_Out-thrust full-galloping, flag-bird_, are compound words which Browning has formed for his own use. _Fancy_ in the fifth line means _can imagine_. _Vans_ in the fourth stanza is an old word no longer in use. It means _wings_. The eagle has what is really a third eyelid, a thin translucent membrane, which naturalists call the nictitating, or winking, membrane. It may be drawn over the eye independently of the other lids. You may have seen ducks, chickens or other birds drawing this milky film back and forth over their eyes as they looked at you. _Nor bridle drew_, and _his chief beside_, are phrases in which Browning has used the words out of their natural order. Can you find other similar expressions? II. THE STORY 1. Incidents: (a) Napoleon watches the storming of Ratisbon. (b) He thinks it may be a failure. (c) He sees a rider galloping from out the smoke of battle. (d) The rider reaches Napoleon, leaps from his horse and clings to its mane. (e) The rider announces the fall of Ratisbon. (f) Napoleon rejoices. (g) He speaks to the boy of his wound. (h) The boy answers and falls dead. 2. The whole story might be summed up as follows: _A wounded youth brings to Napoleon news of the fall of Ratisbon, and expires at the emperor's feet._ III. THE CHARACTERS There are just two persons in this little tragedy, a boy and an emperor. Let us see what they were like; the boy is of greater interest than the emperor. 1. The Boy: (a) From the way he rode his horse, we know he must have been strong and athletic. (b) He was gay and joyful, for he smiled as he dismounted from his horse, and he smiled as he fell dead. (c) That he was strong-willed, we know; for his tightly compressed lips held back the blood, and he concealed his suffering. (d) He was courageous: he put the flag in the market place, as we are told in the fourth stanza. (e) He was ambitious, we know; for it satisfied his heart's desire to win Ratisbon. (f) He was proud, else he would not have noticed that the emperor called him wounded. Had it been a mere wound, he would never have fallen. 2. At different places in the poem, we find that Napoleon was _ambitious_, yet _anxious_ over the outcome of the battle; that he was _thoughtful_ and _resourceful_; that while he _rejoiced_ in his victory, he _sympathized_ with the wounded boy. IV. THE STAGE