Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-09-02
THE POPE'S MULE.

Hudkt~ Win "ulCu tue peasants Oh tipN
ence iuterlard their discourse. know OF
none more picturesque or more singular
than the one am about To give you. For
fifteen leagues round about my mill,
when they speak OF a rsncurous vindic-
tive man, they say: "Dlstrust that man!
lie Is like the pope's mule who kept her
kicks seven years
have searched a long time to discover
the origin of this pruVerb, what this was
about the papal mule, and the kick saved
seven years The tale is pretty, although
a lttle simple, and | shall try To tell it Ia
you as read it yesterday morning in "a
manuscript colored by the weather,
which smelled good Of dry lavender and
had long threads Of gussamer for its trade
mark.
Whoever has not seen Avignon in the
time OF the p"pes has seen nothing. For
gayety. life. animation and the hustle of
fetes there was never another city like II
All the happy time, the fortunate city,
When halhcrds cut not and state prls-
ons were only used to cool the wine in.
Never want. never war, That is how the
p"prs of the country knew to govern their
pcple, that is why their people regretted
them 80 much.
There waa one especially, a good old
man whom they called BouiiaCe On!
but there were tears Shed in AvignOn
when he was dead. He was a prince. 50
amiahle. 50 prep0ssessing; he smiled at
You So pleasantly from the top of his mule,
and when you passed near him-were you
poor gatherpr of wild madier or the
grand provost Of the City-he gave you his
hruediction so politely, A true pope Of
lNttOt. but of an lvetOt of Pro
venCe, with something fine in his
laugh, sprlg of marJOram in his
bonnet, and no mistress. The only little
Jeanne belonging TO this good father was
his vine little vine that he had himself
planted at three leagues from Avignon.
among the myrtles of Chateau Neuf
Every Sunday after vespers the worthy
man would go To make his court to her,
and when he was up there, seated by his
good suutlower. his mule near him,
stretched ont at the feet OF the plants.
then he would unCUrk tlagon of wine
grown on the soil-this beautiful wine of
a ruby color which has since been called
the Chateau y Neuf-of-the Popes-and he
would taste it 10y little sips, regarding his
vine at the same time with tender air.
Then, the iiagOn empty, the day declining
he would ENTER the city, followed
by all his CauonS. and when he passed
over the bridge OF AvignOn. in the midst
of the tambourines and farandOles, his
mule, pui en- train by the music. would
begin little skipping amble, while he
himself would mark the step of the dance
with his bonnet, which proceeding greatly
sCandaliZed his cardinals, but made the
people cry: "Oh. the good prince. An,
the brave pope
After his vine of Chateau Neuf, that
which the pope loved the most in the
world was his mule. The good man
dotted on this mule. Every evening,
before going 10 bed, he would go to
see if her stable wa securely shut, if
nothing was wanted in her man
ger. ami he never rose from the table
without having prepared under his own
eyes Il great bowl of wine a la FranCaise.
with plenty of sugar and aromaticS in il.
which he would carry to her himself in
spite Of the observations of his cardinals.
1t must be said the beast was well worth
this trouble. She was beautiful. black
mule, spotted with red, with a sure foot
a shining hide. and Group large and full
carrying proudly her small. lean head. all
harneSse with pOmpons, love knots, sl-
Yer bells. and bows of ribbon. Stili more
she WAS as sweet As angel, with an limo
cent eye and two long ears always in mo
ton, which gave her the air of a gool
child. All AvIgnon respected her and
when she went into the streets there Were
no good manners they did not make to
her, because each one knew that this was
the sureSt means of being well received
at court, and that with her innocent air
the pope's mule had led more than one 10
fortune, rs Tistet Nedene's prodigious ad-
venture proves.
This TIstet Nedene was. in the first
place. an impndeut rascal whom his
father Guy Nedene. the engraver had
been Obliged 10 drive from home because
he would do nothing and corrupted the
apprentices. For six months one saw him
drag his jacket through all the kennels Of
AVignon. but his principal lurking place
was by the side of the papal palace, be
cause the knave had had for long time a
scheme about the pOpe'S mule, and you
shall see what it was the scUundrel had in
his mead.
One day when his holiness was prone
mailing all alone under the ramparts with
his beast. behold my Tistet. who ap-
proaches, and says to him, clasping his
hands with an air of admiration: All
my God! Holy father. what brave mule
you have there Allow me to look at her
Il little. Oh! my pope, a beautiful mule!
The emperor of Germany has not her
equal And he caresSed her, and spoke
10 her softly as to a young lady. Come
now, my jewel, my treasure, my fine
pearl" And the good pope, much moved,
said 10 himself: What a good little fel-
low! How pretty he is with my mule
And do you know what happened the
next day Tistet Nedene exchanged his
old yellow jacket for beautiful lace alb.
a violet silk mantle and buckIed shoes.
and he entered the household of the pope.
where never before him had they re
ceived only the sons of mobiles and the
nephews Of cardinals. Behold the plot,
But T!stet did not stop there.
Once in the service of the pope the knav-
ish fellow continued the play which had
succeeded so well for him Insoleut to
ward everybody, he had attentions and
civilities only for the mule and always one
was meeting him in the courts of the pal
ace with a handful OF oats or a bundle OF
French grass, the rosy berries of which he
would shake while slylv glancing up at
AiS ptl1ouN VI NilS Idliltl dS IL ~ III
Hey, for whom is this" He carried this /
on 50 well that the good pope, who per
Ceived himself growing old, came TO leav-
ing to him the care of watching the stable 7
and Of carrying to the mule her bowl of |
wine a Ia franchise This did not make /
the cardinals laugh. Neither did it make /
the mule laugh Now, at the hour for .
her wine she always saw five or six little .
clerks OF the household come into her !
house who would thrust themselve,
quickly into the straw with their mantles .
and their laces. Then. at the end of mo-
ment, a good, warm odor of caramel and .
aromatics would fill the stable, and Tis-
tet Nedene would appear, carrying with
preCautiun the bowl Of wine Ia fran
caise. Then the martyrdom of the poor
beast would commence. This perfumed
wine, which she loved so much, which
kept her warm. which gave her wings,
they had the cruelty to bring TO her there
in her manCcr. to make her breathe of it
then, when her nOstr Us were full. thL'
o,d liquor with the rosy fame all went