The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1869-08-27
THE DRAT.
A GOBLIN STORY OF FRENCH PROVINCIAL
LEE.

DRAT is The name of country demon
still believed in by many French provin-
cials, " tricksy spirit" sort of Puck,
minus Puck's good qualities.
Within what geographical limits belle
in the Drdt is confined, am unable to say.
There are no traces of it in George Sands
Breton legends, or in the German myths
of Alsace and Lorraine on the other side
of France l doubt if any can be found
in Marseilles literature. The local super
stition is probably confined to the South
west. that territory which was once Ma
yarre, or which formed debatahle land
between the Kings of France and Navarro
1t is said to be very strong in what is now
the Department of Lot, and was formerly
the district of Quercy in Guienne, the
chief town of which is Cahors.
The Drdt is a mischief-maker Old
people use him as a kind of bogey, to
frighten truant boys and giddy girls He
plays his pranks chiefly by night, and the
especial objects of his malice are those who
disbelievs in his existence or deny his
power.
When the following events are supposed
to have occurred, it is not very easy to say
the old woman, who was my informant's
authority, not being particularly accurate
in her chronology. Internal evidence,
however, seems to refer them to the third
quarter of the last century. The hero of
the tale is Just the sort of man, in small
way, to have been a precursor of the first
great French Revolution.
1t was fine. sunshiny afternoon in Au-
gust. Ramounet, butcher of the town of
Figeac, having closed his shop at the usual
hour, sauntered out apparently for his
usual evening stroll. Short and stout, yet
well built, with an active, healthy, good
humored look, he was just the stuff to
make a village beaux or bully, or both. 1t
was not, however, his physical qualities
that had rendered him the wonder and
scandal Of the neighborhood. Having re-
ceived the rudiments of liberal education
| from his uncle, the canon, he was proud OF
his intellectual superiority over most OF
his fellow -townsmen. His learning (for
so it might be called, considering his time
place and condition) had made him skepti.
cal, sophistical and disputatious. Not dar-
ing openly to deny the existence of God
he did the next thing to it, by deny
ing the existence of the Drat. He
stigmatized the popular belief as an
old woman's superstition, and declared that
he, for his part, would believe in the Drat
when he saw him, and not before. "And
if do see him." he would add, II prom
ise you he shan't get away in hurry"
Unfortunately, our learned and skeptical
butcher had not the reputation of being
proportionately honest his customers had
more than once complained of short weight
and there were several dubious reports
about him. Still, he had not as yet come
| to grief in any way; on the contrary, his
business was as f1ourishing as his health
it seemed as if the Drat had forgotten him
or was afraid of him. But as he walked
along at his ease that afternoon, the old
women, sitting on their doorsteps, shook
their heads and muttered, ave shall see
if we live long enough" From an indi-
vidual of the other sex he received diff.
ferent greeting.
"Hullo, Raymounet! you're justine man
1 want"
whats wanted, brother Ivernet?"
Ivernet and Ramounet composed the
guild or corporation of master butchers in
the town of Figeac. 1t was not so big a
place as to need larger allowance OF
them. Ivernet seemed very anxious to
speak with Ramounet; and the latter, who
had his own reasons, as will be seen, for
desiring an interview with his fellow
tradesman, did not require to be asked in
twice.
al am right. curious to know what you
will say this time," began Ivernet.
whats in the wind now?"
Somebody who will do you bad
turn, if you don't look out; depend upon
It."
'"The Drats"
"Husb, Just So"
Of hat -at
thought"
"Juss listen to what happened thi:
morning in the village"
bah! some story invented to deceive
those stupid peasants"
"But all the villagers who came to nay
shop this morning told me the story, anC
all in the same words"
Well, let's hear ii.
"You must know that this morning a
daybreak, at the place where the womer
wash their linen, suddenly a horse ap
peared. No one could tell where he cam,
from"
"Goodi he came out of the mud of tn,
pool, that fellow did, as they say that th'
crocodiles are born of the slime of th
Nile, after al inundatiOn."
"The Nile, what's that?"
"Tll tell you another time. But abou
his horse Handsome, was hes"
"Superb. And so a little urchin, seein.
this splendid horse, which didn't look
bit vicious, jumped on him"
"And them"
"Well then, my dear fellow, the othe
boys wanted to get on too, and, as the,
climbed up one after another, the beast
back heightened out, till by-and-by it hel,
tWenty-fOur of themi"
"Come, now, say twenty-three."
ats all very well for you to laugh, bu
that horse was the Drat, and as soon as h
had his load, he made for the pool, and al
the poor little devils"
"Were drowned? That's nothing t.
laugh at"
mo, were saved by very pious oil
woman who was passing, and just had tim
to make the sign of the cross. Then tn
Drat gave a caper, shook all the boys of
without hurting them, and disappeared"
"What fash of lightning and a smel
of birthstone"
"Now, what do you say to that ?"
al should like to have seen it."
Ramounet, wonder how you can tall
so, when the Drat is Just next door to us, a
one may say, and perhaps hears you talk
ing"
"Let him hear; I'll talk loud enough
no I won't either-but I'll tell you a goo
stroke of work | know about in this yer,
village-pext door, as you call it-tha
all the drafts and devils in the world won
hinder me from having try at"
"A good stroke Of work ?"
"Just so, and, as you are good fellow
I'll let you in for half of it, and cure you o
your Drat at the same time. Only yol
promise to keep it a secret"
"Trust me for that"
"Well now, brother, suppose you coul'
get your stock for nothing, and still sci
your meat at retail for the same price
you'd make more profit, wouldn't yous }"
"Of course. But how could II"
"Iknow how"
"What!" and the covetous butche
drew closer to his ellow-tradesman, VIII
dropped his voice mysteriously, and: con
tinued:
There's pound full of sheep near tn
village"
well"
In that pound there is shepherd t.
take care of them"
"Just So"
al know for sure that this chap, instead
of staying at his post all night, goes t
court a girl at the other end of the vii
lage. Eh! What do you say to that ?"
Il don't understand, exactly"
more stupid, you. Don't you see that
while the watch is away, two handy men
like YOU and me, can slip into the pound
pick out a good, fat sheep, carry him of