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KING。 〃'Well； I am glad of that （NUN； DAS FREUT MICH）。 Fare HE
well。 Fare He well。'
〃The road now went upon Fehrbellin； and Forster；〃 Forester； 〃Brand；
as woodkeeper for the King in these parts； rode along with us。
When we came upon the patch of Sand…knolls which lie near
Fehrbellin； his Majesty cried：
〃'Forester； why aren't these sand…knolls sown？'
FORESTER。 〃'Your Majesty； they don't belong to the Royal Forest；
they belong to the farm…ground。 In part the people do sow them with
all manner of crops。 Here； on the right hand； they have sown
fir…cones （KIENAPFEL）'。
KING。 〃'Who sowed them？'
FORESTER。 〃'The Oberamtmann ＇Fromme＇ here。'
THE KING （TO ME）。 〃'Na！ Tell my Geheimer…Rath Michaelis that the
sand…patches must be sown。'＇TO THE FORESTER＇ 'But do you know how
fir…cones （KIENAPFEL） should be sown？'
FORESTER。 〃'O ja； your Majesty。'
KING。 〃'Na！ ＇a frequent interjection of Friedrich's and his
Father's＇； how are they sown； then？ From east to west； or from
north to south？' ＇〃VAN MORGEN GEGEN ABEND； ODER VAN ABEND GEGEN
MORGEN？〃 so in ORIG。 （p。 22）；but； surely； except as above； it has
no sense？ From north to south； there is but one fir…seed sown
against the wind； from east to west； there is a whole row。＇
FORESTER。 〃'From east to west。'
KING。 〃'That is right。 But why？'
FORESTER。 〃'Because the most wind comes from the west。'
KING。 〃'That's right。'
〃Now his Majesty arrived at Fehrbellin； spoke there with Lieutenant
Probst of the Ziethen Hussar regiment； ＇Probst is the leftmost
figure in that Chodowiecki Engraving of the famous Ziethen…and…
Friedrich CHAIR…scene； five years after this。 （Supra。 374 n。）＇ and
with the Fehrbellin Postmeister； Captain von Mosch。 So soon as the
horses were to； we continued our travel； and as his Majesty was
driving close by my Big Ditches；〃 GRABEN； trenches； main…drains；
〃which have been made in the Fehrbellin LUCH at the King's expense；
I rode up to the carriage； and said：
ICH。 〃'Your Majesty； these now are the two new Drains； which by
your Majesty's favor we have got here； and which keep the Luch dry
for us。'
KING。 〃'So； so； that I am glad of！Who is He （are you）？'
FROMME。 〃'Your Majesty； I am the Beamte here of Fehrbellin。'
KING。 〃'What 's your name？'
ICH。 〃'Fromme。'
KING。 〃'Ha； ha！ you are a son of the Landrath Fromme's。'
ICH。 〃'Your Majesty's pardon。 My father was Amtsrath in the
AMT Luhnin。'
KING。 〃'Amtsrath？ Amtsrath？ That isn't true！ Your father was
Landrath。 I knew him very well。But tell me now （SAGT MIR EINMAL）
has the draining of the Luch been of much use to you here？'
ICH。 〃'O ja； your Majesty。'
KING。 〃'Do you keep more cattle than your predecessor？'
ICH。 〃'Yes； your Majesty。 On this farm I keep 40 more； on all the
farms together 70 more。'
KING。 〃'That is right。 The murrain （VIEHSEUCHE） is not here in
this quarter？'
ICH。 〃'No； your Majesty。'
KING。 〃'Have you had it here？'
ICH。 〃'Ja。'
KING。 〃'Do but diligently use rock…salt； you won't have the
murrain again。'
ICH。 〃'Yes； your Majesty； I do use it too； but kitchen salt has
very nearly the same effect。'
KING。 〃'No； don't fancy that！ You must n't pound the rock…salt
small； but give it to the cattle so that they can lick it。'
ICH。 〃'Yes； it shall be done。'
KING。 〃'Are there still improvements needed here？'
ICH。 〃'O ja； your Majesty。 Here lies the Kemmensee ＇Kemmen…lake＇：
if that were drained out； your Majesty would gain some 1；800 acres
＇MORGEN； three…fifths English acre＇ of pasture…land； where
colonists could be settled； and then the whole country would have
