The emperor Napoleon was fond of walking about Paris incognito. One morning he went into a small shop to ask the price of a little antique figure of porcelain. The woman of the shop was not up at the time (about 8 o'clock), and Napoleon waited half an hour until she arose. He then asked the price, and said it was too high. "Indeed," said the woman, "that may be, but what with taxes and distresses of the war, we must get as much as we can, for the emperor, by and by, will leave us nothing." Napoleon quitted the shop.
The following morning, Napoleon sent his aide-de-camp to call the woman with her little figure. He said to the terrified woman, "I shall give you your price for this, but I would recommend that you get up earlier, and not mind politics."
法王拿破崙喜歡微服在巴黎四處巡視。一天早上，他走進一家小店，想問一尊小瓷像的價錢。當時是八點鐘左右，女店東還未起牀。拿破崙等了半小時，到她起來，就問價錢，認為太貴。女店東說：「也許真是貴了一點，但我們要納稅，打仗更令生活難過，我們只能盡量要價。國王快使我們一無所有了。」拿破崙轉身離去。
第二天早上，拿破崙遣副官叫那女店東攜同那尊小瓷像去見他，對這個心驚肉顫的女人說：「我會照你要的價錢，買下這尊瓷像，但你以後最好早點起牀幹活，同時不要理會政治。」