Part 7 (2/2)
”The black in the flag is the King's color,” said he. ”It stands for constancy, wisdom, and prudence. The yellow stands for law and order.
And red is for Belgium's liberty, fought for and obtained by the blood of her soldiers.”
As they walked along the shady streets the English gentleman explained to his friend all that Philippe had said. The American nodded his head understandingly.
”That is very interesting,” he said. ”I do not blame the Belgians for being loyal to their King. They have good reasons.”
[Ill.u.s.tration: PALACE OF THE KING, BRUSSELS]
”I am sure you would like to visit Waterloo,” suggested Philippe. ”I need not tell you the story of Waterloo,” he smiled, ”for everybody who has ever studied history knows about that.”
But those who have not yet studied history may want to know that it is a famous battlefield where many wars were fought. The most famous of the battles was the struggle between the Duke of Wellington, who commanded the English army, and Napoleon Bonaparte who led the French.
When Philippe and his new friends had looked about for a while, the American gentleman remarked, ”So this is where Napoleon met his Waterloo!”
It was here that Napoleon was conquered! That is why we still use the expression ”met his Waterloo” when we mean to say ”was defeated.”
[Ill.u.s.tration: BRUSSELS HAS MANY FINE BOULEVARDS]
Philippe showed them the ”Mound of the Lion,” that great pyramid-shaped monument on the battlefield.
”It was built after the Battle of Waterloo, in memory of the Prince of Orange,” he explained. ”It is as large as a city block. The huge lion on the top is made of metal from captured French cannons. You know that the lion is the emblem of Belgium. The mound was built almost entirely by women who carried the dirt in pails.”
Driving back to the city, the Englishman remarked, ”It seems to me that tea time is approaching.”
The little boy knew how important tea time is to Englishmen. So he suggested an excellent cafe where they might sit outside and watch the people.
While they were eating, Philippe explained to the Englishman how he loved to read. He told of his interest in the stories of his land.
”Then you do not want to be a chef some day like your father?” asked the gentleman.
Philippe shook his head.
”I want to do great things,” he answered. ”To travel, to have adventures.”
The Englishman smiled.
”That is very natural,” he remarked. He told his friend, the American, what the boy had said. His friend laughed.
”That sounds like an American boy,” he said. ”Ask him what he wants to do.”
The Englishman asked Philippe this question.
The boy answered, ”Oh, I should like to go to Antwerp (=ant'-we~rp=) and Ghent (=gent=) and see the sights of Belgium, because I know so many stories about everything.”
He then told them about his wandering friends, Tom and Zelie.
<script>