THE FLUTE OF SHORTBOOT
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Then, Shortboot mouthed his flute. Immediately, the sharecropper and his family found themselves forced to dance. They danced and danced, among the overturned benches and chairs, among the dishes, the plates, and the broken bottles, which made their feet bloody. They danced and danced until it pleased the dwarf not to blow anymore.
This done, Shortboot returned to his parents, while the justice of the peace and the sharecropper went to denounce him to justice.
Three days later, the cowherd was condemned to be hanged, because we hung in the old days, instead of guillotining, as at present.
While the red judges, the priest, the executioner, and his servants, led him to the gallows, Shortboot burst into laughter, looking among the people at the justice of the peace and the sharecropper.
The executioner placed the rope around the condemned man's neck.
Then, Shortboot mouthed his flute. Immediately, the red judges, the priest, the executioner, and the servants found themselves forced to dance. They danced and danced, as high as the gallows, at the risk of breaking their arms and legs each time they fell to the ground. They danced and danced until it pleased the dwarf not to blow anymore.
“Well, good people, do you still want to hang me?"
— No, Shortboot. You can go. Nothing will be done to you."
"Good people, that is not enough. I want the justice of the peace and my master hanged without remission."
"Shortboot, the thing is beyond our control."
Then, Shortboot mouthed his flute. Immediately, the red judges, the priest, the executioner, and the servants found themselves forced to dance. They danced and danced, as high as the gallows, at the risk of breaking their arms and legs each time they fell to the ground. They danced and danced until it pleased the dwarf not to blow anymore.
“Good people, I hear that the justice of the peace and my master are hanged without remission. Does the thing still pass your power?"
"No, Shortboot. — Executioner, do your job."
The executioner and his servants hanged the justice of the peace and the sharecropper.
“And now, good people, you will each give me a thousand pistoles for the wrong you have done me."
"Shortboot, the thing is beyond our means."
Then, Shortboot mouthed his flute. Immediately, the red judges, the priest, the executioner, and the servants found themselves forced to dance. They danced and danced, as high as the gallows, at the risk of breaking their arms and legs each time they fell to the ground. They danced and danced until it pleased the dwarf not to blow anymore.
“Brave people, you will each give me a hundred pistoles for the wrong you have done me. Is the thing still beyond your means?"
"No, Shortboot. But we don't have the money at home."
"Send for it. Otherwise, beware of the flute!"
What was said was done. Shortboot, loaded with gold, returned to his parents and lived happily for a long time.
Source: La Flûte de Courtebotte, from the French book Contes populaires de la Gascogne, tome 3, published in 1886
Next Tale: Petiton
Hello, my name is Vincent Celier.
I am writing translations of folk tales that I found in public domain French books, so that people who do not understand French may enjoy them too.
Unfortunately, Shortboot did not use his magic flute just for good.
The justice of the peace and his master, the bad sharecropper, did not deserve the death sentence.
What we have to remember here is that these folk tales were told by poor people who had little power in life. So, any story when bad people who had some power were punished was told many times. It was something like a virtual revenge of the powerless.
Two weeks ago, my headphones that I had bought more than 10 years ago were broken mechanically. The sound was OK, but there was no way to put them on my head!
So, yesterday I went to a nearby store (Shoppers Drug Mart) to buy new headphones.
I saw that most of the headphones that were on sale were wireless using Bluetooth. I liked the idea of having no wire between the phone or computer and the headphones. So, I bought one of the wireless ones.
My broken headphones were equipped with a noise reduction system, but I have not used it for several years. My hearing is going down gradually, so I am not really bothered by the noise anymore.
So, the one I bought did not have noise reduction.
I hope that it will work for the next 10 years.
-- Vincent Celier