The King and the Count

Anyone could tell you the feats of Prince Ulrich, so today I will speak of what fewer know, which is the origin of his armor that is unlike any other.
Once upon a time, there was a kingdom that was fair, but not fair enough for its king's liking, who was always thinking how to make it better for himself and his people. When he realized what was needed was a pond, there was nothing more to do than to command his knight Manfred to fetch him one.
That knight ran to the nearest lake, which was quite far away, and drank up as much as he could. You would think me a liar if I said he drank the whole thing up, for this was generations after there were men capable of that, and indeed he only lowered the water in the lake by a foot or so. Then he ran back, sloshing all the way, one gauntlet over his mouth.
He reached the spot without losing too much of the water and spat it into the hole the king had ordered dug, filling it up as pretty as you please and forming just the sort of pond the king wanted.
The king discovered then that Manfred had gone beyond his orders and brought a guest. A single fish flew out of his mouth into the pond, and it had something to say about it. "Hey, is this courtesy? Is this manners? I was swimming along as nature insists I do, and now where am I?"
No one stays a king by being surprised, and so King Rudolph answered him straightaway. "Your pardon, but my kingdom must have a pond. I know you will agree with me about the importance of water! A pond is hard to praise without fish, and here you are, so how about this? Be my own fish and nobody else's, and I will make you the count of this pond and put the fish I acquire later under your administration."
That was as fine an offer as any fish ever had, and that fish (whose name was Ortolf) agreed to it. You will think he regretted submitting too hastily and surrendering himself to another, but you live today while this was long ago. King Rudolph kept his count in honor without the slightest breach and found him many subjects of his own, and a wife as well who was from good stock as fish reckon these things. Nor was there a truer vassal than Count Ortolf.
They dwelt there many years, the king in his castle and the count in his pond, until age afflicted Ortolf more than he could withstand for long. He did not despair at it though, for in those days men and fish did right while they were healthy and not only on their death beds in hope of escaping what they had earned for themselves. He requested a final audience with the king and was granted it, whereupon he said, "Your son has grown old enough that he should have good armor. Take these my scales and cover him in them, and the results will be to your liking."
That is just what the king did, and the squamous armor was the finest made in that age. Over the years it was worn by many owners, and now Prince Ulrich has it.
Finis