Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-05-16
THE POPES MULE.
BY ALPHONSE DAUDET.

their conversation know OF none more pictur
esque or singular than this one. For Is leagues
around my mill. when a revengeful man is
spoken of, they say:
"LOok out for that man, He is like the Pope's
mule that kept his kick for seven years.
searched for a long time to find out whence
this proverb could have come, what there was
about this papaI mule, and this kick kept fol-
seven years. No one here could give me any
Information on the subject: not even France1
Mamai, my fifer. who, nevertheless, had all the
provencaI legends at the tips of his fingers
Francet thinks, as do. that there is beneath il
some ancient tale Of the Avignon country. but
he has never heard il spoken of otherwise than
by the proverb.
You Will find that only in the Library of the
GrasshOpperS,' the old ffer told me laughingly
The Idea seemed To me good. and. as the Library
of the GrasshOpperS Is at my door, | sought its
seclusOn for a week. IL is a marvellous library.
admirably furnished, open to the poets day and
night and served by little librarians with GYM
balls. who make music for YOU all the time.
passed several delicious days there. and after a
by discovering what | wished, that is to say,
the history OF my mule and that lannon's kick
kept for seven years. The tale is pretty. though
little aoV, and am going To try and tell it to
you Is read 1T yesterday in n weather-Stained
manuscript which smc1lcd >weetiy of dried
lavender and had great cobweb threads for
Who never saw Avignon in the days of the
POpes has seen nothing. There was never city
equal tn it for gayety. life, animation, festivals
succeeding Ooc another. From morning to
evening there were PROFESSIONS pilgrimapes
streets Strewn with flowers and hung with fine
tapestry. Cardinals arriving by the ithOne, BAN
ners futtcring to the wind, galleyS gay with
square. begging friaFS with their ratteS-up
and down the houses crowding, clustering
around the great Ii,,T;i palace like bees about
their hive: then tusre was also the ticl-tack of
the ia"e frames the swinging OF tine shuttIes
weaving the gold Of tie ch"subleS, the light
I.inucrin-~ ~ the v?se c;grvers the tuning at
the lutte makers. The songs of the veaVers-over-
head the sounding church bells. and all the
while from down By the Eri,late there came the
hcin of tinILrciS. For with Us when the people
are happy they must daHcc-always dance and
"a the Streets OF the civ yyer,. too harrow for
"ttrandn!e, filters and timbrel players We're
posted on the bridge OF Aviznon in the fresh
breeze from the khone and night and day there
was dancing ticT"-always dancing. All, the
happy time. the happy city, Halberds which
cut not, prisons Of state where the wine was put
to cool: No p0verty-no war. That is the way
the POpes of the Comtat were able to govern
their peopie-that is why their people so regre t.
There was one above ala good old man who
was called Boniface Oh, how many tears were
Shed III AVignon when he died. He WIS such
an aniatle and engaging prince: he smiled so
pleasantly on You from his mules back. and
when You passed near him-were you a little
gatherer Of madder root or the grand provost of
the city-he gave you his blessing so politely.
A true pope of Ivetot. but an Yvetot of Prov
ence, with touch of keenne~S i'm his laugh n
spray OF sweet marioram in his cap, and not a
sign Of Jeanneton. The only jeanneton this good
father was ever known to have was his Vine
yard. little vineyard that he had planted him.
sell three leagues from AVignOn in the myrtleS
of Chateau Neuf. Every sunday on coming out
from veSpers the worthy man went to paw his
court there. and when he was seated in the
genial sunlight. his uncle near him, his cardi-
nails all about him, stretched at the foot of the
vines. then he had "a hagon of his wine opened
that beautiful wine, the color Of rubieS. which
has since been called Chateau Neuf deS Popes-
and he tasted il in little sips, looking over his
S1neyard with IA a tender air Then the fagon
ously back to the city followed by his entire
chapter. and as he passed over the bridge of
Avignon amid the drums and the 'T;lrandoles."
his mule, set going by the music took a little
skipping amble while he himself marked the
step of the dance with his cap. scandalizng his
cardinals greatly. but making all the people
say: "Ahi the good prince, Ali. the worthy
pope"
After his vineyard of Chateau Neuf what the
pope loved best was his mule. The good man
dotted on that creature. Every evening before
retiring he went 10 see if her stable were rightly
closed. II nothing Were lacking i'll her manger,
and he never rose from table without having
prepared under his own eyes a great bowl of
wine Ia Franchise, with quantities of sugar
and herbs. which he carried to her himself. de-
spite the remarks of his cardinals. 1t must be
said, too, that the beast was worth the trouble.
