The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1890-07-26

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u I'm rhumb 81 shs Last Csntury NJ.
longins II theRoilah kim
HE story of Bebs Il Asqaaint bit oiI
last century''s history which has 1tsf
shean rescued from oblivion hy q CONT.
mental Dryasdust. Bebe II supposed
rs have been the littlest man who evers
lived. He was born " peasant We.
MAJ ID Lorraine just loo years agoand
was called Bebe because the lFst lew
Years 81 his life hecould articulate only
s.b-b., The day of his birth Bebe was
smaller than his mothers hand. Ten
days afterwards he was taken I tle
village church to be baptized % MS
mothers wooden shoe because he was
too tiny to be carried safely in her
arms. During the next six months
the Same wooden shoe served as Bebe'ss
crib.
Bebe's early childhood was uneyent
full. He did not grow and he did not
talk. He was famous throughout Lor-
raine. however. as the cunningest and
tiniest bit of humanity eve seen. He
was perfectly proportional, had won
derfully large and beautiful broWne eyes,
and was remarkably active upon his
diminutiye legs. When Bebe was
about Z years old King Stanislaus
Lesczynskf Of Poland, who was then
living in Lorraine, heard what won
derful little fellow he was and ordered
the clild's father to bring him tocourt.
Bcbe, Sr., carried his son to the royal
palace in Il small basket. AS the
father came into the kings presence
the King asked him very grufiy why
he had not brought his son with him:
Bebe, ST., answered this question BY
opening The basket on his arm and
dragging forth the child. Stanislaus
said it 6 that Bebe must become
his court dwarf. Bebe's father was in-
duced to accede to this proposal with
a good bit of Polish gold and Bebe was
made q regular follower OF the kings
court.
At the time of his introduction to-
court life Bebe was just twenty inches
tall and weighed eight pounds. He
never grew larger. AT first the king
tried to teach him jokes, and fairy
stories, and bits OF questionable poetry.
Bebe's intelligence, however, was not
equal to the demands thus made upon
it. His memory was so weak that he.
forgot one hour what he had learned
the hour before. Reading and writing
were for him quite impossible. With
all these fittings, however, he was by
no means a failure Us d court dwarf.
He had 8 sweet little 1oi:e, q good q
for music. and nimble legs. He could
dance, and kick, and sing with the best
OF the kings courtiers. Hc was very
useful as a table ornament ut all the
kings great banquets. His most tn
nous appearance in this rather curious
role took place at dinner which STAN
islaus gave to the ambassador OF q
great power In 1855. In the middle OF
the table was on immense sugar castle.
Shortly before the guests rose to leave
the door of the castle opened, and q
knight in full armor stepped out with a
drawn sword in his right hand. All
the guests thought the kniQbt must be
some wonderful automation which the
king had obtained from the skilled
mechanics acsoss the Rhine. He wasn't.
however. He was zone other than lit
tie Bebe. He walked around the table,
shook his sword in the face Of every
guest, saluted the king, and then turn
ed back to the castle entrance where
he assumed the position Of sentry. AT
a signal from the king everyone began
to lombard him with small sugar
balls. Bebe hurried at once into the
tower, locked the door, mounted the
tower, and pretended to return the fire
by setting of alot of perfnmed explo-
sives.
Within ten or twelve years after Be
be's appearance in court hesWas n oil
the most celebrated persons id royal
society on the continent. With fame.
however, came to him numerous per-
ills. All the ~sovereigns Of Europe were
coveting him, and many of them tried
hard to steal them. In 1868 the EN-
press Catharine OF Russia sent an emf
issary after him to the court Of the Pol
ish king. Late d evening, when the
royal palace was almost deserted. Cath
arine's emissary snapped Bebe up and
stuffed him into the pocket OF his great
coat. Bebe screamed 30 Justify that he
revealed tho plot to the guard at the
door. The emissary was arrested, and
Bebe was rescued. NOtlong afterWard
Bebeaaccompanied Stanislaus to- tho
court of Louis XIV. id Versailles.
where he again narrowly escaped NIB
duction. IA lady Of the French court
had been holding HMM her lap be-