navigation too； which would help the village of Fehrbellin and the
town of Ruppin to an uncommon degree。'
KING。 〃'I suppose so！ Be a great help to you； won't it； and many
will be ruined by the job； especially the proprietors of the ground
NICHT WAHR？' ＇Ha？＇
ICH。 〃'Your Majesty's gracious pardon ＇EW。 MAJESTAT HALTEN ZU
GNADEN；hold me to grace＇： the ground belongs to the Royal Forest；
and there grows nothing but birches on it。'
KING。 〃'Oh； if birchwood is all it produces； then we may see！
But you must not make your reckoning without your host either； that
the cost may not outrun the use。'
ICH。 〃'The cost will certainly not outrun the use。 For； first； your
Majesty may securely reckon that eighteen hundred acres will be won
from the water； that will be six…and…thirty colonists； allowing
each 50 acres。 And now if there were a small light toll put upon
the raft…timber and the ships that will frequent the new canal；
there would be ample interest for the outlay。'
KING。 〃'Na； tell my Geheimer…Rath Michaelis of it。 The man
understands that kind of matters； and I will advise you to apply to
the man in every particular of such things； and wherever you know
that colonists can be settled。 I don't want whole colonies at once；
but wherever there are two or three families of them； I say apply
to that man about it。'
ICH。 〃'It shall he done； your Majesty。'
KING。 〃'Can't I see Wusterau；' where old Ajax Ziethen lives；
'from here？'
ICH。 〃'Yes； your Majesty； there to the right； that is it。'
It BELONGS to General von Ziethen； and terrible BUILDING he has had
here；almost all his life！
KING。 〃'Is the General at home？'
ICH。 〃'Ja。'
KING。 〃'How do you know？'
ICH。 〃'Your Majesty； the Rittmeister von Lestock lies in my village
on GRAZING service； and last night the Herr General sent a letter
over to him by a groom。 In that way I know it。'
KING。 〃'Did General von Ziethen gain； among others； by the draining
of the Luch？'
ICH。 〃'O ja； the Farm…stead there to the right he built in
consequence； and has made a dairy there； which he could not have
done； had not the Luch been drained。'
KING。 〃'That I am glad of！What is the Beamte's name in Alt…
Ruppin？' ＇Old Ruppin； I suppose； or part of its endless 〃RUPPIN or
RHYN MERE；〃 catches the King's eye。＇
ICH。 〃'Honig。'
KING。 〃'How long has he been there？'
ICH。 〃'Since Trinity…term。'
KING。 〃'Since Trinity…term！ What was he before？'
ICH。 〃'Kanonious' ＇a canon＇。
KING。 〃'Kanonicus？ Kanonicus？ How the Devil comes a Kanonicus to be
a Beamte？'
ICH。 〃'Your Majesty； he is a young man who has money； and wanted to
have the honor of being a Beamte of your Majesty。'
KING。 〃'Why did n't the old one stay？'
ICH。 〃'Is dead。'
KING。 〃'Well； the widow might have kept his AMT； then！'
ICH。 〃'Is fallen into poverty。'
KING。 〃'By woman husbandry！'
ICH。 〃'Your Majesty's pardon！ She cultivated well； but a heap of
mischances brought her down： those may happen to the best
husbandman。 I myself； two years ago； lost so many cattle by the
murrain； and got no remission： since that； I never can get on
again either。'
KING。 〃'My son； to…day I have some disorder in my left ear； and
cannot hear rightly on that side of my head' （！）。
ICH。 〃'It is a pity that Geheimer…Rath Michaelis has got the very
same disorder！'I now retired a little back from the carriage；
I fancied his Majesty might take this answer ill。
KING。 〃'Na； Amtmann； forward！ Stay by the carriage； but TAKE CARE
OF YOURSELF； THAT YOU DON'T GET HURT。 SPEAK LOUD； I UNDERSTAND VERY
WELL。' These words marked in Ita