Birmingham age-herald., 1894-07-21
ZOTOF AND THE CHAR.
PETER THE GREATS PRACTICAL
 JOKES WITH THE DWARFS.

Weddings With the ETidgets the Con- tracting Parties a Preferred Form of Amusement-Even Zotof, the Favorite, Did Not Escape-LittIe Court testers.
 About the time that little Richard Gib son was teaching the English princesses to draw, Nikita Moiseievitch Zotof the "Muscovite court fool and dwarf, " was appointed tutor to his Russian majesty, the young czar, Peter the Great.
 Zotof is said to have enjoyed a great reputation for learning and goodness, ac- cording to the Russian standard of that time As late as the year 1682, when Louis XIV and Charles II were holding their brilliant courts and the good William Penn was making treaties with the lndi- ans of American, Russia was so far behind the other European nations that even royal prince seldom learned anything more than little reading, writing and arith- metic, with perhaps a smattcring of geog- raphy and history.
 There were then no great writers or art ists among the Russians, but court testers and dwarfs were highly esteemed. Learn ing did not count for much, except among the clergy, but the great empire, we are told, was remarkable for her fools" of high degree, for even princes were proud to hold the office.
 As for dwarfs, the country was really alive with them. One old author says there was scarcely nobleman in the land who did not possess one or more of these "frisks" of nature. At almost all state dinners, if these pygmies were fortunate enough to escape being served in pie, it was their duty to stand behind their lords chair holding his snuffbox or awaiting his command. They were usually gayly dressed in uniform or livery of very cost ly materials.
 In 1710 Zotof and his royal master ar ranged wedding between two dwarfs. This was celebrated at St. Petersburg with great show and parade. Zotof as high official was head and front of the perform ance. It took long time to prepare for this great event. Invitations to tho we'd ding were sent out several months before the day appointed for the ceremony, and all the courtiers and ambassadors were bidden to the marriage of this tiny man and woman. All the dwarfs living within 200 miles of the capital were commanded to be present. The bride and groom rode on an elephant under canopy Some of the midgets followed on camels or rode in sledges carved in the shape of various ani-
 
 dozen dwarfs at time. Some of these small people did not like tho idea of being bidden or commanded in this way. Of course the procession of dwarfs was fol lowed to the city by laughing mob, and the pygmies objected to being made sport of, but Peter's word was law, and he pun ished the disobedient ones by making them wait at the banquet on those who wero docile.
 Seventy dwarfs sat down to table besides the tiny bride and bridegroom, who were richly adorned in the height of the pre- vailing Russian mode. Zotof took care that everything provided for this marriage should be of suitable size. A low table was set with small dishes, glasses, plates and other articles, all arranged according to the size of the guests. The dwarfs, we are told contended with much pride and gravity as to which should be the first, but it was finally settled that the smallest should take the lead and then there arose disputes, as none of them would admit he was smaller than the others. The ezar, who was present, finally interfered, order was restored, and the banquet proceeded. Dancing followed. The bridegroom, who was 38 inches high, opened the ball with minuet. The company soon followed the example of the groom and entered into the dancing with great spirit, and after all their trouble became very gay and had a good time generally.
 Peter was very fond of the pyg1ny tribe and at the funeral of one who had long been attached to his court 24 male and 24 female dwarfs walked in procession, fol- lowed by the emperor ill person and his ministers and guards 1 never heard of his being cruel to dwarf, although he <1a @E hi love for practical joking was so great that even Zotof did not always escape.
 About the time of the marriage of the dwarfs, tho czar, in a fit of after dinner jollity had conferred the title of count upon his former teacher. Besides little Zotof received salary of about $2,000, considerable sum for thoso days, and he had taken possession with much ceremony of fine house in the Tatar quarter of St. Petersburg.
 Now it happened that Zotof, feeling himself growing old, proposed one evcn- ing when the czar was in an especially good humor, to retire to a monastery In stead of agreeing, Peter, to the great as tonishment of tho old and infrm dwarf, forbade his thinking of such a thing and ordered him to marry again.
 Zotof was much put out but Peters passion for shows was not ono whit less. He chose as wife for his favorite buffoon an old lady, widow of a man named Stremonkof Preparations were begun in the autumn of 17l2, and in the fantastic procession tho Empress Catherine and the czar's daughters, Martha and Prascovia, and oven some of the ambassadors were obliged to take part
 Four stammering old men gave out tho invitations. Infirm and tottering crea- lures were appointed to conduct the bride, and four of the fattcst men in Russia served as runners. The musicians were seated in car led by bears, and as these