Hop-Frog #fiction
I never knew anyone who was so happy about a joke like the King. Apparently, he lives only to hear jokes. The fastest way to take his heart is to jest or tell jokes well and correctly. Therefore also the seven ministers under his leadership are known as the great comedians. Their appearance is similar to the big, fat King, with oily skin - followed by a unique sense of humor. However, I'm not sure if people are fat because it's too much fun; Or indeed fat comedians tend to be more funny. There is only one thing to be sure: the wiry comedian tends to be regarded as avis in terris (mistake).
The King also never mind if there is a comedian who improvise in delivering a joke, something he considers a 'ghost' joke. On the contrary, the King greatly admired the jokes that have wide interpretation, and often let the jester drag on their jokes for the sake of hearing the end - although the too-polite "too tired" jokes made him bored quickly. Therefore, the King would rather read the Rabelais * story entitled Gargantua rather than Zadig by Voltaire **. Overall, the King values the practical jokes rather than the convoluted ones.
As I recount this, the comedians still have a considerable prestige in the royal environment. In addition, there are still a number of areas in the kingdom where the local government hires some comedians and requires them to wear motley (a costume worn by the royal comedians during the heyday of Queen Elizabeth I), complete with hats and bells. The comedians are also expected to always be ready to throw a smart joke in front of anyone.
Our king is still paying his favorite comedian, because he needs someone who can comfort his heart where he and his seven ministers are busy thinking about the affairs of the kingdom is troublesome and not infrequently confusing.
It's just that his favorite comedian is more than a joker. In the eyes of the King, his physical form of the contest and his defective condition actually has its own value. In those days, contestants were as valuable as comedians; And a lot of royal officials who feel less entertained without the presence of both - they need comedians to make them laugh, as well as a contra to laugh at. Even so, according to my observations, ninety-nine percent of the comedians I've ever met are fat, round-faced, and not at all agile - therefore, it can not be faulted if the King is paying more attention to Hop-Frog ( Name of his favorite comedian).
I'm sure Hop-Frog is not the real name of the comedian, but a special nickname given by the seven royal ministers because of the way he walks a bit jumping, like a frog. Strangely, Hop-Frog can only walk by combining different styles of paths - between jumping and swaying (and this is what attracts the King's attention to him, besides his bulging stomach and his peer head). In fact, all members of the kingdom so much easier to recognize because of its uniqueness.
But while Hop-Frog has a disfigurement to his legs, which makes the process difficult and painful, it trains the muscles of his arms to make them stronger and makes him so agile in other activities such as rocking from one branch of a tree to another, or With the help of a rope, and climbing up anything that can be climbed. Of course, the advantages of Hop-Frog in performing such activities are very unsuited to his nickname as 'frog', as he is more like a squirrel or a small monkey.
I'm not quite sure where it comes from Hop-Frog. If not mistaken, he was born in a poor area whose name is still foreign to the ears of the royal inhabitants, far away from the palace where the King lived. In the past, a General who took shelter under the leadership of the King once came to the province from which Hop-Frog originated and kidnapped him to be presented as a gift to the King. And besides Hop-Frog, the General also kidnapped a contingent girl who, fortunately, had a proportional limb - which enabled her to work as a professional dancer. The girl was also dedicated to the King.
Considering the situation of those in the same boat, it is no wonder that Hop-Frog and the girl forge a close friendship. Although this friendship does not bring benefits to Trippetta, the contet girl, but for Hop-Frog just the opposite. The beautiful, elegant, and lively trippetta (albeit a contet) is a figure many people admire and idolize; Therefore he had a considerable influence in the kingdom, and He was never shy about using his influence to help Hop-Frog.
In one of the royal events - I forgot the name of the event - The King insisted on having a mask party. And every time a mask party is held, both Hop-Frog and Trippetta are required to perform: especially Hop-Frog, because it has a lot of interesting ideas for big events like masquerade parties, proposing unique characters to sample, Elegant costume style until, apparently, nothing could be done without her help.
