Telegram-herald., 1889-12-09
TsisuNAL OF FOOLS


- Hz1ssSss Ao1A
TIE iitrle tosn q S5ocxsch. IA bzceHs
Shieh has barely &. eco inhabitants. en-
ioYs lLs pec.1 ~ ritle q p Del1se1 1laae ;
Nzrrea Resi1erz -thsE s. the German
cst-rt loF capital u fools, SAYS Casseil's
Saturday J9arnaL TIE name eor- -ginated
n ths privilege accorded 70 the tosn -
letters patent, and exercised for csnl-
cries. 81 holding annually a. carnival
tine pgb-c fool zssize, sc which al
the follles committed - the people q
t1s t01n &ud vicinity were m21e kHoea
and held lp - public ridle-le. Accord
ing - local tradition Stockach vas the
birthplace u Haas kuoni. jester - Leo
pold the brother II Albert TIE Wise.
Archduks o. Austria just before the
battle q Morgarten. In ISIS. the man "A
motley szs asked 10 express his opinion
% the plans of the campaign, which had
been adopted in his presence. Hans
shook his cap aud bells and answered.
Your speeches please ne lttle, ny
masters, for you only think and debate
how y0u shall eater the enemy terri
tOry. bat take no thought how you shall
leaYeit The battle took place. Leopold's
forces were defeated and escaped death
almost by miracle. Then the Arch
duke Albert, because the fool Lad
been wiser than his al brother cOln-
sellers, gave him the right TO SIT In
Judgment upon the wise" annually in
his native town, and granted many priv
ileges and immunitles 20 this fools
court" This peculiar tribunal, which
met even in the present century, MAS
composed of the father Of fools" as
president, and an unlimited number OF
fool councillors" as associates. The
members OF the court met in January 10
select the eases 20 be presented 20 the
court and 70 arrange the programme for
the subsequent festival OF fools. These
preliminary meetings took place in
tavern called the Fools Inn and dis
tinguished by special shield or tablet
on the outer wall. On the Sunday be-
fore Shrove Sunday the fools clerks. in
fantastic garb, drove through the town
in a carriage drawn by four horses at
tended by negro footmen and outridera,
and loudly notified the attentive. and in
many cases anxious, inhabitants, that
such and such cases would be presented
10 the court 10 be held on the approach
ing Shroye Tuesday.
Shrove Sunday and Monday wero
given over to the young FOOLS" or tho
children, who marched through tb0
streets in fantastic dress, as they did.
and still do, in many other places.
Meanwhile a number Of the boys main
tained 4 sort of watch at the fools
tree, and, with ear-splitting noises and
blows of whips, drove away all comers
who were not fantastically attired. In
reward for this service each urchin re-
ceived an immense fools cake. On the
eagerly-awaited Shrove Tuesday, at ten
o'clock in the morning, the members of
the court assembled on 4 great platform
in the open air, and the judicial pro-
ceedings were begun. The fools prose-
I cutOrs made their satirical accusations,
and the persons convicted of folly, when
their crimes had been described. wero
punished by having their names en-
tered in the book of fools. No one was
spared. The guilty ones, without
, distinction of person, were public
fools. Protestations were of no
avail, and whoever ventured TO critl-
else the sentence OF the court or
/ 70 speak in favor of the convicted fools
was declared TO be a fool himself
and his name was put on the
roll. When ali the cases had
been disposed of a procession, headed
by the council of fools, marched
through the streets, pausing fire.
quently, especially before the houses Of
the convicted persons, to read aloud the
sentence of the court to the great de-
light of the populace. The sentence
was also affixed to the doors of the Grim
inalS' houses. Then began the festival
Of fools, the programme of which in
cluded a lively theatrical representation
for the populace, banquet at the Fools
Inn and another banquet and dance in
the evening. On the next day, Ash
Wednesday, at four o'clock in the after
noon, the council again assembled be-
fore the Fools Inn 90 bury their folly.
At the head Of the procession came two
young folk bearing immeDse keys-the
keys to the realm Of folly. Next came
the fools guard, carrying a parti-colored
+ and decorated staff, on the top Of which
was the bust Of Hans Kuoni. He was
followed by two fools treasurers, who
bore an ancient carved chest containing
the books OF fool and the records of the
court. Then came the father of fools.
usually the Oldest male inhabitfnt Of
I the town. The rest OF the fools fol-
, lowed, walking two and two, with bowed
heads and in silence. like attendants at
a funeral. When the procession had
reached tho fools tree IL marched around
it three times and then dispersed, and
the reign OF folly was over for that wear
Things "a Australia.
Many things are reversed in Australia.
II Is summer there while it is winter in
America. Trees shed their bark instead
OF their leaves; fruit has the stone or
kernel outside; swans are black; there
Is species Of fly that kills and eats the
spider, and fish called the climbing
perch walks deliberately out OF the
water. and. with the aid OF is fms,
climbs the adjacent trees after insects
that infest them