3.
During the harassment battles carried by Vlad the
Impeller against the Turks who were led
by Sultan Muhammad himself, a Romanian
soldier fell prisoner.
4.
The sultan, commanding to
be brought to
him, asked roughly:
“ Say, you soldier,
where does your Lord
hide?”
“ Everywhere and
nowhere, and if you want to
find him, go and seek him!
replied the soldier.”
Amazed at the soldier’s
boldness, he asked again:
“How many soldiers has he
got?”
5.
“He’s got all of them but one ... And if you want to
know how many they’ve left, go and count them!”
Trembling with anger, the sultan shouted:
“Unless you tell, you’ll be hanged.”
“This is the punishment every captured soldier
deserves”, serenely replied the Romanian.
6.
Seeing that speaking harshly gives no result,
the sultan sweetened his voice:
“Listen, you, I spare your life, make you
rich and give you the title of Pasha in my
country, just answer me!”
7. “No gallows, no treasures and not even
your throne will make me sell my land and lord, said
the soldier looking straight in the sultan’s eyes.”
“Do all the soldiers of Vlad the Impeller have the same
courage, wit and dignity as you?”
8.
“ I am the worst of them, cause otherwise I would
be like the others: dead or free.”
Seeing so much courage and faith,
Muhammad remained thoughtful. Then,
he commanded to let the soldier loose, giving him a
bag of golden coins and set him free.
