Anecdotes of Great Musicians/Anecdote 36
36.—AN ARMY, A COW, AND A PRIMA DONNA.
It is not often that an army does the bidding of a prima donna, but a story comes to us from the siege of Hamburg, many years ago, which intimates as much. It is said that during the bombardment of this city the opera continued as usual, and the beleagured officers and soldiers took great pleasure in hearing Madame Fodor, the prima donna of the occasion. Now all great singers have some favorite stimulant, from beer down to beefsteak, without which they think they cannot make a success of their singing. Madam Fodor's favorite beverage happened to be fresh milk, a very harmless drink, to be sure, but one not so easily obtainable when a town is in a state of siege and the last cow has been slaughtered for food.
Learning that their favorite was thus deprived of her customary beverage, the officers determined at all hazards to supply the deficiency, and the soldiers made a gallant sortie from out the city walls and, capturing—not the enemy, but a cow, returned in triumph. The cow was escorted by the officers to the theater and publicly presented to the fair songstress. It was then installed in a property room on the stage, and from that time on Madam Fodor could regale herself at will with the lacteal extract.