As the long-awaited evening came, all the members of the kingdom seemed enthusiastic to attend the mask party held by the King. The party room is dressed in such a way that it looks glittery, while the guests have prepared the costumes they will wear. None of them had the wrong costumes, because all had prepared their 'mask' for a month before the party - except for the King and the seven ministers. Somehow they are so hesitant. Maybe they want to convey some sort of joke to the audience, or maybe they're confused because their bodies are too fat. Unfortunately, time goes by; And in the midst of their despair, the King called Trippetta and Hop-Frog.
The two contestants fulfilled the King's call and went to him. But when they arrived there, the King was drinking wine with the seven ministers, and his mood also did not seem too good. Although he knew Hop-Frog did not like to drink wine (because he was a drunk drinker), the King still served the drink.
To make matters worse, the King forced Hop-Frog to drink his wine, saying, "So you're always happy."
"Come here, Hop-Frog," said the King as the comedian and his comrade arrived indoors. "Drink this wine to repeat the health of your friends (here Hop-Frog sighs sadly) and hopefully we can use your ideas tonight. We want unique character, which is amazing, for us to make mask. We do not want to be equated with the other guests. Let's drink! This wine will make your joke even more funny. "
As always, Hop-Frog tried to avenge the King's appeal with a joke. But this time he could not resist taking a wine glass from the King's hand. Incidentally today is his birthday, and when the King is concerned about his 'friends', he suddenly feels sad and melancholy. Her eyes glazed at her friends in her hometown. Her tears dropped one by one into a wine glass.
"Ah! Ha! Ha! "The King's laughter echoes loudly thundering as Hop-Frog tries to finish his wine. "Take a look at the benefits of a glass of wine! Well, your eyes are shining, are not you! "
What a pity that comedian is! The rays of his eyes are not glittering, it is even more dull; Because the effects of wine on his brain work very fast, even practically instant. When Hop-Frog put his glass of wine on the table, throwing a strange glance around the room, everyone in the room (except Trippetta) laughed at him, as if acknowledging the King's skill in composing a joke.
"Let's get back to our problem," said the prime minister, a very fat man.
"Yes," replied the King. "Help us. We all need a unique character - ha! Ha! Ha! "The King's laughter echoed again, followed by the laughter of the seven ministers.
Hop-Frog also laughs, though not too loudly.
"Come on, come on," said the King, impatient. "Where's your idea?"
"I'm trying to think of something extraordinary," Hop-Frog retorted, as he was drunk.
"Tried!" Cried the King aloud. "What do you mean by trying? Ah, I know. You definitely need to drink more. Come on, drink this! "With that, the King poured a full glass of wine before offering it to Hop-Frog who looked at the mute with a sigh.
"Come on, drink!" Orders the noble monster. "Or would you -"
Hop-Frog hesitated. The King's face turned purple in anger. The ministers frowned. The trippetta whose face turned pale immediately approached the King and fell to his knees, pleading for his friend to be forgiven.
Seeing this, the King stared at the contet girl in amazement. He was so impressed with Trippetta that he did not know what to say - or how he could object to the contemporary girl's behavior. In the end, without a word, the King pushed Trippetta away before spilling the glass over the face of the contemporary girl.
Trippeta tried to get up without taking the slightest sigh, before finally he returned to his original position at the foot of the table. For half a minute after that the atmosphere of the room seemed to be wrapped by silence, where the sound of falling a leaf, or goose feathers, onto the floor is not impossible to hear Loud. But then what sounded was a rough and deafening friction, which came from every corner of the room.
"What kind of voice are you making just now?" The King demanded to Hop-Frog.
The comedian, who was now beginning to awaken from his drunken looks surprised at the King's accusation.
"I? How could it be?"
"The voice seemed to come from outside," said one of the ministers. "Maybe there's a parrot by the window scraping his beak on the bars of his nest."
"That's right," replied the King, suddenly relieved. "But I can swear it sounds like the friction of a teeth of this pesky contet."
Suddenly Hop-Frog laughs (The King insists that a comedian should not mind being teased or offended) and shows a row of big, strong but ugly teeth. Moreover, he also said that he was willing when asked to drink as much wine as any by the King. Hearing this, the King paced. After drinking a glass of wine, Hop-Frog immediately poured his idea for a mask party that will take place.
