Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1891-07-15

said to him: ''Ahl Mon Dieui Grand
Saint Pere, what beautiful mule you
have therei Stop a moment that may
look at her. AM mon pape, the beau
tiful mulel The Emperor of Germany
has not one to equal her." And he
petted her and spoke sweetly to her, as
he would to a young girl. ''Come
now, my jewel, my treasure, my fine
pearl" And the good pope, much
moved, said to himself: "What a good
little fellowl How gentle he is with
my mule" And then the next day
do you know what. happened? Tistet
Vedine exchanged his old yellow jacket
for beautiful lace alb, q cassock of
violet silk, shoes with buckles, and he
| entered into the service of the pope
where never before had anyone been
admitted except the sons OF noblsmen
and the nephews of the cardinals. This
Is what you gain by intrigue. But lis
tet Vedine did not stop here.
Once in the pope's service the rogue
continued the game which had brought
him such good luck. Insolent to every
body, he had no kind attentions, no Oh
Witty for anyone but the mule; and he
was always found about the courts of
the palace, with a handful of oats or a
bunch of French grass, from which he
gently shook the little pink blossoms
while he looked up at the balcony of
the holy father as If to say, "Heyl
what's that for?" And finally the good
pope, who felt that he yas growing old,
concluded to leave to IIstet the care of
the stable and carrying the bowl of
wine q la .trancaise to the mule, and
the cardinals did not laugh at this.
Neither did the mule laugh any
more. Now when the hour arrived for
her to have her wine, she always saw
| coming towards the stables five or six
little acolytes, who jumped quickly in
to the straw with their cassocks and
laces; then in a moment, q good warm
odor of caramel and fragrant spices
pervaded the stable, and Iistet Vedine
appeared, very carefully bringing the
| bowl of wine u la frdncaiSe.
Then the martyrdom of the poor
beast commenced
The perfumed VINE that she loved so
much, that kept her SO warm, that gave
her wings, he had the cruelty to take
to her there in the manger to make her
smell it; then, when her nostsils were
full OF 1t, pass it by. L have seen it.
goes down the throats of those wretches.
And yet, if they had but stolen her
wine; but they were like little devils,
all those little acolytes after they had
drank it! One pulled her ears, another
her tail; Iniquet mounted her back,
Belequrt tried his beretta on her, and
not one of these rascals dreamed that
by one kick the brave beast would be
able to send them all to the polar star
or even further. But mol that would
be too undignifed for the pope's mule
the mule of benedictions and indul-
gences. 1t was all useless for the
children to tease her, she did not get
angry; and she had grudge only
against Tistet Vedine, as when she felt
him behind her hoof longed to have at
him, and truly quite rightly, too. That
scapegrace Tistet paid her such vii
lainous tricks. He invented such cruel
! things after drinking.
One day it occurred to him to make
her mount with him into the bell
tower to the top, the extreme point of
the palace, and what tell you is not a
story-200, 900 provencals have seen it.
You can picture to yourself the terror
OF this poor unhappy mule when, after
having turned round and round for an
hour, cropping up the stairway like
snail, and clambering up don't know
how many steps, she found herself all
at once on a platform dazzling with
light, and at 200 feet below her she
perceived all of fantastique Avignon,
the booths at the fair not much larger
than hazel-nuts, the soldiers of the
pope before the barracks like SO many
red ants, and yonder, spanning thread
Of silver, little microscopic bridge
where they danced and danced.
An, poor beastl What terrorl What
fright
The bray that she gave forth made
all the window glass of the palace rat
tie
whats the matter? What have
they done to her?" cried the pope,
rushing out on the balcony.
Tistet VedIne was already in the
court pretending to cry and to tear his
hair. ''Ahi grand Saint Pere, that's
what it isl 1t is your mule - Mon
DIeul What will become of us? Your
mule has climbed the bell tower"
"All by herself?"
Eyes, grand Saint Pere, all by her
self-stop! Look at her way up therel
Do you see her ears sticking out over
the railing? Why they look like two
swallOwsI'
MERCY on mep' said the poor pope.
lifting up his eyes. But she must be
madi and she will kill herself Come
down now, you wretched creatureW
Jin9ol She did not ask anything
bett-r than to come down. Ths STAIR
way? That was out of the question;
she came up that way to be sure; but
the descentl Why she would break
her legs hundred times over. And
the poor mule was in despair, Wild
everything turning round and rounh
as she stood on the platform, while her
great eyes we're swimming in her head.
Then she thought of TIstet Vedine.
''Ah, ruffian, if escape from here
what kick from my heels thou shalt
have tomorrow morning."
This idea of the kick put little
more heart in her legs, without which
she would not have been able to stay
there. Finally they came to take her
down, but it was an awful affair. They
were obliged to use jack, some cords
and litter, and you can Just imagine
what n humiliation it was for the mule
of the pope to see herself suspended
iAtAi odSh AOiShb, III spdCt DN
her feet like May bug on the end of a
"A string-and all Avignon looking at
her.
The unhappy beast did not sleep at
all that night. 1t seemed to her that
she was constantly turning round and
round on that accursed platform, while
the laughter of the city reached her
from below. Then she thought of that
Infamous Tistet Vedine, and that mas
terly kick of her heels. From Pam
.pelune they VOL Id be able to see the
smoke of it.
Now then, while they we're preparing
IN elegant reception for her at the
stable, do you know what Tistet Vedine
was doIngl He descended the Rhone,
singing galiy, on a papal galley, and
went to Naples with troop of young
MOBILES that tn village sent every year