The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-10-12
THE POPE'S MULE.
French of Alphonse Daudet.

1
! spiteful man, they say;
| "Distrust that mani He is like the Pope's
mule, that kept her kick for seven years"
have tried for long time to find out whence
this proverb could have come, what this papal
mule and this kick kept for seven years might
be- No one has been able to give any infor-
nation on the subject, not even Francet Mamai,
my fifer, who has all the Proveneal legends at
the ends of his fingers. Francet thinks, as do,
that there must be some old chronicle of the
Avignon country regarding it; but he has never
heard anything more than the proverb.
"You will find that only in the Grasshopper's
Library" said the old fifer, laughing.
The idea seemed good, and the Grasshop-
pers Library is right at my door, I went and
shut myself up in it for week.
1t is awonderful library, beautifully arranged,
open to poets day and night and tended by little
librarians with cymbals who make music for
you all the time. passed several delicious days
there; and after week of researches-on my
back-I ended by discovering what 1 wished,
that is to say the history of my mule, and of
this famous kick which was kept for seven
years. The story is pretty, although little
simple, and am going to tell it to you as l read
| 1t yesterday morning in the manuscript, stained
|
lavender, and with great spiders webs for book
| marks.
He has seen nothing who never saw Avignon
| in the time Of the Popes There was never city
| like it for gayety, life animation, festivals
From morning to evening there were PROFESSIONS
| pilgr1mages, streets strewn with flowers and
| hung with tapestries; cardinals arriving by the
| Rhone, banners floating the wind galleys
dressed with flags, the Pope's soldiers singing in
Latin on the squares, the rattlesof the mendi-
cant friars; them from one end to the other noisy
| houses which crowded around the great papa
| palace like bees around their hive. There was
| besides, the tictae of the lace makers, the
| come-and-go of shuttles weaving the gold of the
| chasubles, the little hammers of the silver
! smiths making vessels, the trying of sounding
| boards at the Observation-Disclosures, the songs of
| the loom tenders, from above the sound of bells
| and always from below the tambourines sound
| ing in the direction of the bridge. For with u.s.
when the people are happy they must dance
| they must dance; and as at this time the city
streets were too narrow for the farandole fifers,
| and tambourine players posted themselves on
the bridge of Avignon, in the fresh breezes of
| the Rhone, and day and night the people danced,
| the people danced-ahl happy time! happy ethyl
! Halberds which would not cut state prisons
| where they put the wine to COOL No poverty,
no war! That is the way that the Popes of the
Comtat governed their people; that is why their
| people have always so regretted them.
There was one above ALL good old man
called Boniface. Ali how many tears were shed
for him in Avignon when he died. He was
| such amiable, such handsome prince;
he smiled at you so pleasantly from his mules
back, and when you passed near him-whether
| you were poor little madden gatherer or a
| great city magistrate-he gave you his benedic-
| ton so politely, A true Pope Of Yvetot and an
| Yvetot Of Provence, with something shrewd in
his laugh, sprig Of sweet marjoram in his
| baretta, and not the suspicion of any favortism
| The only favorite the good father ever had was
his vineyard-a little place which he had planted
himself three leagues from Avignon, among the
myrtles of Chateauneuf
| Every Sunday, when vespers were over. the
! worthy man went to look after it. and when he
was up there, seated in the warm sun, his card-
| nails stretched about among the tree stumps. he
had flagon of new wine opened, that beautiful
! ruby wine which has ever since been called the
| Popes Chateauneuf, and he drank it in little
| sips, looking tendery at his vines. Then, when
| the f1agon empted and the day declining
| he returned cheerfully to the city, followed by
| all his chapter and when he passed over the
bridge of Avignon in the midst of the tambour-
| ines and tho farandoles his mule, excited by the
music, took littls frisky amble while he him
self marked the dance step with his cap, which
| greatly scandalized his cardinals, but made all
the people cry: "Ahl what good Prince! All!
| what gallant Pope~
| Next to his vineyard at Chateauneuf, that
| which the Pope loved most in the world was his
mule The good man was passionately fond of
| his beast. Every evening before retiring he
went to see if her stable securely fastened,
| or if anything was wanting in her manger and
| he never rose from the table without having
| big bowl Of wine prepared underhis own eyes in
| the French fashion, with quantity of sugar
| and spices, which he carried to her himself, in
| spite of the remarks of his cardinals 1t must be
! acknowledged that the creature was worth the
| trouble. She was a beautiful black mule spot
ted with red, with sure foot, shining coat, erup
| per broad and f1at-carrying proudly her sharp
| little head, all harnessed with pompons, like
| silver bells and earknots. She was more sweet
| tempered than an angel, with quick eye, and
| a good-natured air All Aviguon respected her
| and when she went out in the streets there were
no courtesies which she did not receive for
| every one knew that this was the surest way to
| stand we'll at court, and that with her innocent
air the Pope's mule had led more than one per-
| son to fortune-Tistet Vedene and his wonderful
| adventure for example
This Tistet Vedene was in the beginning a
| saucy boy whom his father Guy Vedene, the
| gold chaser had been forced to turn out of his
house because he would not work and led astray
| the apprentices. For six months he was to be
seen dragging his jacket through all the cutters
| of Avignon but chiefly in the neighborhood of
the papal palace, for the sly fellow had for along
| time had his designs on the Popes mule, and
| you shall see how cunning they were. One day
| when his Holiness was riding alone with his
| beast under the ramparts behold my Tistet, who
| draws near and says to him, clasping his hands
| with look of admiration "Ah, heavens!
| Most Holy Father, what fine mule you have
| the1e Allow me to look at her moment. Ali
my Pope, what beautiful mule. The EN-
peror of Germany has not her equal" And he
caressed her, and he spoke gently to her as to a
! young lady Come here my jewel my treasure,
my fine pearl" And the good Pope greatly
| pleased said to himself: What good little
| fellow! How nice he is with my mule" And
then do you know what happened the next day9
Tistet Vedene exchanged his old yellow jacket
| for beautiful surplice of lace, cape of violet
silk, and buckled shoes, and he entered the
household of the Pope into which no one had
been received before but the of noblemen
and the nephews of cardinals. There you see
what intrigue can do. But Tistet did not stop
| here.
Once IN the service of the Pope, the scamp
continued the game which had succeeded so
well Insolent to every one else, he had atten-
ton and services for the mule alone, and he was
| always 10 be met in the court yard of the palace