Calico Illustrated Classics: Hunchback of Notre Dame
play had to be stopped the crowd grew loud and unruly Pierre tried to keep the momentum but it was no use So he made a brave decision Start the play again he announced The actors took their places and started from the beginning This didn’t sit well with the audience members who’d arrived early You idiots We’ve already seen this You can’t start over An offi cial from Belgium stood What sort of a play is this They’re not even fi ghting They barely move and their costumes are ridiculous I’d rather elect a Pope of Fools than be bothered with this awful performance This brought a thunderous huzzah from the crowd Pope of Fools Let’s elect the Pope of Fools In the twinkling of an eye everything was ready A little chapel inside the majestic hall was chosen for the Scene of Grimaces The crowd broke the glass out of a little round 6
window above the door The competitors were instructed to stand on a barrel and put their heads through the empty circle The chapel fi lled up with eager competitors all anxious for the title of Pope of Fools The doors were closed and the contest began The fi rst face to emerge had reddish eyes a wide gaping mouth and a broad forehead puckered with wrinkles A roar of laughter rose up from the spectators More faces popped up one after the other And more howls resounded from the crowd But then the most hideous of all faces peeked through The man had a mouth shaped like a horseshoe a huge triangular nose and jagged teeth that stuck out in every direction A large stubbly eyebrow sheltered his left eye and his right eye was covered in a knotty wart People cheered in triumph Our winner Our new Pope It was time to celebrate They stormed into the chapel to carry him but they gasped when they saw all of him This 8
man had not been making a face This was how he always looked His gigantic head was covered with red bristles and between his shoulders was an enormous hump His feet were massive and his hands monstrous He looked like a giant who had been shattered then put back together piece by piece The townspeople recognized him instantly One cried out It is Quasimodo the Cyclops The bell ringer The hunchback of Notre Dame The students teased and taunted him The women covered their faces Others yelled insults Look at the huge ape Oh the ugly hunchback It’s the devil himself Quasimodo just stood there at the chapel door looking gloomy and grave One man came up and laughed in his face Quasimodo didn’t understand that it was the 9
