Little Jeanne of France Page 3

  THE GUIGNOL]

  Jeanne often passed the park, but the amusements there were not forher. Jeanne had no time for Guignols and donkeys and goat carts.Jeanne had to go to school and from school to help Auntie in the shop.

  The donkeys and swings and other amusements did not attract Jeanne somuch. But oh, how she loved the Guignol! Very often she would stopoutside the tall gates and watch for ever so short a time.

  And when the children cried out, "There he is! There he is!" as they dowhen the wicked policeman pops up his puppet head, Jeanne would shoutwith them.

  She loved those silly little puppets. She knew them all just by passingthem each day.

  There was Guignol, the bad boy. He was the one all the children loved.There was the policeman; and how they hated him! There was a funny ladywith a wobbly hat, which was always knocked off; and her hair would allfall down.

  There were others. There was a pale, very pale boy they called Pierrot(py[)e]-r[=o]') which, in French, means "clown."

  Jeanne felt sorry for him because he was very old and paintless andtorn. They never gave him a fresh coat of paint nor mended his suit.Poor Pierrot!

  Jeanne knew those stories by heart, too. There was the story of themilkman. The bad boy drinks all the milkman's milk, while sending himon useless errands.

  There was "The Mattress," the story in which Guignol has a dream rightup on the tiny stage. Guignol, by the way, is just like our AmericanPunch, a puppet of the Punch and Judy show.

  There were a few other stories, but they were always the same. Jeannethought of many new stories. She wondered why the children didn't growtired of having the same stories all the time. Jeanne could make upothers--and she did--while she skipped to school. She made them up whileshe walked about the shop showing Auntie's little models.

  To-day was a very fine day. When school was over, Jeanne found a groupof children in bright-colored clothes, watching the Guignol. How sweetand pretty they looked sitting under the trees in their dainty clothes!

  Jeanne leaned against a tree. It was early yet. She might watch oneGuignol play.

  JEANNE LEANED AGAINST A TREE]

  The play was "The Thief." Guignol gives a lady a rose. She puts it inher hair under the large, floppy hat.

  Then Guignol dances for her. It is a clumsy dance, and he trips. Thechildren laugh. He gallops clumsily off the stage. Pierrot tiptoes infrom the other side.

  Jeanne leans forward eagerly. Has Pierrot a new suit, new paint? No,he is shabby and pale. Ah, poor Pierrot! But he dances on tiptoes, solight is he.

  His dance is elfin and gay. The lady watches. She is enchanted. Pierrotflits about the stage. Then, when his dance is at an end, he snatchesthe rose from the lady's hair. The lady's wobbly hat falls off. Thelady's wobbly hair falls down. She is a sorry sight.

  But who is that entering on the side? It is Guignol! He marches up toPierrot, and there is a fight. The children scream. The children cryout. Pierrot is losing.

  "Ah, Guignol! Guignol!" the children cry.

  Their hero is winning.

  Pierrot is thrown, and he lands far away from the stage. He lands on theground, but the children do not mind.

  They are all absorbed in Guignol--their Guignol. He is kissing the ladynow.

  But not for long are they happy. The alligator comes gliding upon thestage. There is another battle, and Guignol vanquishes the alligator.

  Then indeed is Guignol a hero. The curtain falls to the pleased applauseof the young audience.

  Only Jeanne has noticed Pierrot. He lies in a heap on the ground. Nobodyhas come to fetch him.

  Time goes on, and as the sun sinks lower, more and more children leavethe park. The Guignol plays are over for the day. The men who make themare packing to go.

  Now everyone is gone but Jeanne. Jeanne and the Pierrot are alone. Thelittle girl goes up to the puppet.

  "They have forgotten you, Pierrot," she says softly, "but maybe they donot care."

  Then Jeanne sits down on a bench with Pierrot in her arms.

  "But come, come. You must not mind, Pierrot, if they do not love you.You must not mind if they throw you aside and clap for Guignol. See! Ilove you very much. And even if you do wear shabby clothes and yourpaint is dull, that does not matter."

  Jeanne rocks the Pierrot. It grows dark in the Champs Elysees.

