Once, Napoleon Bonaparte’s troops, led by four of his finest commanders, won a great battle. He said, “Ask for anything and I’ll grant it.” The first asked for a house in Paris. The second wanted a hotel. The third wanted a brewery. Finally, the fourth asked for a fortnight’s leave. The other three commanders were surprised. Later they asked, “Why did you ask for so little?” The fourth commander replied, “You all asked for a lot. But you must remember that the emperor is a busy man. He will order his secretary to fulfil the promises. His secretary will pass the order to his assistant. Thus, the emperor’s order will go down from subordinate to subordinate and finally it will get lost! You should have asked for something that the emperor could give immediately–like I did.” And leaving the three officers gaping, the commander went off to plan his holiday.
Moral: Always think before you speak.
The Smart Commander
