The Prophecy the Grenadier Got in the Face

In 1753 a grenadier stood on guard at night in the courtyard by the cathedral. At the twelfth hour all the windows of the church blazed with light and organ music was heard. After a while the doors opened and a tall figure came towards the soldier; it poured out a handful of wheat before him and vanished. The following night at twelve the same strange apparition was repeated, but instead of grain the mysterious figure poured out a handful of money. On the third night the soldier took courage and fired at the figure as it approached him again. But the ghost caught the bullet, threw it back at the soldier and said: 'In 1754 a rich harvest, in 1755 abundance of silver, in 1756 war.' And that prophecy was fulfilled: after two years of plentiful harvests the Seven Years' War began.