The Osceola times., 1878-09-14
The Three Huuchbacks.

The Three Huuchbacks.
At short distance from Douai, there
stood castle on the bank of a river
near a bridge. The master Of this castle
was hunchbacked. Nature had exhaus.
ted her ingenuity in the formation of his
whimsical figure. In place of under
standing she had given him an immense
head, which, nevertheless, was lost be-
tween his two shoulders; he had thick
hair, a short neck, and horrible visage.
Spite of his deformity, this bugbear
bethought himself of falling in love
with beautiful young woman, the
daughter of poor but resnectable bur
CESS of Douai. He sought her in mar
riage, and as he was the richest person
in the district, the poor girl was de-
livered up to him. After the nuptuals
he was as much an object of pity as she;
for, being devoured by jealousy, he
had no tranquility night or day, but
and prying and rambling everywhere,
went suffered no stranger to enter the
castle.
One day during the Christmas festival
while standing sentinel at his gate, he
was accosted by three hump-backed min
strels. They saluted him as brother
as such asked him for refreshments, and
at the same time to establish the frater-
nifty, they ostentatiously shouldered
their humps at him. Contrary TO eXpcc-
tation, he conducted them to his kitchen,
gave them capon with peas, and to each
piece of money over and above. Before
they departed, however, he warned them
never TO return on pain of being thrown
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 a grotesque
manner, in derision of their brother
hump of the castle. He, on his part,
without paying further attention, went
TO walk in the fields.
~ The lady, who saw her huband cross
the bridge, and had heard the minstrels,
called them back to amuse her. They
had not been long returned to the castle
when her husband knocted at the gate,
by which she and the Ministries were
equally alarmed. Fortunately, the lady
perceived in a neighboring room three
/ empty Golfers. Into each of thee she
stuffed minstrel, shut the covers, and
/ then opened the gate to her husband.
He had only come back to espy the con-
/ duct of his wife, as usual, and, after a
| short stay, went out anew, at which you
may believe his wife was not dissatisfied
/ She instantly ran to the Golfers 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 sutfo-
Gated? I.amentation. however, was use
| less. 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 reward of thirty livres, and lead
ing him into the castle, she took him to
one of the Golfers, and showing him its
contents, told him he must throw the
! dead body into the river. He asked for
a sack, put the carcass into it, pitched it
over the bridge, and then returned quite
out of breath to claim the promised re-
ward.
81 Certainly intend to satisfy you,"
said the lady, "but you ought first to
/ fulfill the conditions Of the bargain
you have agreed to rid me of the dead
body, have you not2 There, however,
| it is still" Saying this, she showed him
to the other Golfer, in which the second
humpbacked minstrel had expired At
/ this sight the clown was perfectly con-
/ founded-"h how the deucel come back !
a sorcerer." ne then stuffed the body
into the sack and threw it, like the other
over the bridge, taking care To put the
/ head down and to observe that it sunk
Meanwhile the lady had again changed
| the position of the Golfers, so that the
third was now in the place which had
! been successively occupied by the
two Others. When the peasant returned
she showed him the remaining dead
body. "You are right" said she, he
must be q magician, for there he is
with rage. What the deuce am ] to
do nothing but carry about this humps
back? He then lifted him up, with
dreadful imprecations, and having tied
a stone round his neck, threw him into
the middle of the current, threatening,
if he came out third time, to dispatc
him with a cudgel
The first object that presented itself
to the clown, on his way back for his re-
ward, was the hunchb,cked master of
the castle returning from his evening
walk, and making toward the gate. At
this sight the peasant could NO longer
retain his fury "Dog of a humpback,
are you there again? so saying, he
sprang on the Chatelain, threw him over
his shoulders, and hurled him headlong
into the river after the minstrels.
az III venture wager you have not
seen him this last time" said the peas
ant, entering the room where the lady
was seated. She answered, she had not
"You were not far from it, replied he /;
the sorcerer was already at the gate,
but have taken care of him-be at
your ease--he will not come back now"
The lady instantly comprehended
what had occurred, and recompensed
the peasant with much satisfaction