The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1855-03-07
TIE FOUR HUNCHBACKs.

J l. THE FOUR HUNCHBACKS.
Ar short distance from Douni, there
stood castle ON the bank of a river
near bridge. The master of thiss cas-
tie was hunchbacked. Nature had ex-
hausted her ingenuity in the formation
of his whimsical figure. In place of on-
lderstanding she had given him an inn
mense head, which nevertheless, was
lost between his two shoulders he had
thick hair, a short neck, and horrible
visage.
Spite of his deformity, this bugbsar
bethought himself Of falling in love with
a beautiful young lady, the daughter OF
a poor but respectable burgess of Douai
He sought her in marriage; aud as he
was the richest person in the district,
the poor girl was delivered up to him.
After the uuptials he was as much an
object of pity as she was, for being de-
voured by jealousy, he had no Tranquil
lity night nor day, but went prying and
rambling everywhere, and suffered no
stranger -tosenter the castle. One day
during the Christmas festival, while
standing sentinel at his gate, he was ac-
costed by three humpbacked ninetrels
| They saluted him as brother; as such
asked him for refreshments. and at the
same time, to establish the fraternity.
they ostentatiously shouidered & their
humps at him. Contrary to expectation
he conducted them into 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 thown into the river At this
threat Of the Chatelain the minstrels
laughed heartily, and took the road to
the town singing in full chorus, and
dancing in grotesquo manner, In deris-
ion of their brother hump of the castle.
He, on his part, without paying further
attention, went to walk in the fields. = g
a The lady who saw her husband cross
the bridge and heard tho minstrels, cal
led them back to amuse her, They had
not b0en 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 q neighboring room three
empty Golfers Iato each of these she
stuffed minstrel, shut the covers, and
then opened the gateeto her husband
He had only come back to espy the con-
duct of his wife, as usual, and after
short stay went out anew, at which you
may believe his wife was not dissat-
isfed. She instantly ram to the cof-
fers to release her prisoners, for night
was approaching, and her husband would
not probably be long absent. But what
was her dismay when she found them all
three suffocated. @Lamentation, however
was useless. The main object now was
to get rid of the dead bodies, and she had
not q moment tc lose She ran to the
gate, and seeing peasant COB she offer
ed him reward of thirty iivres, and
leading him into the castle, she took
him to ane of the Golfers, and showing
himIthe contents, told him he must throw
the dead body into the river He asked
for assack, put the carcass into it, pitched
it over the bridge, and then returned
Equitesout of breath to claim the promis-
ed reward 81 certainly intend to re-
ward you," said the lady, but you ought
first to fulfill the conditions of tho bar
gsin, you have agreed to rid me of the
dead body, have you not? There, how
Sav;ng this she showed him IN. the
other Golfer in which tho second hmm
bacLed Minstrel had eynired Al this
siSht tho clown was perfectly contour.
Eded al How the deuceIll come back
q sorcerer p, = -,.as,szs,s. ..s-eI - -.
H tben st,fFe5 tho bodv info tba
socI ond .baa IL tbe. otbcr tbrew =
ovnr a. tbo ,,,l hr;dge toI;na c,re - nntt the.
Sssi ,io1vnss55 ~ ol,serTa tbat + srnE
NJ Ieanrbiia = the, ladv. Ind aoain ebanged
thesposition of the Golfers, so that the
third was now. in the .uIace which had
been successfuly occupied by the two 9TH
ers. When the peasant returned she
showed him the. remaining dead body.
Yon are .risht. frionds.v said She.
ss he r,,,st ha a ma o;o;a,,. for there he is
acaip ), The rnstie knashed his teeth
With raoe What the deuce am / to do
10Th ;nas b,,t carry aho... this b,,ncbbaclr p
impreeations. M saa and having tied stone
middle n % Of the @ current s tbreatenine po if he he
=