Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1868-03-20
4fliscellanu,
Munchausenisms.

ferrous stories may not be the most profit
able occupation in which one could be
engaged but it is one of those exercises
Of grotesque fancy which may serve very
well now and then for an hours enter
tainment. The most famous and system
attic originator of this sort of stories is
supposed to be an individual called the
Baron Munchausen, and his name has
become synonym for literary efforts of
this character. The term canard, from
the French, is often used to signify an
improbable story, and its origin, which
may be new to some of our readers, ex-
cellently illustrates the meaning of the
word A Frenchman once sent to a
newspaper statement of an experiment
which he lately made proving the Won
derful veracity of ducks. He had a
flock, he said, of twenty of these fowls.
One day he killed one of them, and cut
ting it into very small pieces, fed it,
feathers and all, to the other nineteen,
who ate it all up in few minutes. He
then killed another, and cutting it into
small pieces fed it to the other eighteen,
and it was quickly devoured. He killed
another and fed it to the seventeen re-
naming ducks, and still another which
he fed to the sixteen; and so continued
until finally there was but one duck left,
which duck had, of course, eaten all the
other nineteen. Canard being the French
word for duck, any exaggerated story
was subsequently, called "canard," or
a "duck story" as in this country we
speak of " fish story" or snake
story"
1t is sometimes very well to exaggerate
a little for the sake of bringing ridicule
upon those who relate "tough yarns"
and imagine that the listeners will believe
them. Some one gives the advice:
When e'er you hear tale that is "thumper."
Show no surprise, but aim at something higher,
And match it with bolder fb and plumper-
'Tis the method to confound a liar.
The people of Gascony, France, it is
known, have worldwide reputation for
boasting, from whence comes the word
gasconade. A Gascon was once vaunt-
ing his eyesight to citizen of Paris in
the Rue Notre Dame "Zounds," said
he, from this very place see mouse
running at the top of the tower" 81 do
not see it yet" said the citizen, quietly,
Sc but / hoor it trvt.''
A traveller was relating some improb-
able stories of feats performed by Chi
nese jugglars, and spoke of one who set
ladder on end in an open space and
walked the rounds to the top. 81 have
seen greater feat than that" remarked
bystander; az have seen a juggler GO
to the top of ladder in the same way,
and then pull the ladder up after him. y
An Englishman was once making
some extraordinary statements as to the
speed of horse which he owned. "My
dear sir" said an American, " that is
rather less than the average speed of oul
roadsters. live at my country seat neal
Philadelphia, and when l ride to town
in hurry in the morning, my shadow
does MT keep up with me, but generally
comes into the store a minute or two
after my arrival. One morning my horse
was restless and | rode him as hard as ]
could several times around factory
just to take the old Harry out of him
Well, sir, he went so fast that saw my
back before me the whole time, and
was twice in danger of riding over my
self"
Another Englishman, it is said, having
heard great deal about the Yankee
propensity of Dragging" thought HI
would make an experiment in that ar
himself. He walked up to market wo
mans stand, and pointing to some larg
watermelons, said, Whatl don't yo,
raise any bigger apples than these il
American" "Applesl" said the VIC
man, disdainfully, anybody might knoN
you was an Englishman. Them's huck
lebe1ries."
The above will be sufficient to illus
trate the use of Munchausenisms as
method of repartea. But another pun
lpose to which some glib talker has pre-
fessed to put such stories is of quite
different character. He says he find
them very effective in opening oysters
He places the oysters in circle, and
. seating himself in the center commence
some very surprising narrative. One b
one they begin to cape with astonishment
and as they open their mouths he ha
his knife ready, whips them out, saltl
, peppers and swallows them.
We call to mind several stories whic
we imagine would be of great service t
the gentleman above mentioned, and pei
haps brief statement of some of ther
. might not be inappropriate here. Th
first will refer to very heavy fog whic