Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-05-29
THE POPES MULE.
The story (Which IL not = Love story
Of a Kick that Waited seven Years.

nsh their conversation, i know OF none more
picturesque or singular than this one. For
10 leagues around my mill when revenge
ful 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 !"
l searched for long time to find out
whence this proyerb could have come, what
there was about this papal mule, and this
kick kept for seven years. No one here
could give me any information on the sub
ect not even Francet Mamsi, my fifer, who,
nevertheless, had all the ProveLcal legends
at the tips of his fingers. Francet thinks, as
l do, that there IL beneath it some ancient
tale OF the Avignon country, but he has new
er heard it spoken Of otherwise than by the
proverb.
You will find that only in the Library of
the Grasshoppers.' the old fifer told me
laughingly. The idea seemed to me good,
and, "a the Library Of the Grssshoppers is
at my door, | sought its seclusion for a week
1t is marvellous library, admirably furnish
ed, open to the poets day and night, and
served by little librarians with cymbals, who
make music for you all the time. passed
several delicious days there, and after week
Of researches, lying on my back, l ended by
discovering what wished, thet is TO say, the
history of my mule and that famous kick
kept for seven years. The tale is pretty,
though little matt, and / am going TO try
and tell it to You as read ii yesterday in
weather stained manuscript which smelled
sweetly Of dried lavender and had great cob
web threads for clasps
Who never saw Avignon in the days of the
Popes has seen nothing. There was never
city equal to it for gayety, life, animation,
festivals succeeding one another. From
morning to evening there we're processions
pilgrimagea, streets strewn with flowers and
hung with fine tapestry cardinals arriving
by the Rhone, banners huttering to the wind
galleys gay with flags, papal soldiers singing
in Latin in the squares, begging friars with
their rattes-up aud down the houses crowd
ing, clustering around the great papal palace
like bees about their hive; then there we're
also the tick-tack Of the lace frames, the
swinging of the shuttles weaving the gold Of
the chasubles, the light hammerings of the
vase carvers, the tuning at the lutte makers,
the songs of the weavers-overhead the
sounding church bells, and all the while from
down by the bridge there came the hum of
timbrels. For with us when the people are
happy they must dance--always dance, and
As the streets of the city were too narrow for
the 'farandols," hfers and timbrel players
were posted on the bridge of Avignon in the
fresh breeze from the Rhone, and night and
day there was dancing theTe-algays dancing
All the happy time the happy city Hal
herds which cut not prisons of state where
the wine was put to cool No poverty-no
war That is the way the Popes of the
Comtat we're able to govern their people
that is why their people 40 regretted them
There was one above ala good old man
who was called Boniface. Oh how many
tears were shed in Avignon when he died
He WAS such an amiable and engaging Prince !;
he smiled so pleasantly on you from his mule 8
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 Yvetot
but Yvet0t of Provence with touch of keen
ness in his laugh, spray of sweet mario
rom in his cap, and not sign OF Jeanneton.
The only jeanneton this good father was ev-
eF known TO have was his vineyard, a little
vineyard that he had planted himself three
leagues from Avignon in the myrtles of Cha
teau Neuf. Every Sunday on coming out
from vespers the worthy man went to pay
his court there, and when he was seated in
the genial sunlight, his uncle near him, his
cardinals all about him, stretched at the foot
of the vines, then he had a 6a2on OF his
wine opened that beautiful wine, the color
of rubies, which has since been called Cha
teAu Nsuf des Popes and he tasted it in lit
tie sips, looking over his vineyard with a ten
der air. Then, the hagon emptied and the
day declining, he came jOyOusly back to the
city followed by his entire chapter, and as he
passed over the bridge of Avignon amid the
drums and the "farandOles," his mule, set
going by the music, took little skipping am
BILE, while he himself marked the step OF the
dance with his cap, scandalzng his cardinals
greatly, but making all the people say :
"Ah the good Prince! All 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 to see il her stable
we're rightly closed, If nothing were lacking
in her manger, and he never rose from table
without having prepared under his own eyes
great bowl of wine la FRANCHISE, with
quantities of sugar and herbs, which he car
ried TO her himself despite the remarks OF
his cardinals. 1t must be said, too, that the
beast was worth the trouble. She was a
beautiful black mule, spotted with red, sure
footed, with shining hair, large full Group,
carrying proudly her trim little head, adorn.
ed with pompons, with knots, with silver
bells, and with pufIs; gentle as an angel,
moreover, with innocent eyes and two long
ears, always in motion, which gave her a jol-
| ly air. All AvignOn respected her, and when
| she went through the streets kindness of all
sorts was shown her, for every one knew that
was the surest way to gain favor at court, and
that, for all her innocent air, the POpe's mule
had led more than one to fortune-for exam.
pie, Tistet Vedene and his prodigiOus adven-
| ture.
This Tistet Vedene, was originally shame
less rascal whom his father, Guy Vedene,
the gold carver, had been obliged 10 drive
from homo because he would do nothing and
corrupted the apprentices. For six months
he was seen dragging his skirts in all the
cutters of Avignon, but principally near the
papal mansion, for the rogue had had his
own idea about the Pope's mule for long
| time, and you will see that it was a sharp
one.
One day Rs his Holiness was taking turn
on the ramparts alone with his beast, one
Tistet approached him and said, joining his
hands with an admiring air, "Ah, heavens
Great Holy Father, what a noble mule you
have there Would you object TO my look.
ing at her Alb, my Pope, what a beautiful
mule The Emperor Of Germany has not heI
equal" Aud he osressed her and spoke to
her softly as to young lady.
My jewel, my treasure, my rare pearl.
And the good Pope, quite moved, said Ia
himself what good little fellow How
nice he is with my mule" Aud then on the
morrow do you know what came to pass
Tistet Vedene exchanged his old yellow jack
ct for beautiful albe of lace, canal of vi
olet silk and buokled 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
30 well. Insolent to every one, he had at
tention and consideration for the mule only
he was continually to be met in the courtyard
OF the palace with a handful of oats, or
bundle of clover, the rosy clusters of whiet
he gently shook, glancing toward the balcony
of the Holy Father as II to say
"Hey Whom is that for2" SO that il
the end the good Pope, who felt himself
growing old, took it into his head TO leave Il
him the care of overseeing the stable ant
carrying the mule her bowl of wine a Ii
Fran caise, which did not please the cardinals
And neither did it please the mule. Now
when the time came for her wine she Away