  "You must not mind. See, Pierrot!" she says. "See my dress and coat andcap? They are as shabby as yours. But I do not mind. You see, we areboth the same. But I feel sorry because you do not dance more andbecause you are never the hero of the plays. Guignol is an awkward,clumsy fellow. It is you who are my hero, Pierrot."

  As she talks, Jeanne's voice grows soft and drowsy. Jeanne's head nods,and her eyes close. A soft breeze begins to stir in the trees. Jeanne isasleep.

  CHAPTER IX

  AN ADVENTURE IN THE BOIS

  Jeanne and Pierrot were walking through the Bois de Boulogne (bwae' d[~e]b[=oo]'-l[=o]n'). That is a beautiful wood in Paris where children andgrown people play and walk and go boating on silvery lakes.

  THE BOIS DE BOULOGNE]

  Jeanne and Pierrot walked in the Bois (bwae), hand in hand. Pierrot wasnot crying any more, though it had taken Jeanne a long time to soothehim. She told him of the many stories she would make up. She told him ofthe many fine adventures he would have as the hero of these stories.

  Jeanne now had a story in her mind. And she was taking Pierrot to aquiet spot where she could tell him about it.

  "Sit here beside me, Pierrot," she said at last.

  They had found a sylvan dell that might have been in the heart offairy-land, instead of in the heart of a big city like Paris.

  "Now, listen, Pierrot," said Jeanne. "I am going to tell you a very finestory. You and I shall be the actors in it. I shall be Joan of Arc andyou shall be my knight.

  "You know that Joan of Arc was only a little girl when she heard thecall to save her country. She rode a big horse at the head of an army.

  "She marched against the enemy with a sword in her hand. But my storysays that without her brave knight she could not have won the battle."

  Pierrot's shirt puffed out. His little clown cap went up in theair--puff!--and came down again on his head. He was very proud indeed.Jeanne was pleased because she had made him happy.

  "Now see! We shall begin our story and I am hearing the call."

  Jeanne stood; but first she picked up a long stick from the ground. Thestick turned into a sword--a glittering sword.

  Jeanne was dressed in shining steel armor. Pierrot's tiny clown suitchanged to a coat of mail. They were ready for the battle.

  "Forward, my brave men of France," called Joan of Arc. And the littlepuppet saluted Jeanne. But Jeanne cried, "My horse! Where is my horse?"

  A large statue appeared before them. It was the iron statue of a horse.It was twice the size of a real horse.

  Jeanne tried to mount. She could not. She was too small. The horse wastoo high. But Pierrot mounted. With a graceful leap, he was upon thecharger's back. Then down he flew and offered Jeanne his hand. Up flewthe puppet, and Jeanne flew with him.

  They sat upon the iron charger. Slowly he moved his joints, and thenoff, off he galloped with the little girl and the puppet.

  All the time Jeanne was brandishing her sword. She was Joan of Arc andshe was riding at the head of her army of France as Joan of Arc had donelong, long ago.

  "Wait, wait!" called a voice. A policeman was running after them throughthe Bois. "Stop! You have stolen a statue from the park. Bring back theiron horse!"

  He was so little--that policeman--and the horse was so big that they didnot mind him.

  "He is only a policeman," said Jeanne to Pierrot. "He is always clubbedand kicked in the Guignol plays."

  Pierrot laughed, and pop!--part of his armor burst!

  "Oh, he is a wicked, wicked policeman," said Jeanne. "The childrenalways hate him in the Guignol plays."

  So away from the policeman they galloped.

  But w
ait! Look! The policeman has grown, and he is now as tall as thehorse! The club he carries has grown, too, and he clubs the iron horse.It makes a terrible noise, and the horse stops.

  Knock! Knock! Knock!

  "Wake up, little one!" says a gruff voice.

  Jeanne opens her eyes and looks into the face of a policeman standingover her in the park. She has been asleep on the bench, with the littlepuppet Pierrot in her arms.

  It is very dark in the park. It is night.

  "Come," says the policeman. "Tell me where you live, little one."

