An Army, a Cow, and a Prima Donna

Armies don’t usually take orders from a prima donna, but a story from the siege of Hamburg suggests otherwise.

During the bombardment, the opera supposedly kept going, and the besieged officers and soldiers adored hearing Madame Fodor sing. Like many famous vocalists, she insisted she needed her favorite “stimulant” to perform. Hers was harmless—fresh milk—except that in a city under siege the last cow had already been slaughtered for food.

Once the officers learned their star had been cut off, they decided to fix the problem at any cost. Soldiers made a daring sortie from the walls and returned in triumph—not with prisoners, but with a captured cow.

The officers ceremoniously escorted the cow to the theater, presented it to the delighted songstress, and installed it in a property room on the stage. From then on, Madame Fodor could help herself to milk whenever she pleased.