,,putois  ,by ,anatole ,france          
,translated by ,william ,patten4        
,copyright1 #aijg1 by ,p4 ,f4 ,collier  
,son4  ,dedicated to ,georges ,brandes  
,i  ,this garden of our childhood1 said 
,monsieur ,bergeret1 this garden that   
one could pace off in twenty steps1 was 
for us a whole world1 full of smiles and
 surprises4  8,lucien1 do you recall    
,putois80 asked ,zoe1 smiling as usual1 
the lips pressed1 bending over her work4
  8,do ,i recall ,putois6 ,of all the   
faces ,i saw as a child that of ,putois 
remains the clearest in my remembrance4 
,all the features of his face and his   
character are fixed in my mind4 ,he had 
a pointed cranium4440  8,a low          
forehead10 added ,mademoiselle ,zoe4    
,and the brother and sister recited     
alternately1 in a monotonous voice1 with
 an odd gravity1 the points in a sort of
 description3  8,a low forehead40       
8,squinting eyes40  8,a shifty glance40 
8,crow's-feet at the temples40  8,the   
cheek-bones sharp1 red and shining40    

8,his ears had no rims to them40  8,the 
features were devoid of all expression40
  8,his hands1 which were never still1  
alone expressed his meaning40  8,thin1  
somewhat bent1 feeble in appearance4440 
8,in reality he was unusually strong40  
8,he easily bent a five-franc piece     
between the first finger and the        
thumb4440  8,which was enormous40  8,his
 voice was drawling4440  8,and his      
speech mild40  ,suddenly ,monsieur      
,bergeret exclaimed3 8,zoe6 we have     
forgotten #8,yellow hair and sparse     
beard4' ,let us begin all over again40  
,pauline1 who had listened with         
astonishment to this strange recital1   
asked her father and aunt how they had  
been able to learn by heart this bit of 
prose1 and why they recited it as if it 
were a litany4  ,monsieur ,bergeret     
gravely answered3  8,pauline1 what you  
have heard is a text1 ,i may say a      
liturgy1 used by the ,bergeret family4  
,it should be handed down to you so that
 it may not perish with your aunt and   

me4 ,your grandfather1 my daughter1 your
 grandfather1 ,eloi ,bergeret1 who was  
not amused with trifles1 thought highly 
of this bit1 principally because of its 
origin4 ,he called it #8,the ,anatomy of
 ,putois4' ,and he used to say that he  
preferred1 in certain respects1 the     
anatomy of ,putois to the anatomy of    
,quaresmeprenant4 #8,if the description 
by ,xenomanes1' he said1 #8is more      
learned and richer in unusual and choice
 expressions1 the description of ,putois
 greatly surpasses it in clarity and    
simplicity of style4' ,he held this     
opinion because ,doctor ,ledouble1 of   
,tours1 had not yet explained chapters  
thirty1 thirty-one1 and thirty-two of   
the fourth book of ,rabelais40  8,i do  
not understand at all10 said ,pauline4  
8,that is because you did not know      
,putois1 my daughter4 ,you must         
understand that ,putois was the most    
familiar figure in my childhood and in  
that of your ,aunt ,zoe4 ,in the house  
of your grandfather ,bergeret we        

constantly spoke of ,putois4 ,each      
believed that he had seen him40         
,pauline asked3  8,who was this         
,putois80  ,instead of replying1        
,monsieur ,bergeret commenced to laugh1 
and ,mademoiselle ,bergeret also        
laughed1 her lips pressed tight         
together4 ,pauline looked from one to   
the other4 ,she thought it strange that 
her aunt should laugh so heartily1 and  
more strange that she should laugh with 
and in sympathy with her brother4 ,it   
was indeed singular1 as the brother and 
sister were quite different in          
character4  8,papa1 tell me what was    
,putois8 ,since you wish me to know1    
tell me40  8,putois1 my daughter1 was a 
gardener4 ,the son of honest            
market-gardeners1 he set up for himself 
as nurseryman at ,saint-,omer4 ,but he  
did not satisfy his customers and got in
 a bad way4 ,having given up business1  
he went out by the day4 ,those who      
employed him could not always           
congratulate themselves40  ,at this1    