"I do not know how I got this idea," said Hop-Frog in a calm tone, as though he had never tasted wine in his life. "But after you have pushed the contemporary girl and spilled the wine on her face - just after you did the deed, and when the sound of a parrot outside the window, I thought of something. This is one of the jokes of my province, very popular with the people who attend our mask party; But in your party of course this idea including new. Unfortunately, this action requires eight people to- "
"Well, we're complete!" Shouted the King, who laughed as he realized the truth of his own comments. "There are eight right people - me and my ministers. Come on! What game do you have in mind? "
"We call it Eight Orangutans," said the comedian. "And this game is really exciting if it's being properly demonstrated."
"We will demonstrate it," said the King as he straightened up and lowered his eyelids.
"The beauty of this game is," Hop-Frog continued. "Women will be scared."
"Steady!" Cried the King with his seven ministers.
"I will dress you up as a orangutan," continued the dwarf. "Leave it to me. I'll make your figure look like an orangutan until the mask party guests think you're a real animal - and surely they'll be shocked to death. "
"Oh, great idea!" Said the King. "Hop-Frog! I'll raise your grade! "
"You must use the chain and wiggle the chain," said Hop-Frog. "Because in this scenario you will pretend to portray eight orangutans who have just escaped from the animal enclosure. You will be pleased to see the reaction of the guests when the eight orangutans you play, who are considered real by them, suddenly enter the party room while issuing a wild cry. You will not be disappointed! "
"Of course," said the King; And ministers soon got up from their seats (because it was getting late) to run the Hop-Frog plan.
The equipment used by Hop-Frog to dress the King and the seven ministers as orangutans is very simple, but effective to bring the desired impression. Especially since this creature is rarely found in the western hemisphere; And Hop-Frog's interpretation of the great apes resembles the ugly monster - in the hope that everyone will believe that the eight individuals are indeed a group of orangutans.
The King and the seven ministers were soon wrapped in tight T-shirts and pants, then pitted with tar. After that, some minister members suggested that they stick the goose feathers all over their bodies; But the proposal was flatly rejected by Hop-Frog, who demonstrated that orangutan feathers commonly have a rougher texture, and therefore better immigrated with fur coats. Finally they also agreed to use the coat to deceive the party guests who are now busy enjoying the excitement in the palace.
Shortly, Hop-Frog provided a long chain to tie the eight orangutans. First, he wrapped the chain around the King's bosom and tied it as tightly as he could, then sequentially doing the same to the seven ministers who could not wait to show their character in the middle of the party. Once their bodies have been tied up, Hop-Frog proposes that the eight orangutans stand somewhat apart from each other and form a rally. Then, to make it look more convincing, Hop-Frog takes the rest of the chain and crosses it among the eight individuals who are now immobilized. This method is also applied by ordinary hunters who catch Chimpanzees, or other great apes, On the island of Borneo.
The large hall where the party was held was a circle with a towering ceiling. The room had a single window on the ceiling, from which the sunlight was clear in the afternoon and afternoon. At night, the room is explained by a hanging light, which can produce various effects according to its position under the ceiling of the room. Typically, the lights are balanced so that the sheen of light is refracted out of the window.
Room arrangements have been handed over to Trippetta, which rely on Hop-Frog's judgment in this regard. Hop-Frog suggested that he move the chandelier from inside the special room for the party. The reason, the chandelier whose light comes from the candlestick is not impossible even disturb the way the party - what if the drops of candles falling on the guest head and tarnish their costumes are expensive?
That night the air blew warm, it was difficult for anyone to prevent the disaster. Especially considering the form of a circular room, where everyone who is in it will not be separated from the shade of chandeliers on the ceiling.
Hop-Frog ordered Trippetta to add fire torches on various sides of the room, away from the guests, including a flower-burning torch. The torches were placed in the right hand of every statue of Caryatides *** who stood with his back to the wall - about five to sixty bars.
The eight orangutans waited until midnight before deciding to show themselves to the party guests. This is a Hop-Frog proposal, which says that surely their presence will be much more satisfying when all the party guests have arrived.
However, impatiently, as the clock struck twelve o'clock at night, the eight men rushed out of the room where they had been hiding overnight to the banquet hall. Because they are bound by chains, their steps are stagnant; And when they arrived at the party room, they fell down together.