She Was beautiful black mule spotted with
red, sure-fD0ted, with shining hair. large full
Group, carrying proudly her trim little head
adorned with pompOnS. with knots with silver
bells. and with pulls, gentle as an angel, more
over, with innocent eyes and two long ears,
always in motion, which gave her a Jolly air
All Avignon respected her. and when she went
through the streets kindness of all sorts was
the surest way To gain favor at court. and that.
for all her innocent air. the popes mule had led
more than one - f2rtune-fyr example, Tistet
Nedene and his rTodigiouS adventure.
This Ti>tet VeGene originality shameless
rascal whom his father. Guy Nedene the gold
carver, had been obliged To drive from home
because he would do nothing and corrupted the
apprentices. For six months he was seen drag
ging his skirts in all the cutters of Avicnon but
principally near the papal mansion, for the
rogue had had his own idea about the pope's
mule for "a long time, and you will see that it
was a sharp one.
One day "a his holiness was taking a turn on
the parts alone with his beast one Tistet
approached him and said, Joining his hands
with an adInlring air. ''Ah, heavens! Great
holy father, what u noble mule YOU have there,
Would you object very much to my looking at
her? All, my pope, what Il beautiful mule. The
emperor OF Germany has not her equal And
he cares~td her and spoke to her softly as TO
young lady.
my Jewel. my treasure, nv rare pearl
And the good pope. quite moved, said to him.
self: Nv hat a good little fellow. How nice he is
with my mule. and then on the morrow do
you know what came to pass: Tistet Vedene
exchanged his old yellow jacket for beauti-
IN % y. i'tce' d c1ntlI Oh violet SILK ana
buckied shoes, and entered the service of the
pope, where none but sons of mobiles and
nephews OF cardinals had been before received
That's what plotting can do. But Tistet did
not stop there.
once in the service of the pope the rogue
continued the game which had served him so
We'll. lnsoient 10 every one, he had attention
and eonsi rrsttiOh for the mule only: he was
continually 10 % met in the courtyard of the
clover. the rosy clusters of which lie gently
shook gia1cing toward the balcony OF the holy
father a. If 70 say:
'-Hey. " nom is that fOror' so that in the
end the good pope, who telt himself growing
old, took Il into his head % leave to him the
care OF overseeing the stable and carrying the
mule her bowl of wine IL Ia Franchise which
did not please he cardinals.
And neither aid il please the mule. Now
when the time came for her wine she always
saw coming toward her five or six little pages,
who pOked themselves quickly into the straw
with their canals and their laceS. In a mo
ment q warm fragrance of caramel and herbs
filled the stable. and Tistet Vedene appeared
carrying carefully the bowl of wine a la + ran
caise- Then the marty rdOrn of the poor beast
commenced This Perfumed wine which she
loved 80 We'll. which gave her wings, which kept
her warm. they We're cruel enough u bring IL
there % her manager. 10 make her breathe il.
then when her nO~tTils were full of it, presto
chang. the beautiful liquor with its rosy flame
al went down the Threats OF her tOrmeutOrs.
Nor was stealing her wine the end OF ii. They
were Ike inp@, AL thes" little pages, when they
had drunk. one pulled her ears another her
tail. Quiquet climbed To her back. Beluguct
tried his cap on her. and not one of these rDgues
Thought that with only one blow one kick
the good beast could have sent them all 10 the
polar star. and even further. But no, II does
the mule Of blessings and indulgences. The
children tried In Valn-they could not anger
her And only against Tistet Nedene did she
bear q grudge. And when she felt him behind
her her hOOi fairly s4uirued. and there was
reason for IL. That gOOd-iOrnothiny Tistet
played her such NtlltinOuS tricks! He had such
cruel Inspirations after drinking Didn't he
one day make her climb up with him into the
beifry of the chape.-up, away I'D AS high as
the top of The palace? And am telling YOU no