Plymouth advertiser. [volume] (Plymouth, Ohio) 1853-1988, 1855-03-16
VOLUME II. NO. q
THE FOUR HUNCHBACKs

AT short distance from Douai. there
stood castle on the bank Of river, near
bridge. The master Of this castle was
hunchbacked. Nature had exhausted her
ingenuity in the formation of his whimsic-
al figure. In place of understanding she
had given him an immense head. which
nevertheless, was lost between his two
shoulders; he had thick hair, a short neck,
and herrible visagc.
Spite of his deformity, this bugbear be-
thought himself of falling in love with q
beautiful young lady, the daughter OF q
poor but respectable hnrgcss Of Douai.-
He sought her in marriage; and as he was
the richest person in the district, the poor
girl was delivered up to him. After tho
nuptials he was as much an object of pity
as she was, for being devoured by jealousy
he had no tranquility night nor day, but
went pIying and rambling everywhere, and
suffered no stranger to euter the castle
One day during the Christmas festival,
while standing sentinel at his gate, he was
accosted by three humpbacked minstrels.
They saluted him as a brother; as such ask.
ed him for refreshments, and at the same
time, to establish the fraternity, they o.
tentatiously shouldered their humps at h m.
Contrary to expectation he conducted them
to the kitchen, and gave them capon
with peas, and to each piece of money
over and above. Before their departure,
however he warned them never to return
on pain of being thrown into the rivor.-
AT this throat of tho Chateloi,, the min
strels laughed heartily, and took the road
to the town, singing in full chorus, and
dancing Ill grotesque manner, in derision
of their brother hump of the castle. He,
on his part, without paying further atten-
ton, went to walk in the fields.
The lady who saw her husband eros,
the bridge and heard the minstrels, called
them back to amuse her. They had not
been long returned to the castle when her
husband knocked at the gate, by which she
and the minstrels were equally alarmed;
fortunately the lady perceived in neigh
boring room three empty Golfers. Into
each of these she stuffed minstrel, shut
the covers, and then opened the gate to
her husband. He had only come back to
e1py the conduct of his wife, as usual, and
alter short stay went out anew; at which
you may believe his wife was not dissatis-
fled. She instantly ran to the Golfers to
release her prisoners, for night was sp-
preaching, and her husband would not
probably be long absent. But what was
her dismay when she found them all three
sutlocatcd. Lamentation, however was
useless: The main object now was to get
rid Of the dead bodies, and she had not a
moment to lose. She ran to the gate, and
seeing peasant go by, she offered him q
: reward otthirty livres, and leading him in
to the castle she took him to one of the
Golfers, and showing him the contents, told
him he must throw the dead body into the
river. He asked for sack, put the car
cass into it. pitched it over the bridge, and
then returned quite out OF breath to claim
the promised reward. 81 certainly in
tended to reward you," said the lady,
but yon ought first to fulfill the conditions
OF the bargain, you have agreed to rid
me of the dead body, have you not .
There, however, it is STILL
Saying this, she showed him to the other
! Golfer. in which the second humpback-
ed minstrel had expired. At this sight
the clown was perfectly confounded.-
: Chow, the deuce come back-a sor-
, ccrer ?"
He then stuffed the body into the sack,
and then, like the other, threw it over
the bridge, taking care to put the head
O down, and to observe it sunk. Mean
while the lady had again changed the
!. position of the Golfers, so that the third
:. was. now in the place which had been
= successfully occupied by the two others
u w hen the peasant returned she showed
v him the remaining dead body.
r "You are right, FRIEND" said she, che
l. must be magician, for there he is again.
d The rustic gnashed his teeth with rage
n What the deuce, am l to do nothing
le but carry about this hunchback HI
n then lifted him up with dreadful i'm
. precautions, and having tied stone around
j. his neck, threw him into the middle oil
h the current, threatening, if he came out
a third time, to despatch him with a eud-
gel. The first object that presented itself
f. to the clown on his way back for his re-
: ward, was the hunchbackcd master Of the
l. castle, returning from his evening walk,
n and making towards the gate. At this
1t sight the peasant could no longer restrain
" his fury.
: "Dog of a humpback, are you there
> again ?" So saying, he sprung on the
o Chatelin, threw him. over his shoulders,
1t and hurled him headlong into the river
le after the minstrels. "I'll venture d wa
ger You have not seen him this lasttime;''
!, said the peasant, entering the room where
y :. the lady was seated. she answered she
- " had not. You were not farfrom it, replied
- :, he; 4sthe sorcerer was already at the gate
:, = but | have taken care ofhim--be at your
= ease--he will not come back now"
~ The lady comprelended what had DC.
Z Cured. and recompensed the peasant with
70 much satisfaction.
The MARCH 10 THE GRAvE.-What q
:. mighty procession has marched towards