Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1868-09-18

address, to which he replied by
means of an Interpreter. He was
asked to sing, and consented with
the utmost affability. The fete went on
capitally, and Septenville was out of his
wits with Joy. At the banquet, he refused
to sit at table with so lllustrious guest,
but insisted on standing behind his chair
with napkin under his arm. The ball
opened, and the guests enjoyed themselves
thoroughly without expecting any trick,
till three o'clock in the morning, when a
body Of soldiers and police appeared in
the ballroom. They had come to take
the sham ambassador into custody and
Septenville found he had been duped.
| The man who played the ambassador was
the sen of bookseller named Prault He
was precisely of the same age and shape
as the Moorish Prince, and was so well
| got up as to deceive everybody.
That was as carefully prepared hoax
as any Hook was ever guilty of, and the
French used to be quite as much addicted
to practical joking as ourselves indeed,
fancy that the palm for ingenuity in such
matters must be awarded to them, for the
plots of some of our best mystifications
have come from the same country that
supplies us so literally with the framework
of our plays.
The idea of sending innumerable coffins,
hearses, wedding carriages, pictures, beds,
tables, &c. at a given day and hour, to an
unfortunate individuals house, was origi-
nally French.
But, after all, these elaborate jokes are
not so numerous as those which are spon-
taneous, such as the following:
A young French gentleman, who led n
very gay life, going to bed late and getting
up late, lodged in an entres0l. A milkwo-
man took up her position under his win
dow, and the chattering of her customers,
with the braying of her donkey, effectual-
ly destroyed his slumbers. In vain he re-
monstrated; the milkwoman said she had
right to the pavement, and that
place suited her. He got up, went
out, and reasoned with her. No good.
What, then, would she take to select an
other station? Nothing; he was an aris-
tocrat, and she made it point of honor
to stand upon her rights. "Weli, then,"
he said at last, "since you will not listen
to reason, l must appeal to your Donkey"
and he whispered in Neddy's ear, the
crowd which had gathered round laughing
at him till he ran in. Presently, however,
the donkey began to kick and plunge as if
it were possessed, spilling all the milk,
butter, cheese, &c. The woman cried
w VIC CIOWu IOOh
cry; and there was such riot that the
police came.
"What is the matteri" asked the COM
missary.
"a young man who lives on the entire
sol has bewitched my ass" replied the
milkwoman.
"Pooh, poohl" said the commissary {;
but the woman would not be pooh,
pooh-ed, and he had to take her up to the
gentleman's apartments and confront him
with the complainant
She told her story at length. Theyoung
man waited patiently till she had quite
done, and then said "Sir, the woman has
spoiled my nights rest for this month past.
have complained, have entreated; she
has scorned my requests and my prayers.
could not revenge myself upon a
woman but her donkey, who is mascu-
line, had no such claim upon my forbear-
ance; besides, the peculiar cries of the
animal are what is most distressing to me.
This ass, as avaricious as his mistress, has
sister upon whose succession he count
ed, but who is going to marry again; it
was this news, whispered by me in his
ear, which exasperated him to such a
degreee that he conducted himself in so
violent manner"
The commissary, who could hardly keep
his countenance, said that the young man
had better pay for the milk that was split,
and advised the milkwsman to move her
station beyond the reach of man who
had such a peculiar power of conversiDg
with animals. Both assented, and the wo-
man took the money, crossing herself, and
went.
"And now, then" said the commissary
to the young man, chow did you do it ?"
~ dropped lighted fusee in the brute's
ear" said he.
A French auditor of accounts in the
seventeenth century was great practical
joker all his life, and even played trick
after he had lost the power of enjoying it,
for he left four large candles to be carried
at his funeral, which had not been burn
ing fifteen minutes before they went offas
fireworks.
When lady coRdescends to practical
joke it is generally very neat one. NJ.
Boncourt, the rich financier, was very
stingy to his wife in the matter of pin
money. One day a lady, closely Veiled,
and very anxious not to be recognized,
called upon him, and borrowed a very
large sum, leaving her diamonds as a
pledge. It was his wife.
The French thieves sometimes used to
steal so funnily that even their victims
were half inclined to pardon them.
The Duke of Frousac, nephew Of Mar
shall Richelieu, was coming out of the
opera one night in splendid dress EN-
broidered with pearls, when two thieves
managed to cut off his coat.tails. He
turned into his club, where everybody
laughed at him, and 80 he found out what
had happened, and went home. Early
next morning, well-dressed man called at
the Dukes hotel, and demanded to see
him at once, on a matter of most
vital importance. Monsieur de Frou-
sac was awakened. Monseigneur,"
said the visitor, al am an officer of po-
lice. Monsieur, the lieutenant of police,
has learned the accident which happened
to you yesterday on leaving the opera,
and hsve been sent by him to request
you to order the coat to be placed in
my hands, that we may convict the offend
ers oy comparing it with the mutilated
mlt Ialls. Inc dress was given up, and the
luke was In raptures with the vigilance
OF the police. But it was a new trick of
the rogue who had stolen the tails. by
which he possessed himself of the entire
garment
The anclents used TO indulge in practical
jokes 10 a considerable extent for in
stance, the Thracians, at their drinking
parties, sometimes played the game OF
hanging They fixed a round moose to
the bough of tree, and placed under
meath 1t stone Of such shape that 1t
would easily turn round when any one
stood on it. Then they drew lots and he
who drew the lOt took a sickle in his
hand, stood on the stone, and put his neck
into the halter. The stone was kicked
away and II he could cut himself down
| with the sickle, well and good but II he