Napoleon, being with the army, was in the habit of proceeding alone through the camp at night, in order to ascertain that the sentinels did not sleep at their posts.
On one occasion, a soldier was stationed at the junction of two roads with orders not to permit anyone to pass. Unconscious of the intruder's rank, he presented his bayonet and would not suffer Napoleon to pass. Napoleon told him that he was going the round of a general officer. "Zounds!" replied the sentinel, "you should not pass if you should be the Little Corporal himself!"* The emperor was in consequence under the necessity of retracing his steps.
On the following day, Napoleon, after making inquiries respecting the character and services of the soldier, which proved advantageous, summoned him to his presence. After extolling him as a rigid disciplinarian, he immediately raised him to the rank of an officer.
拿破崙在軍中，經常獨自夜巡軍營，看看有沒有哨兵站崗時睡覺。
有一次，一個士兵奉命在兩條路交叉處站崗，不許任何人經過。他不知道欲犯禁者身分，舉起刺刀，不許拿破崙走過去。拿破崙說自己是個巡夜的將級軍官，那哨兵回答說：「咄，即使小下士親來*，都不得走過這裏。」國王拿破崙唯有走回頭路。
第二天，拿破崙查詢那士兵的品格以及服役表現，發覺都很不錯，就把他召到跟前，稱許他嚴守軍紀，隨即提拔為軍官。
*Corporal（下士）是職級最低的軍士（non-commissioned officer）。拿破崙在軍中，與士兵打成一片，有如下士，所以軍中暱稱之為「小下士」。Zounds是古英語的感歎詞，表示驚訝、憤怒等情緒。