Once in Berlin, Count Zeppelin came, after having taken the Crown
Prince, and my little Princes' father as well as one or two of their
army friends, for a flight in his newest airship. Our Prince came back
very enthusiastic after his trip, and wanted his elder son to go, but
the Princess would not hear of this, and Count Zeppelin backed her up.
He said that he did not know enough about children's nerves to risk an
experiment, though he believed such boys as ours would stand it well.
He told them, when they both begged to go, that they must content
themselves with the "game" for a few years, and asked a good many
questions of Lieutenant von X---- (who was present by request) as to
how the little players got on with it. When he was talking of ordinary
things, his face looked good-natured, even benevolent, with his rather
scanty white hair and comfortable baldness. I thought, with a false
beard, he would have exactly the right figure and face for Santa Claus;
but as he listened to Lieutenant von X----'s account of how he taught
the Princes to "play the game," and examined some of the toy buildings
(so often powdered white with "bombs" that they could no longer be
brushed completely clean), his face hardened, looking very stern and
very old, his bright eyes almost hiding between wrinkled lids.
The Count took the elder boy between his knees, and catechised him as
to some of the rules. The little boy was shy at first, but soon plucked
up courage, and answered in a brisk and warlike way.
"This is a born soldier," said the airship inventor, laying his hand
on the child's hair. "By the time he is ready for sky battles, we
shall have something colossal to give him; but in the meantime, please
Heaven, we shall make very good use of what we have got."...