,mademoiselle ,bergeret1 laughing1      
rejoined2  8,do you recall1 ,lucien1    
when our father could not find his ink1 
his pens1 his sealing-wax1 his scissors1
 he said3 #8,i suspect ,putois has been 
here'80  8,ah60 said ,monsieur          
,bergeret1 8,putois had not a good      
reputation40  8,is that all80 asked     
,pauline4  8,no1 my daughter1 it is not 
all4 ,putois was remarkable in this1    
that while we knew him and were familiar
 with him1 nevertheless--0  8--,he did  
not exist10 said ,zoe4  ,monsieur       
,bergeret looked at his sister with an  
air of reproach4  8,what a speech1 ,zoe6
 and why break the charm like that8 ,do 
you dare say it1 ,zoe8 ,zoe1 can you    
prove it8 ,to maintain that ,putois did 
not exist1 that ,putois never was1 have 
you sufficiently considered the         
conditions of existence and the modes of
 being8 ,putois existed1 my sister4 ,but
 it is true that his was a peculiar     
existence40  8,i understand less and    
less10 said ,pauline1 discouraged4      

8,the truth will be clear to you        
presently1 my daughter4 ,know then that 
,putois was born fully grown4 ,i was    
still a child and your aunt was a little
 girl4 ,we lived in a little house1 in a
 suburb of ,saint-,omer4 ,our parents   
led a peaceful1 retired life1 until they
 were discovered by an old lady named   
,madame ,cornouiller1 who lived at the  
manor of ,montplaisir1 twelve miles from
 town1 and proved to be a great-aunt of 
my mother's4 ,by right of relationship  
she insisted that our father and mother 
come to dine every ,sunday at           
,montplaisir1 where they were           
excessively bored4 ,she said that it was
 the proper thing to have a family      
dinner on ,sunday and that only people  
of common origin failed to observe this 
ancient custom4 ,my father was bored to 
the point of tears at ,montplaisir4 ,his
 desperation was painful to contemplate4
 ,but ,madame ,cornouiller did not      
notice it4 ,she saw nothing1 ,my mother 
was braver4 ,she suffered as much as my 

father1 and perhaps more1 but she       
smiled40  8,women are made to suffer10  
said ,zoe4  8,zoe1 every living thing is
 destined to suffer4 ,in vain our       
parents refused these fatal invitations4
 ,madame ,cornouiller came to take them 
each ,sunday afternoon4 ,they had to go 
to ,montplaisir2 it was an obligation   
from which there was absolutely no      
escape4 ,it was an established order    
that only a revolt could break4 ,my     
father finally revolted and swore not to
 accept another invitation from ,madame 
,cornouiller1 leaving it to my mother to
 find decent pretexts and varied reasons
 for these refusals1 for which she was  
the least capable4 ,our mother did not  
know how to pretend40  8,say1 ,lucien1  
that she did not like to4 ,she could    
tell a fib as well as any one40  8,it is
 true that when she had good reasons she
 gave them rather than invent poor ones4
 ,do you recall1 my sister1 that one day
 she said at table3 #8,fortunately1 ,zoe
 has the whooping-cough2 we shall not   

have to go to ,montplaisir for some     
time'80  8,that was true60 said ,zoe4   
8,you got over it1 ,zoe4 ,and one day   
,madame ,cornouiller said to my mother3 
,dearest1 ,i count on your coming with  
your husband to dine ,sunday at         
,montplaisir4' ,our mother1 expressly   
bidden by her husband to give ,madame   
,cornouiller a good reason for          
declining1 invented1 in this extremity1 
a reason that was not the truth4 #8,i am
 extremely sorry1 dear ,madame1 but that
 will be impossible for us4 ,sunday ,i  
expect the gardener4'  8,on hearing     
this1 ,madame ,cornouiller looked       
through the glass door of the salon at  
the little wild garden1 where the       
prickwood and the lilies looked as      
though they had never known the         
pruning-knife and were likely never to  
know it4 #8,you expect the gardener6    
,what for8'  8#8,to work in the garden4'
  8,and my mother1 having involuntarily 
turned her eyes on this little square of
 weeds and plants run wild1 that she had

