里多久了？，23岁，先生。，你今年多大了？，3个月了，先生。瑞典人的回答使拿破仑既吃惊又生气，于是吼道：是你疯了，还是我疯了？都是的，先生。瑞典人自豪地回答。Onthedayoftheinspection,Napoleonstoodbeforethearmy,walkingupanddownandlookingathissoldierswithsatisfaction.ThenHebegantoinspectthearmy.Hesmiledtothesoldiersorhadawordwithsomeoftheofficers.TheSwedestoodstill,hislipsmovingslightly.Unfortunately,thegreatmansawhimandwentovertohimandaskedhimthequestions.However,thistimeNapoleondidnotaskthequestionsinthesameorderasusual.Howlonghaveyoubeeninmyarmy?askedthegreatman.23,sir. Howoldareyou?3months,sir.answeredtheSwede.Hearingthis,Napoleonwasnotonlysurprisedbutangryaswell. Eitheryouaremad,orIam.shoutedNapoleon.Both,sir.theSwedeansweredproudly.