Here’s one my Grandad told me.

It was during the 2nd world war, and he was with the allied forces in Europe,when he heard that a member of the French aristocracy, Count Jacque de Ladde, had been arrested by the Germans, who suspected him of being one of the top people in the resistance movement.

To cut a long story short, he was cruelly tortured for days on end, no sleep, no food, little water, but not a scrap of information passed his lips, such was his resolve.

Finally the Germans realised that this brave man was not going to tell them anything, so they gave him an ultimatum, if he didn’t tell them what they wanted to know within 24hrs they would behead him.

As you can guess,the Count said nothing,and the order was given for him to be executed.And so it was, that later that afternoon, he was taken to his place of death, and his head was placed on a block face upwards,so that he could see his death coming.

One last time they asked him to confess,once again he defied them, and with that the Officer gave the nod to the executioner who raised his axe high above his head and swung down with all his might.

At that very moment the Count cried out ” I’ll tell you everything!” but it was to late, the momentum was too great, and the executioner could not stay his hand, and so died the Count and his secrets with him.

I looked at my Grandad when he’d finished telling the story,and he looked down at me and said” Son, there’s something important you must learn from that tale.”

I said, ” What’s that Grandad?”

He replied, ” You must never hatchet your Counts before they’ve chickened!!!”