 called a garden1 recognized with dismay
 the improbability of her excuse4       
8#8,this man1' said ,madame             
,cornouiller1 #8could just as well work 
in your garden ,monday or ,tuesday4     
,moreover1 that will be much better4'   
,one should not work on ,sunday4'       
8#8,he works all the week4'  8,i have   
often noticed that the most absurd and  
ridiculous reasons are the least        
disputed3 they disconcert the adversary4
 ,madame ,cornouiller insisted1 less    
than one might expect of a person so    
little disposed to give up4 ,rising from
 her armchair1 she asked3  8#8,what do  
you call your gardener1 dearest8'       
8#8,putois1' answered my mother without 
hesitation4  8,putois was named4 ,from  
that time he existed4 ,madame           
,cornouiller took herself off1          
murmuring3 #8,putois6 ,it seems to me   
that ,i know that name4 ,putois6        
,putois6 ,i must know him4 ,but ,i do   
not recollect him4 ,where does he live8'
  8#8,he works by the day4 ,when one    

wants him one leaves word with this one 
or that one4'  8#8,ah6 ,i thought so1 a 
loafer and a vagabond--a                
good-for-nothing4 ,don't trust him1     
dearest4'  8,from that time ,putois had 
a character4'0     ,,ii  ,messieurs     
,goubin and ,jean ,marteau having       
arrived1 ,monsieur ,bergeret put them in
 touch with the conversation4  8,we were
 speaking of him whom my mother caused  
to be born gardener at ,saint-,omer and 
whom she christened4 ,he existed from   
that time on40  8,dear master1 will you 
kindly repeat that80 said ,monsieur     
,goubin1 wiping the glass of his        
monocle4  8,willingly10 replied         
,monsieur ,bergeret4 8,there was no     
gardener4 ,the gardener did not exist4  
,my mother said3 #8,i am waiting for the
 gardener4' ,at once the gardener was4  
,he lived40  8,dear master10 said       
,monsieur ,goubin1 8how could he live   
since he did not exist80  8,he had a    
sort of existence10 replied ,monsieur   
,bergeret4  8,you mean an imaginary     

existence10 ,monsieur ,goubin replied1  
disdainfully4  8,is it nothing then1 but
 an imaginary existence80 exclaimed the 
master4 8,and have not mythical beings  
the power to influence men6 ,consider   
mythology1 ,monsieur ,goubin1 and you   
will perceive that they are not real    
beings but imaginary beings that        
exercise the most profound and lasting  
influence on the mind4 ,everywhere and  
always1 beings who have no more reality 
than ,putois have inspired nations with 
hatred and love1 terror and hope1 have  
advised crimes1 received offerings1 made
 laws and customs4 ,monsieur ,goubin1   
think of the eternal mythology4 ,putois 
is a mythical personage1 the most       
obscure1 ,i grant you1 and of the lowest
 order4 ,the coarse satyr1 who in olden 
times sat at the table with our peasants
 in the ,north1 was considered worthy of
 appearing in a picture by ,jordaens and
 a fable by ,la ,fontaine4 ,the hairy   
son of ,sycorax appeared in the noble   
world of ,shakespeare4 ,putois1 less    

fortunate1 will be always neglected by  
artists and poets4 ,he lacks bigness and
 the unusual style and character4 ,he   
was conceived by minds too reasonable1  
among people who knew how to read and   
write1 and who had not that delightful  
imagination in which fables take root4  
,i think1 ,messieurs1 that ,i have said 
enough to show you the real nature of   
,putois40  8,i understand it10 said     
,monsieur ,goubin4 ,and ,monsieur       
,bergeret continued his discourse4      
8,putois was4 ,i can affirm it4 ,he was4
 ,consider it1 gentlemen1 and you will  
admit that a state of being by no means 
implies substance1 and means only the   
bonds attributed to the subject1        
expresses only a relation40             
8,undoubtedly10 said ,jean ,marteau2    
8but a being without attributes is a    
being less than nothing4 ,i do not      
remember who at one time said1 #8,i am  
that ,i am4' ,pardon my lapse of memory4
 ,one cannot remember everything4 ,but  
the unknown who spoke in that fashion   