  Oh, the terrible policeman of the Guignol plays! Jeanne remembers howthe children hate him, and she tries to run away.

  But the policeman catches hold of her arm. It seems to Jeanne that hisface is kind.

  "Come, little one! Do not be afraid of me. I am the friend of thechildren. Tell me where you live and let me take you home," he says.

  It was very dark in the park, but as they walked through the citystreets, the lights made everything as bright as day.

  Jeanne and the policeman and Pierrot came to the door of Auntie Sue'sShop. When the policeman handed Jeanne to Auntie Sue, the little girlcould not help wondering why the children hate the policeman in theGuignol plays.

  "Oh, Jeanne, my little one, ma cherie! Where have you been?" criedAuntie Sue.

  It was quite evident that poor Auntie Sue had been worried ill. Shecaught the little dreamer and the puppet into her arms. She hugged themso tightly that Jeanne thought they would both be crushed. Jeanne wasmore concerned about Pierrot than about herself, though, for he was solittle and frail.

  Then Auntie put Jeanne to bed with Pierrot beside her, his face peeringout from the covers.

  And when Auntie had left them alone, Jeanne whispered to her littlepuppet friend, "Pierrot, the policeman shall not be bad in our stories!He is good, you see. In our stories you shall be the hero. The policemanshall be a kind man who loves children. Guignol shall be the wicked one,and you shall kick and beat him."

  Pierrot did not move. Jeanne was awake now, you see. And puppets do notmove by themselves when children are awake.

  But Jeanne thought she saw his eyes twinkle and his nose wriggle justthe least bit, before she popped off to sleep.

  CHAPTER X

  THE LIVE PUPPET

  After Auntie left Jeanne and the Pierrot asleep in bed that night, shewent into her own room and sat down by her little table. She shaded hereyes with her hands and thought very hard.

  Poor Auntie Sue was unhappy. There was a little voice inside of her thatnever would be still. This voice talked and talked and talked. No onecould hear it but Auntie Sue. It was not a person, nor was it a fairy.Yet it was there, and it talked to Auntie Sue.

  People call that voice Conscience. You see, many other people besideAuntie Sue have heard that voice. He is known to everyone who doeswrong.

  And Auntie Sue had done great wrong. Not knowing it, she had been doinga great wrong all these years she had kept Jeanne from her rightfulhome. And now that voice called Conscience was tormenting her.

  To-night he was talking more loudly and more fiercely than he had evertalked before. As Auntie Sue sat before her little table, he did notleave her a moment's peace.

  JEANNE SHOWING A NEW FROCK]

  "You see what has happened," he said inside of Auntie Sue. "You see whatyou have done by keeping Jeanne from Madame Villard. She is starved forplay.

  "You have made her a poor little girl who has to work. If she lived inthe lovely apartment house with her grandmother, she could play and playand play."

  Suzanne clapped her hands over her ears to stop the voice. ButConscience came from her heart and did not need her ears to hear him.

  He went right on, "What would that soldier say? What would the old mansay? What would the grandmother say? And Major d'Artrot?"

  "Oh, Major d'Artrot, my good, my honest friend!" sobbed Suzanne.

  She thought of her only friend in all the world. She would never dare toconfess to him what she had done!

  She opened her drawer and looked at the picture in the locket. She readagain the name and address which had been pinned to the baby's skirt somany years ago: "Madame Villard. Avenue Champs Elysees."

  SHE READ AGAIN THE NAME AND ADDRESS]

  The face of Jeanne's father looked back at her. It seemed to her thathis eyes were accusing her.

  "You have kept her from her rightful home and from the pleasures ofchildhood," went on the voice. And the face in the locket seemed toagree with the voice.

  "To-night the child stayed in the park with a puppet--the only play toyshe has ever had. She fell asleep in front of the Guignol, where happychildren go to clap and laugh. But you give Jeanne no time for playand laughter."

  It was all true. But Suzanne knew that if Jeanne stopped showing theclothes she made, her audience would cease to be interested. If she didnot draw her audience, she could not sell the clothes. And if she didnot sell the clothes, she could not support Jeanne.

