Detlev von Liliencron once spent an evening conversing with a group of local noblemen, one of whom boasted at length about his aristocratic roots: his ancestors, he declared, had fought in the Crusades and sailed with Columbus, among other feats.

"You remind me of a potato," Liliencron broke in at last. "How so?" asked the man. "The best part," Liliencron explained, "is underground."