was very imprudent4 ,in letting it be   
understood by this thoughtless          
observation that he was deprived of     
attributes and denied all relations1 he 
proclaimed that he did not exist and    
thoughtlessly suppressed himself4 ,i    
wager that no one has heard of him      
since40--8,you have lost10 answered     
,monsieur ,bergeret4  8,he corrected the
 bad effect of these egotistical        
expressions by employing quantities of  
adjectives1 and he is often spoken of1  
most often without judgment40--8,i do   
not understand10 said ,monsieur         
,goubin4--8,it is not necessary to      
understand10 replied ,jean ,marteau4    
,and he begged ,monsieur ,bergeret to   
speak of ,putois4--8,it is very kind of 
you to ask me10 said the                
master4--8,putois was born in the second
 half of the nineteenth century1 at     
,saint-,omer4 ,he would have been better
 off if he had been born some centuries 
before in the forest of ,arden or in the
 forest of ,brocliande4 ,he would then  

have been a remarkably clever evil      
spirit40--8,a cup of tea1 ,monsieur     
,goubin10 said ,pauline4--8,was ,putois1
 then1 an evil spirit80 said ,jean      
,marteau4--8,he was evil10 replied      
,monsieur ,bergeret2 8he was1 in a way1 
but not absolutely4 ,it was true of him 
as with those devils that are called    
wicked1 but in whom one discovers good  
qualities when one associates with them4
 ,and ,i am disposed to think that      
injustice has been done ,putois4 ,madame
 ,cornouiller1 who1 warned against him1 
had at once suspected him of being a    
loafer1 a drunkard1 and a robber1       
reflected that since my mother1 who was 
not rich1 employed him1 it was because  
he was satisfied with little1 and asked 
herself if she would not do well to have
 him work instead of her gardener1 who  
had a better reputation1 but expected   
more4 ,the time had come for trimming   
the yews4 ,she thought that if ,madame  
,eloi ,bergeret1 who was poor1 did not  
pay ,putois much1 she herself1 who was  

rich1 would give him still less1 for it 
is customary for the rich to pay less   
than the poor4 ,and she already saw her 
yews trimmed in straight hedges1 in     
balls and in pyramids1 without her      
having to pay much4 #8,i will keep an   
eye open1' she said1 #8to see that      
,putois does not loaf or rob me4 ,i risk
 nothing1 and it will be all profit4    
,these vagabonds sometimes do better    
work than honest laborers4 ,she resolved
 to make a trial1 and said to my mother3
 #8,dearest1 send me ,putois4 ,i will   
set him to work at ,mont-plaisir4' ,my  
mother would have done so willingly4    
,but really it was impossible4 ,madame  
,cornouiller waited for ,putois at      
,montplaisir1 and waited in vain4 ,she  
followed up her ideas and did not       
abandon her plans4 ,when she saw my     
mother again1 she complained of not     
having any news of ,putois4 #8,dearest1 
didn't you tell him that ,i was         
expecting him8'--#8,yes6 but he is      
strange1 odd4'--#8,oh1 ,i know that     

kind4 ,i know your ,putois by heart4    
,but there is no workman so crazy as to 
refuse to come to work at ,montplaisir4 
,my house is known1 ,i think4 ,putois   
must obey my orders1 and quickly1       
dearest4 ,it will be sufficient to tell 
me where he lives2 ,i will go and find  
him myself4' ,my mother answered that   
she did not know where ,putois lived1   
that no one knew his house1 that he was 
without hearth or home4 #8,i have not   
seen him again1 ,madame4 ,i believe he  
is hiding4' ,what better could she say80
  ,madame ,cornouiller heard her        
distrustfully2 she suspected her of     
misleading1 of removing ,putois from    
inquiry1 for fear of losing him or      
making him ask more4 ,and she thought   
her too selfish4 8,many judgments       
accepted by the world that history has  
sanctioned are as well founded as       
that40--8,that is true10 said           
,pauline4--8,what is true80 asked ,zoe1 
half asleep4--8,that the judgments of   
history are often false4 ,i remember1   

papa1 that you said one day3 #8,madame  
,roland was very ingenuous to appeal to 
the impartiality of posterity1 and not  
perceive that1 if her contemporaries    
were ill-natured monkeys1 their         
posterity would be also composed of     
ill-natured monkeys4'0--8,pauline10 said
 ,mademoiselle ,zoe severely1 8what     
connection is there between the story of
 ,putois and this that you are telling  
us80--8,a very great one1 my aunt40--8,i
 do not grasp it40--,monsieur ,bergeret1
 who was not opposed to digressions1    
answered his daughter3 8,if all         
injustices were finally redressed in the
 world1 one would never have imagined   
another for these adjustments4 ,how do  
you expect posterity to pass righteous  
judgment on the dead8 ,how question them
 in the shades to which they have taken 
flight8 ,as soon as we are able to be   
just to them we forget them4 ,but can   
one ever be just8 ,and what is justice8 
,madame ,cornouiller1 at least1 was     
finally obliged to recognize that my    

