Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-26


Raven" The Gold Bug" The Purloined
Letter" Fall of the House of Usher" etc.
I never knew any one SO keenly alive
to joke as the king was. He seemed
to live only for joking. To tell good
story of the joke kind and to tell it
well. was the surest road to his favor.
Thus it happened that his seven min
listers were all noted for their accom-
plishmentS as jokers. They all took
after the king. too in being large, cor
pulent, oily men, as we'll as inimitable
jokers. Indeed. practical jokes suited
the kings taste far better than verbal
ones.
At the date of my story testers had
not altogether gone out of fashion at
court. Our king, as matter OF course,
retained his tool" His fool, or pro-
fessional jester, was not only a fool.
however. His value was trebled in the
eyes of the king by the fact of his being
also dwarf and cripple. Dwarfs
were as common at court in those days
as fools, and many monarchs would
have found it difficult to get through
their days days are rather longer at
court than elsewhere) without both a
jester to laugh with and dwarf to
laugh at.
The dwarf TESTERS name was Hop
Frog. l believe the name was not that
given to him at baptism. but 1t was
conferred upon him by general consent
of the seven ministers on account OF
his inability to walk as other men do.
In fact, Hop-Frog could only get along
by a sort of interjectiOnal gait-Some-
thing between a leap and a wiggle-a
movement that afforded illimitable
amusement.
But although Hop-Frog. through the
distortion of his legs, could move only
with great pain and difficulty along a
road or floor, the prodigious muscular
power which nature seemed to have be-
slowed upon his arms, by way OF COM
pensation for deficiency in the lower
limbs, enabled him to perform many
feats of wonderful dexterity where
trees or ropes were in question or any
thing else to climb.
Hop-Frog and young girl very little
less dWarfish than himself (although of
exquisite proportions and marvellous
dancer) had been carried of from
their respective homes in adjoining
provinces and sent as presents TO the
king by one of his ever victorious gen.
erals. Under these circumstances a
close intimacy arose between the two
little captives. They soon became sworn
friends.
Now Trippetta-that was the girls
name-waS continually being made to
work too hard, and Hop-Frog was al
ways being abused, even knocked about,
by the king or some Of his seven min
listers Both these dwarfS, therefore.
hated the king and his ministers very
much. They often plotted to secure re-
hf1t uyt0 AnfNrn1nd
creatures hope to do against the king
of the realm and his seven wise min
listers?
Came one of the royal masquerades,
which were extremely popular with the
king Every one but the king thought
of some unusual costume to wear, some
unique role to assume. But the king
was N despair of thinking of anything
original. and his seven ministers were
equally barren of an idea.
So Hop-Frog and Trippetta were sent
for, but when. not Immediately thinking
of an idea, they were abused, they be-
came sullen. The king tried to make
Hop-Frog drink wine against his will.
The king flung Tripetta aside and threw
wine In her face. Suddenly Hop-Frog
seemed to brighten up and said:
At cannot tell what was the associa-
ton of idea, but just after your majesty
had struck the girl and thrown the wine
in her face. there came to my mind a
capital diversion-one of my own coun-
try frolicS-often enacted among us at
our masquerades, but here 1t will be
new altogether. Unfortunately, how
ever, it requires a company OF eight
persons
Here we are!" cried the king. laugh
ing at his acute discovery of the COIN
cidence: EIGHT to a fraction-I and
my seven ministers. What is your idea?"
I'VE call it." replied the cripple, the
Eight Chained Orang- Outangs. The
beauty of it is the fright it occasions
among the women. will equip you as
orang-outangs. Leave that all to me.
The resemblance will be so striking
that the company will take you for real
beasts. The chains are for the purpose
of increasing the confusion by their
jangling. You are supposed TO have eS-
capped en- masse from your keepers"
1t was decided to follow Hop-Frog' S
instructions. The king and his minis
tiers were first encased in tight-f1tting
shirts and pants. They were then sat
urated with tar. The hair OF the brutes
was represented with fax, thick coat
ing being put on the sticky tar. A long
chain was procured. First, it was
passed about the waist of the king and
tied; then about another Of the party
and also tied; then about all success
sively In the same manner.
The grand salon for the masquerade
usually had a high chandelier, hung
from hook on large chain that
could be lowered. Hop-Frog suggested
to Trippetta, who had charge of the
arrangements, that the chandelier be
removed, since the droppings from the
candles might spoil some of the cos
tunes. This was done. Lights were pro-
vided along the walls instead.