The guests were shocked to see the arrival of the eight, and suddenly the King's heart was filled with infinite joy. As Hop-Frog guessed, the guests really thought the eight individuals who had fallen on the floor were wild creatures.
Many women faint from fear; And if the King had not ordered his soldiers to confiscate all the weapons from the room, surely now they were bathed in blood.
Apparently, the guests flocked; But the King had ordered his soldiers to lock the door of the room once he and the ministers had arrived inside. Following the Hop-Frog proposal, the King left the room key to him.
While the whole room is panicking, and each guest is concerned only with his own safety (in this situation, the greatest danger lies in mass panic) - the usual chain of hanging candle lights, which have been withdrawn because the chandelier is not used, Land until the hooks hung about half a meter above the floor.
Soon, the King and all seven of his ministers circled indoors until they were cornered in the middle, and were thus in the chandelier chain. While they are in that position, Hop-Frog who keeps following their lead suggests that the eight orangutans continue to move and cling to the chains that bind them, and put their hands into a chain gap that Hop-Frog purposely left behind with a purpose.
The nimble contest drew a chandelier chain link to one of the links that bind a group of orangutans; And suddenly the chandelier chain was pulled up to the eight individuals who were chained by sudden chains tangled closer. Now their faces were almost touching.
Now the guests are quiet again and start to see the situation around them as a fun entertainment. Some of them even laugh loudly at the fate of the trapped macaques.
"Hand them over to me!" Shouted Hop-Frog in a shrill voice that everyone in the room could hear. "Leave them to me. I think I know them. But I have to watch them up close, so I can tell you who they are. "
Breaking through the party, Hop-Frog approached the wall of the room and picked up a fragrance torch from one of the statues facing the guests. Then he jumped like a monkey, crouched on top of the King's head, then crossed a binding chain, waving a torch in his hand, evaluating a group of monkeys as he shouted, "I'll find out their identity!"
The whole room suddenly exploded in laughter (including the apes) and Hop-Frog soon whistled, when suddenly the chandelier chain pulled They were about five, six feet from the floor of the room - made a group of orangutans panicked, about to break free, with their legs hanging in the air.
Hop-Frog clinging to the chain, still in the same position, in the midst of the eight masked individuals as if nothing happened, stuck the torch in hand toward them, as if still curious to know the identity of the apes.
Everyone in the room was surprised to find the eight individuals now hanging in the air, and suddenly the room was filled with solitude. Soon, the silence was solved by a rough scraping noise that had previously attracted the attention of the King and his seven ministers as he spilled a glass of wine over Trippetta's face. But this time the sound is no longer a mystery. The voice came from the fang of the contemporary comedian who was now tightening his jaws tightly and swiping his teeth angrily, shocking the King and the seven ministers.
"Ah, ha!" Shouted Hop-Frog. "Ah, ha! I am now beginning to see who these people are! "Here, as he pretends to observe the King closer, Hop-Frog brings the fragrance torch closer to the furry coat worn by the monkeys, who suddenly ignite the fire.
In less than thirty seconds, the eight orangutans were burning in flames, witnessed by guests who shouted in horror without being able to do anything to save them.
For a long time, the blazing fire grew, forcing the comedian to climb up a chain stretched out of the ceiling, so that he could get away from the crowd below. As he moves upwards, the guests return silent, bringing a golden opportunity for Hop-Frog to lift the sound.
"Now I can see clearly," he said. "Who is the identity of these people. They are the King and his seven venerable ministers - a king who does not mind attacking a helpless girl, and the seven advisers who support such a vile act. If you're wondering who I am, my name is Hop-Frog, a royal comedian - and this is my last joke. "
Because the fur coat was also coated by a flaming tar, not to mention that Hop-Frog had finished speaking, all eight of his victims had been burned by the fire. Their bodies hung under the ceiling, black, ugly, unrecognizable. The contemporary comedian threw his torch toward the pile of corpse-bound bodies, then climbed leisurely toward the ceiling of the room, where he disappeared between the windows.
Many thought that Trippetta, who was guarding on the roof of the room, was involved in the retaliation of his best friend; And that both escaped from the palace to return to their hometown: for from that moment on, no one ever saw them again.
@jonh-alin
DE EDGAR ALLAN POE