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HOP-FROG
Ineverknewanyonesokeenlyalivetoajokeasthekingwas.
Heseemedtoliveonlyforjoking.Totellagoodstoryofthejoke
kind,andtotellitwell,wasthesurestroadtohisfavor.Thus
ithappenedthathissevenministerswereallnotedfortheir
accomplishmentsasjokers.Theyalltookaftertheking,too,inbeing
large,corpulent,oilymen,aswellasinimitablejokers.Whetherpeople
growfatbyjoking,orwhetherthereissomethinginfatitselfwhich
predisposestoajoke,Ihaveneverbeenquiteabletodetermine;but
certainitisthataleanjokerisararaavisinterris.
Abouttherefinements,or,ashecalledthem,the“ghost”ofwit,the
kingtroubledhimselfverylittle.Hehadanespecialadmirationfor
breadthinajest,andwouldoftenputupwithlength,forthesakeofit.
Over-nicetiesweariedhim.HewouldhavepreferredRabelais’
“Gargantua”tothe“Zadig”ofVoltaire:and,uponthewhole,practical
jokessuitedhistastefarbetterthanverbalones.
Atthedateofmynarrative,professingjestershadnotaltogether
goneoutoffashionatcourt.Severalofthegreatcontinental“powers”
stillretaintheir“fools,”whoworemotley,withcapsandbells,and
whowereexpectedtobealwaysreadywithsharpwitticisms,
atamoment’snotice,inconsiderationofthecrumbsthatfellfromthe
royaltable.
Ourking,asamatterofcourse,retainedhis“fool.”Thefactis,
herequiredsomethinginthewayoffolly—ifonlytocounterbalance
theheavywisdomofthesevenwisemenwhowerehisministers—not
tomentionhimself.
Hisfool,orprofessionaljester,wasnotonlyafool,however.His
valuewastrebledintheeyesoftheking,bythefactofhisbeingalso
adwarfandacripple.Dwarfswereascommonatcourt,inthosedays,
asfools;andmanymonarchswouldhavefounditdifficulttoget
throughtheirdays(daysareratherlongeratcourtthanelsewhere)
withoutbothajestertolaughwith,andadwarftolaughat.But,
asIhavealreadyobserved,yourjesters,inninety-ninecasesout
ofahundred,arefat,round,andunwieldy—sothatitwasnosmall
sourceofself-gratulationwithourkingthat,inHop-Frog(thiswasthe
fool’sname),hepossessedatriplicatetreasureinoneperson.
Ibelievethename“Hop-Frog”wasnotthatgiventothedwarf