  It was all quite terrible for Auntie Sue. And she dared not mention itto a soul. Nobody knew that Jeanne did not belong to her. Nobody knewJeanne's story, not even the Major.

  CHAPTER XI

  LITTLE SPOILED MARGOT

  "Grandmother! Grandmother! Home again! How glad I am!"

  Little Margot threw herself into Madame Villard's arms, and the old ladyhugged her close.

  "Yes, my little Margot. Grandmother comes back for one splendidoccasion!"

  "Ah, my birthday," smiled Margot.

  And then Grandmother and Margot planned for that birthday. It wasstrange how Margot did not like so many things.

  When Grandmother mentioned a theater party, the little girl shook herdark head.

  "No, it is not what I like," she said.

  Then Grandmother suggested a trip to the zoo with a party of girls andboys.

  "No, I do not like the zoo!" Margot pouted.

  "A Guignol party, cherie?" asked Grandmother.

  "Ah, no! They are so stupid!" complained Margot.

  And Grandmother smiled and shook her head.

  "My Margot is a little bit spoiled, perhaps," she observed.

  Margot was not a little bit, but a great big bit spoiled. Grandmotherand Mother had both spoiled her, from the day she was born.

  Mother was nearly always with Father and Margot saw little of her. Whenthey were together Mother would kiss and hug a great deal and sometimesshe would cry. There were always gifts in Mother's room for Margot.

  And when Mother brought her into Father's room, he, too, would pet andcaress her and give her toys or candy. Poor, helpless Father! He lovedto see his little girl. It made his dull eyes brighten when she cameinto the room.

  He would say to Mother after Margot had left, "Has the sun gone under acloud, Marie? It seems darker to me."

  You see, he felt sunshine while his little daughter was there.

  But the nurse would not allow frequent visits. Ah, Father might never beallowed to forget that bitter war!

  So Grandmother played guardian to Margot. And a loving and indulgentguardian was she!

  Margot could play from morning until night if she wanted to, except, ofcourse, for school hours.

  The nursery was filled with costly toys. They did not interest littleMargot any more. There were so many of them.

  In fact, little spoiled Margot was not interested in anything, becauseshe had too much.

  "Ah, well, cherie," said Grandmother, "you will think of something thatGrandmother can do for your birthday. But to-morrow we shall go to buythe little party frock which I promised you."

  Frocks were of no more interest to Margot than toys. She had too many ofthose, also. So she hardly listened to Grandmother's last remark.

  "I am going to take you to a shop where a little girl shows clothes tothe people who come to buy--a real little model. You might call her alive puppet. My cherie will enjoy that, will she not?" asked Grandmothereagerly, hoping to interest the child in a new pleasure.

&
nbsp; Evidently the idea did bring with it something new and exciting toMargot.

  For she turned and asked, "And does this little girl really walk aboutand pose, as people do on the stage?"

  "Yes, cherie. So I hear," answered Madame Villard.

  "A live puppet!"

  Margot clapped her hands, and Grandmother was pleased to see her joy.

  Then her face fell, she turned to Grandmother and said slowly, "Oh, whata lucky little girl she is!"

  CHAPTER XII

  AT AUNTIE SUE'S SHOP

  "The people are waiting! Hurry, Jeanne!" called Auntie to the littlegirl at the back of the screen.

  Jeanne sat with Pierrot before her, and both were dressed in splendor.The little girl had on a new frock of Auntie Sue's.

  Her dark hair made a charming frame for her little oval face under theyellow poke bonnet, of old-fashioned shape. She wore an old-fashioneddress. It was yellow, with hand-painted flowers and a velvet bow.

  And Pierrot! Ah, Pierrot, too, was fine in a new satin suit and cap,with bright red cheeks which Jeanne had painted. Many excitingadventures were happening there behind the screen to the littleyellow-gowned girl and the clown in satin.

  Jeanne was not thinking of this new frock of Auntie's which she wore,nor of the big Saturday audience out in the shop waiting for her toappear. She was thinking of her latest play for Pierrot. As Auntiecalled, Jeanne put the puppet down and, smoothing the dainty dress, shestepped out into the bright little shop room.