Evening star., 1927-10-11
WORLD FAMOUS STORIES
BY ALPHONsE DAUDET.
THE POPE'S MULE

aS snd asd n s7 Ha Sros Sas
/, many stories most Of them dealing with the
story. among his best known works uses the
| word Pope to designate a parish priest.
| Avignon was full of merriment,
| life and gayety. From morning till
night there were pilgrimages, process
sions, streets flower -strewn and hung
with tapestries, banners in the wind,
and from attic to cellar Of the houses
Games the sound of looms and shuttles
weaving golden thread for chasubles,
goldsmith's tools making chased work
on chalices, the tuning of choir in
| struments. Above all rose the sound
OF the bells, and from the bridge
came the echo Of tambourines, for
when people are happy they must
dance. Here no sword made a
wound and prisons were used to store
wine in: there was no hunger and no
war. This was the way the Popes
ruled their people in Avignon.
One Pope in particular, a good old
man, was named Boniface. He was
kind and amiable. He laughed so gayly
on the back of his mule. This Pope
had one love in those far-off days and
1t was his vineyard. There he would
sit, of a Sunday afternoon, with his
mule near him and his cardinals
about him. When hs rode back to
town his mule would prance across
the bridge in lively keeping with the
music of the tambourines.
The good man Boniface dotted on his
mule. He never went to bed without
seeing that the stable was locked, that
everything necessary was there; and
he never rose from the table without
watching with his own eyes the prep
aration of a great bowl Of wine with
sugar and spice in the French man.
ner, which he took to his mule him.
self, despite the protests Of his car
dinals. The animal was worth 1t,
though-she was q handsome black
mule, with reddish points, broad and
full of back, sure Of foot, shiny of
hide, carrying proudly her slender lit.
tie head decorated with pompons and
ribbons and silver bells; gentle as an
angel, innocent-eyed, and with two
long wiggling ears, which made her
appear every inch a good fellow. All
Avignon treated her with respect.
When she passed through the streets
the people showed her every civility.
The Pope's mule might help one to
win favor at court, and every one re-
membered what had happened to Tts-
tet Vedene.
An impudent young rascal was Tis.
tet Vedene, and he came up from the
gutter only when he concocted q plan
involving the Pope's mule. He met
the Pope on his mule out riding one
day. and praised the mule very highly.
The worthy Pope was deeply touched
and thought Tistet Vedene a fine fel'
low for being so nice to his mule. SO
the young rascal entered the house.
hold of the Pope, an unheard.of thing
In Avignon.
But Tistet was not content; he con-
tinued to play his game successfully.
To every one but the mule he was IN
solent; he showered attentions on the
animal and made q great show OF be-
ing extra ordinarily good to 1t. AT last
the good Pope, who felt himself grow
ing old, nominated Tistet to take
charge Of the stable and the mules
regular bowl of spiced wine.
That was where it all began. Tls'
tet brought the wine to the mule, but
| wicked household pages hid in the
hay, and when the bowl of wine was
placed before the mule, and the ami
NAL had filled her nostrils with ITS
scent, these young scamps whisked II
away, and drank it themselves and It
made them only the more rascally.
For not content with stealing her
| wine, they abused the poor mule ter
| rlbly. She could have kicked Lhem
sky high, but she bore them no
grudge-it was Tistet Vedene she
hated. When she felt him behind
| her, her hoofs itched.
And the mule had reason. Tistet
| was villainous and mean, especially
after he had been drinking. One day
he took it into his head to lead the
mule up into the belfry. Round ana
round, up corkscrew staircase, ne
| led the bewildered mule, till she sud
denly found herself on platform.
blazing with sunlight, and perceived, a
thousand feet below. diminutive
Avignon. where the Pope's soldiery
looked like little red ants. The poor
mule was terrifled-at the cry she
gave many a window in Avignon rat
| tied.
whats the matter? What are
they doing to my muller" cried the
good Pope, rushing onto his balcony.
Tistet Vedene was in the courtyard
below, deceitfully weeping and tearing
his hair. "Ah, father. what a pity!
Your mule wiilfully climbed up into