The King was shown to his room, and made much of the preacher, who greatly entertained him. When he departed he paid him a hundred _Friedrich d’ors_, and left an order that if Prussian troops came to the village they should take nothing, and should pay for everything they got outside their quarters. Frederick always liked to talk with the country clergy. He resumed his march to Leipsic in more cheerful spirits, but did not enter the city at once. He had his night’s lodgings at a parson’s house in one of the villages near Leipsic. He was kept awake all night, for the house was overrun with mice, which made much noise in his room. Frederick arose at daybreak, called the pastor, and said: “Listen! Do you know anything about interpreting dreams?” “Not particularly, Your Majesty, for I am not much of a believer in them.” “You may not believe in them, but many a dream has a real meaning. I will tell you of mine. I dreamed your rooms were full of mice. What does that signify?” “I don’t know.” “Well, I think Heaven means me to understand by this that my commissaries are good at plundering.” “Oh, no, Your Majesty, I fear your dream was the result of natural causes; for, alas! I am very much plagued by these vermin in my house and I do not know how to get rid of them.” “So? then I must be wrong. Now you take this _Friedrich d’or_ and buy yourself a mouse-trap. Perhaps then I may sleep better the next time I come.” Frederick’s enemies continued hoping that the time would come, in the execution of their plans, when they should find him exhausted by the weakness of his forces; and prospects indeed seemed to point that way. Doubtless he gained much by the victory at Torgau, but his situation still was a difficult one. He greatly deplored the losses his army had suffered, for he saw no way of replacing them. Signs of discontent were also beginning to appear among his troops because they were not regularly paid. This induced him, immediately after the battle at Torgau, to abandon his original plan of retaking Dresden. The following conversation shows how serious he was in this purpose. Immediately after the victory a grenadier asked: “Your Majesty, shall we now go into good Winter quarters?” “We must first retake Dresden. After that, I will look out for you and you shall be satisfied.” In view of dissatisfactions among the soldiers and the approach of cold, rainy weather, the King decided, at the close of the year 1760, to go into Winter quarters. Chapter XII The Camp at Bunzelwilz