Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1890-05-06
BEBE, COURT DWARF.
Queer Career Of the Tom Thumb
of tho Last Century.
Tho DiminutIvo Creature Owned by King
Stanislcus of Poland--Nunerous rcrils
to Which tho Little Fellow Was
ExPosed-IIIs Last Days.

The story Of Bebe is a quaint bit of
last century's history, which has just
been rescued from oblivion by q CONT
ncntal Dryasdust. Bebe is supposed to
have been the littlcSt mali who over
lived, says the New York Sun. He was
borne by peasant woman in Lorraine
just $50 years ago, and was called Bcbo
because the first few years of his lifc no
could articulato only "b-b." The day of
his birth Bebe was smaller than his
mothers hand. Ten days aftcrward no
was taken to tho village church to be
baptized in his 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's crib.
Bebe's carly childhood was unevent-
full. He did not grow and he did not
talk. He was famous throughout
Lorraine, however, as tho cunningcst
and tiniest bit of humanity over seen.
He was perfectly proportional, had
wonderfully large and beautiful brown
eyes, and was remarkably active upon
his diminutive legs. When Bebc was
about seven years old King Stanislaus
living in Lorraine, heard what a
wonderful littlo follow he was, and
ordered the child's father to bring him
to court. Bcbe, ST., carried his son to
the royal palace in a small basket.
At time of his introduction to court
life Bebo 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. Bcbe's in
telllgence, however, was not equal to
the demands thus made upon it. His
memory was so weak that he forgot ono
hour what he had learned tho hour be-
fore. Reading and writing wero for him
quite impossible. With all these fail
1ngs, however, he was by no means q
failure as court dwarf. He had o
sweet little voice, a good car for music,
and nimble legs. He could dance and
and kick and sing with the best of the
Kings courtiers. He was very useful as
a table ornament at all tho Kings great
banquets. His most famous appearance
in this rather curious role took place at
q dinner which StaniSlaus gavc to tho
ambassador of great power in 1755.
In tho middle Of tho table was an i'm
mense sugar castle. Shortly before tho
guests rose to leave, the door of the
castle opened, and a knight in full arm
or stepped out with drawn sword in
his right hand. All the guests thought
the knight must be some wonderful
automaton which the King had obtained
from tho skilled mechanics across tho
Ehine. He wasn't, however. He was
mono other than littlo Bcbe. He walked
around the table, shook his sword in the
face OF every guest, saluted tho King,
and then turned back to tho castle on
franco, wnere ne assumed the position
or sentry. Ata signal from the King
every ono at the table began to lombard
him with small sugar balls. Bebo hur-
ri3d at oncc into tho castle, locked tho
Coor, mounted the tower, and pretended
to return the fro by setting off a lot of
pcrfumed explosives.
Within ten or twelve years after
Bebo's appearance at court he was one of
tho most celebrated persons in royal So
clety on tho continent. With fame.
however, camo to him numerous perils.
All tho sovercigns Of Europe wore covct-
ing him, and many Of thcm tried hard to
steal him. In 1853 the Empress Cath
Crlnc, or Russia, sent an CmiSsarv nftor
MIN to tho court Of tho Polish kim
Late ono evening, when the royal palace
was almost deserted, GATHERINGS ennis
sary snapped Dcbe up and stuffed him
into tho pocket of his great coat. Bcbo
screamed so Justify that no revealed tho
plot to The guard at tho door. The cmis-
sary was arrested and Bebo was rescued.
Not long aftorward Bebo accompanied
s5tanislaus to the court Of Louis XIV. in
Versailles, where he again narrowly es-
capped abduction. a lady of tho French
court had boon holding him in her lap
between the courses Of court dinner.
suddenly sho roso to leave the room.
iicr first step was accompanied by
shrlll cry from tho folds of her gown:
Your Majesty, your Majesty, this lady
has stuck mo in her pocket, and is run