mother had not deceived her and that    
,putois was not to be found4 ,however1  
she did not give up trying to find him4 
,she asked all her relatives1 friends1  
neighbors1 servants1 and tradesmen if   
they knew ,putois1 ,only two or three   
answered that they had never heard of   
him4 ,for the most part they believed   
they had seen him4 #8,i have heard that 
name1' said the cook1 #8but ,i cannot   
recall his face4'--#8,putois6 ,i must   
know him1' said the street-sweeper1     
scratching his ear4 #8,but ,i cannot    
tell you who it is4' ,the most precise  
description came from ,monsieur ,blaise1
 receiver of taxes1 who said that he had
 employed ,putois to cut wood in his    
yard1 from the #aith to the #bh;d of    
,october1 the year of the comet4 ,one   
morning1 ,madame ,cornouiller1 out of   
breath1 dropped into my father's office4
 #8,i have seen ,putois4 ,ah6 ,i have   
seen him4'--#8,you believe it8'--#8,i am
 sure4 ,he was passing close by         
,monsieur ,tenchant's wall4 ,then he    

turned into the ,rue des ,abbesses1     
walking quickly4 ,i lost him4'--#8,was  
it really he8'--#8,without a doubt4 ,a  
man of fifty1 thin1 bent1 the air of a  
vagabond1 a dirty blouse4'--#8,it is    
true1'0 said my father1 8#8that this    
description could apply to              
,putois4'--#8,you see6 ,besides1 ,i     
called him4 ,i cried3 8,putois60 and he 
turned around4'--#8,that is the method1'
 said my father1 #8that they employ to  
assure themselves of the identity of    
evil-doers that they are hunting        
for4'--#8,i told you that it was he6 ,i 
know how to find him1 your ,putois4     
,very well6 ,he has a bad face4 ,you had
 been very careless1 you and your wife1 
to employ him4 ,i understand            
physiognomy1 and though ,i only saw his 
back1 ,i could swear that he is a       
robber1 and perhaps an assassin4 ,the   
rims of his ears are flat1 and that is a
 sign that never fails4'--#8,ah6 you    
noticed that the rims of his ears were  
flat8'--#8,nothing escapes me4 ,my dear 

,monsieur ,bergeret1 if you do not wish 
to be assassinated with your wife and   
your children1 do not let ,putois come  
into your house again4 ,take my advice3 
have all your locks changed4'--,well1 a 
few days afterward1 it happened that    
,madame ,cornouiller had three melons   
stolen from her vegetable garden4 ,the  
robber not having been found1 she       
suspected ,putois4 ,the gendarmes were  
called to ,montplaisir1 and their report
 confirmed the suspicions of ,madame    
,cornouiller4 ,bands of marauders were  
ravaging the gardens of the countryside4
 ,but this time the robbery seemed to   
have been committed by one man1 and with
 singular dexterity4 ,no trace of       
anything broken1 no footprints in the   
damp earth4 ,the robber could be no one 
but ,putois4 ,that was the opinion of   
the corporal1 who knew all about        
,putois1 and had tried hard to put his  
hand on that bird4 ,the #8,journal of   
,saint-,omer' devoted an article to the 
three melons of ,madame ,cornouiller1   

and published a portrait of ,putois from
 descriptions furnished by the town4    
#8,he has1' said the paper1 #8a low     
forehead1 squinting eyes1 a shifty      
glance1 crow's-feet1 sharp cheek-bones1 
red and shining4 ,no rims to the ears4  
,thin1 somewhat bent1 feeble in         
appearance1 in reality he is unusually  
strong4 ,he easily bends a five-franc   
piece between the first finger and the  
thumb4' ,there were good reasons for    
attributing to him a long series of     
robberies committed with surprising     
dexterity4 ,the whole town was talking  
of ,putois4 ,one day it was learned that
 he had been arrested and locked up in  
prison4 ,but it was soon recognized that
 the man that had been taken for him was
 an almanac seller named ,rigobert4 ,as 
no charge could be brought against him1 
he was discharged after fourteen months 
of detention on suspicion4 ,and ,putois 
remained undiscoverable4 ,madame        
,cornouiller was the victim of another  
robbery1 more audacious than the first4 

,three small silver spoons were taken   
from her sideboard4 ,she recognized in  
this the hand of ,putois1 had a chain   
put on the door of her bedroom1 and was 
unable to sleep4444  ,about ten o'clock 
in the evening1 ,pauline having gone to 
her room1 ,mademoiselle ,bergeret said  
to her brother3 8,do not forget to      
relate how ,putois betrayed ,madame     
,cornouiller's cook40--8,i was thinking 
of it1 my sister10 answered ,monsieur   
,bergeret4 8,to omit it would be to lose
 the best of the story4 ,but everything 
must be done in order4 ,putois was      
carefully searched for by the police1   
who could not find him4 ,when it was    
known that he could not be found1 each  
one considered it his duty to find him2 
the shrewd ones succeeded4 ,and as there
 were many shrewd ones at ,saint-,omer  
and in the suburbs1 ,putois was seen    
simultaneously in the streets1 in the   
fields1 and in the woods4 ,another trait
 was thus added to his character4 ,he   
was accorded the gift of ubiquity1 the  

attribute of many popular heroes4 ,a    
being capable of leaping long distances 
in a moment1 and suddenly showing       
himself at the place where he was least 
expected1 was honestly frightening4     
,putois was the terror of ,saint-,omer4 
,madame ,cornouiller1 convinced that    
,putois had stolen from her three melons
 and three little spoons1 lived in a    
state of fear1 barricaded at            
,montplaisir4 ,bolts1 bars1 and locks   
did not reassure her4 ,putois was for   
her a frightfully subtle being who could
 pass through doors4 ,trouble with her  
servants redoubled her fear4 ,her cook  
having been betrayed1 the time came when
 she could no longer hide her           
misfortune4 ,but she obstinately refused
 to name her betrayer40--8,her name was 
,gudule10 said ,mademoiselle            
,zoe4--8,her name was ,gudule1 and she  
believed that she was protected from    
danger by a long1 forked bead that she  
wore on her chin4 ,the sudden appearance
 of a beard protected the innocence of  

that holy daughter of the king that     
,prague venerates4 ,a beard1 no longer  
youthful1 did not suffice to protect the
 virtue of ,gudule4 ,madame ,cornouiller
 urged ,gudule to tell her the man4     
,gudule burst into tears1 but kept      
silent4 ,prayers and menaces had no     
effect4 ,madame ,cornouiller made a long
 and circumstantial inquiry4 ,she       
adroitly questioned her neighbors and   
tradespeople1 the gardener1 the         
street-sweeper1 the gendarmes2 nothing  
put her on the track of the culprit4    
,she tried again to obtain from ,gudule 
a complete confession4 #8,in your own   
interest1 ,gudule1 tell me who it is4'  
,gudule remained mute4 ,all at once a   
ray of light flashed through the mind of
 ,madame ,cornouiller3 #8,it is         
,putois6' ,the cook cried1 but did not  
answer4 #8,it is ,putois6 ,why did ,i   
not guess it sooner8 ,it is ,putois6    
,miserable6 miserable6 miserable6' and  
,madame ,cornouiller remained convinced 
that it was ,putois4 ,everybody at      

,saint-,omer1 from the judge to the     
lamplighter's dog1 knew ,gudule and her 
basket ,at the news that ,putois had    
betrayed ,gudule1 the town was filled   
with surprise1 wonder1 and merriment4444
  ,with this reputation in the town and 
its environs he remained attached to our
 house by a thousand subtle ties4 ,he   
passed before our door1 and it was      
believed that he sometimes climbed the  
wall of our garden4 ,he was never seen  
face to face4 ,at any moment we would   
recognize his shadow1 his voice1 his    
footsteps4 ,more than once we thought we
 saw his back in the twilight1 at the   
corner of a road4 ,to my sister and me  
he gradually changed in character4 ,he  
remained mischievous and malevolent1 but
 he became childlike and very ingenuous4
 ,he became less real and1 ,i dare say1 
more poetical4 ,he entered in the       
artless ,cycle of childish traditions4  
,he became more like ,croquemitaine199  
like ,pre ,fouettard1 or the sand man   
who closes the children's eyes when     

evening comes4       99,the national    
8bugaboo0 or 8bogy man40  ,it was not   
that imp that tangled the colts' tails  
at night in the stable4 ,less rustic and
 less charming1 but equally and frankly 
roguish1 he made ink mustaches on my    
sister's dolls4 ,in our bed1 before     
going to sleep1 we listened2 he cried on
 the roofs with the cats1 he howled with
 the dogs1 he filled the mill hopper    
with groans1 and imitated the songs of  
belated drunkards in the streets4 ,what 
made ,putois ever-present and familiar  
to us1 what interested us in him1 was   
that the remembrance of him was         
associated with all the objects about   
us4 ,zoe's dolls1 my school books1 in   
which he had many times rumpled and     
besmeared the pages2 the garden wall1   
over which we had seen his red eyes     
gleam in the shadow2 the blue porcelain 
jar that he cracked one winter's night1 
unless it was the frost2 the trees1 the 
streets1 the benches--everything        
recalled ,putois1 the children's        

,putois1 a local and mythical being4 ,he
 did not equal in grace and poetry the  
dullest satyr1 the stoutest fawn of     
,sicily or ,thessaly4 ,but he was still 
a demigod4 ,he had quite a different    
character for our father2 he was        
symbolical and philosophical4 ,our      
father had great compassion for men4 ,he
 did not think them altogether rational2
 their mistakes1 when they were not     
cruel1 amused him and made him smile4   
,the belief in ,putois interested him as
 an epitome and a summary of all human  
beliefs4 ,as he was ironical and a      
joker1 he spoke of ,putois as if he were
 a real being4 ,he spoke with so much   
insistence sometimes1 and detailed the  
circumstances with such exactness1 that 
my mother was quite surprised and said  
to him in her open-hearted way3 #8,one  
would say that you spoke seriously1 my  
friend3 you know well1 however444' ,he  
replied gravely3 #8,all ,saint-,omer    
believes in the existence of ,putois4   
,would ,i be a good citizen if ,i deny  

him8 ,one should look twice before      
setting aside an article of common      
faith4' ,only a perfectly honest soul   
has such scruples4 ,at heart my father  
was a ,gassendiste499 ,he keyed his own 
particular sentiment with the public    
sentiment1 believing1 like the          
countryside1 in the existence of        
,putois1 but not admitting his direct   
responsibility for the theft of the     
melons and the betrayal of the cook4    
,finally1 he professed faith in the     
existence of a ,putois1 to be a good    
citizen2 and he eliminated ,putois in   
his explanations of the events that took
 place in the town4 ,by doing so in this
 instance1 as in all others1 he was an  
honorable and a sensible man4       99  
,a follower of ,gassendi 7d4 #afee71 an 
exponent of ,epicurus4  8,as for our    
mother1 she reproached herself somewhat 
for the birth of ,putois1 and not       
without reason4 ,because1 after all1    
,putois was the child of our mother's   
invention1 as ,caliban was the poet's   

invention4 ,without doubt the faults    
were not equal1 and my mother was more  
innocent than ,shakespeare4 ,however1   
she was frightened and confused to see  
her little falsehood grow inordinately1 
and her slight imposture achieve such a 
prodigious success1 that1 without       
stopping1 extended all over town and    
threatened to extend over the world4    
,one day she even turned pale1 believing
 that she would see her falsehood rise  
up before her4 ,that day1 a servant she 
had1 new to the house and the town1 came
 to say to her that a man wished to see 
her4 ,he wished to speak to ,madame4    
#8,what man is it8'--#8,a man in a      
blouse4 ,he looks like a                
laborer4'--#8,did he give his           
name8'--#8,yes1 ,madame4'--#8,well6 what
 is his name8'--#8,putois4'--#8,he told 
you that was his name8'--#8,putois1 yes1
 ,madame4'--#8,he is here8'--#8,yes1    
,madame4 ,he is waiting in the          
kitchen4'--#8,you saw him8'--#8,yes1    
,madame4'--#8,what does he want8'--#8,he

 did not say4 ,he will only tell        
,madame4'--#8,go ask him4'  8,when the  
servant returned to the kitchen ,putois 
was gone4 ,this meeting of the new      
servant with ,putois was never cleared  
up4 ,but from that day ,i think my      
mother commenced to believe that ,putois
 might well exist and that she had not  
told a falsehood after all40