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HOW QUASIMODO SAW THE LIGHT
By Sonja

A couple of months after Judge Claude Frollo died and Quasimodo became free of staying in the bell tower of Notre Dame, a bourgeois man arrived in Paris with his wife and his only daughter, Yvette. Yvette was already 20 years of age, she was blue-eyed, fair-haired and quite small. She was a very untypical bourgeois girl because she, unlike most people of the Middle Ages, felt sympathy toward those who were usually treated as outcasts - above all the Gypsies - and she would have been extremely happy to be able to help them and lessen the prejudices of the majority. However, she had met Gypsies only a few times.

One morning soon after the family had settled down in Paris, Yvette spotted a colorful Gypsy caravan in front of the Notre Dame Cathedral. Delighted, she hastened out of the house, although she knew it wasn't suitable for honourable young women to go out alone.
The caravan belonged to the funny Gypsy puppeteer Clopin. Yvette noticed that a number of noisy children had already grouped themselves round the caravan. She introduced herself and greeted Clopin with a glad smile.
"Hello! I have just arrived in Paris, and I have always wanted to get familiar with your people."
Clopin looked at her rather surprisedly, because he wasn't used to so friendly bourgeois women. But Yvette assured him that what she said was true, and finally he asked: "Have you already met Esmeralda? She is a wonderful dancer."
"At least she has an especially beautiful name," smiled Yvette.
Just then the children started to ask for a story. Unfortunately, Yvette couldn't stay to listen to Clopin because at that moment her mother arrived and started to accuse her daughter.
"Don't you remember we have told you not to make friends with all kinds of rabble?" she asked, strictly. Yvette said nothing, but she had already decided to become acquainted with Esmeralda.

Minister Frollo's great fire had, of course, caused great destruction in the city. Now, however, the burnt buildings had mostly been rebuilt. But one day soon after she and Clopin had met for the first time, Yvette saw a house which was partly burnt, and she asked her new friend, another bourgeois girl: "Have you recently had a fire here in Paris?"
"Yes, almost the whole city was burning", answered her friend. "A judge who is already dead, wanted necessarily find of some Gypsy girl."
Yvette knew that this young lady was not interested in the Gypsies, but later the same day she found Clopin's caravan again and asked him about the fire.
"Girlie, it's a dark story of cruelty, persecution and passion - but it ends with friendship, love and righteousness," Clopin explained, "All right, I tell you." He seemed to be waiting for something. And suddenly, Yvette heard the mighty sound of the bells from the tower of Notre Dame. Now Clopin started the story at the very beginning of the arrival of the small group of Gypsies. When he mentioned the cruel name given to the baby, Yvette was deeply upset - for she knew the meaning of the word.
Clopin continued: "Truly, Frollo was completely heartless, because he kept the boy locked away from the world for twenty years, and never let him forget that he was deformed. Quasimodo had only last January enough courage to leave Notre Dame and participate in our Feast of Fools..." He told the whole story, beginning with the coronation and finishing with the guards attacking the Cathedral. "Nowadays Quasi rings the bells every day, but lives among the other citizens," he told.
"Hey, there he is!" shouted one little girl.
Yvette spotted a rather short, red-haired young man stepping down the church stairs. She watched the man interestedly and noticed that it was true what Clopin had told. "But he is not ugly at all", she thought.
She would have liked to introduce herself to the bellringer at once, although it wasn't suitable. However, at the moment she saw an extremely beautiful Gypsy girl with a white goat just in front of her.
"This is Esmeralda, whom we are all so proud of," smiled Clopin, coming out of the caravan. He told the dancer how he had gotten familiar with Yvette. "She seems to be especially interested in Quasimodo."
"That's nice - we all like him because he has saved our lives," Esmeralda smiled.

From that day on, Yvette continually thought about the mysterious bellringer, gentle Esmeralda,
and funny Clopin. Her parents and the servants of the family watched carefully over her, because she was an heiress - but despite of all, they were not able to prevent Yvette and Esmeralda from becoming very close friends.
One day Yvette met the Gypsy girl in a handsome officer's company. "My name is Phoebus,
and I am the captain of the guards," he introduced himself.
"Nice to meet you," smiled Yvette, "I have heard your whole story. I am only sorry for not yet having met Quasimodo, who saved you."
At the very moment, they all heard an incredible sound of bell-ringing from the towers
of Notre Dame. "He IS there - he IS there!" Yvette whispered excitedly and began to run toward the church steps. Esmeralda and Phoebus followed her, really surprised.
Yvette knew exactly how she should behave inside Notre Dame, but now she didn't care for praying, but hurried straight to the tower steps. When she and Esmeralda still had a long way to climb up, the ringing stopped.
Esmeralda shouted: "Quasi, come quickly: there is someone down here who wants to meet you at once!" A soft voice of a man answered to her: "I'm coming!" However, Yvette was impatient
to continue climbing. Very soon the girls saw Quasimodo only a few steps above them. Yvette gave him a dazzling smile, and Esmeralda introduced them to each other.
"Could you please take me to the bell tower where you lived?" asked Yvette. Quasimodo assured her that there were only bells and gargoyles up there, but finally he agreed.
Up in the tower he showed Yvette the small wooden figurines that looked just like townspeople. "It's almost like you were still living here," Yvette remarked.
"No, I absolutely refuse to stay in here any longer," assured Quasimodo. "Have you already heard about my life?"
"Yes, Clopin has told me," answered the girl, "but I find it quite terrible - after all, you are not ugly at all... oh, I'm sorry - I didn't mean to talk about it..." She turned away, ashamed, but the bellringer said gladly: "Not even Esmeralda has ever said that to me! But when she visited here for the first time, she said it wasn't true what I had been taught."
"Don't mention that man!" interrupted Yvette, nervously. Quasi agreed, but then he pointed at the gargoyles and told: "When I was living in here I always imagined that they could speak, but each time Frollo heard me talk to them he asked what they were made of, and...no, that's quite disgusting!"
A few months before he would never have dared tell anyone his secret. Noticing what he was saying he became confused for a while, but Yvette smiled urprisedly at him. "Such a great idea, Quasimodo! And I should have guessed that Frollo was even more unbearable than I had heard!"
At the moment, the door was opened, and the old archdeacon of Notre Dame stepped in. "Your parents are searching for you, my child," he said to Yvette.
"I'm coming at once, Your Eminence," the girl replied, and began to climb down the stairs, with Quasi right behind her.
Her parents had been quite worried about her, and they were not very delighted when seeing her accompanied by a hunchbacked stranger. Outside the Cathedral, Yvette's father started to rebuke her. "You know exactly that in a church you are expected to pray and not to chase men! Whoever was that boy, by the way?"
"Dear father, I was trying to tell that he is the bellringer," explained Yvette, "and it really isn't his fault how he looks."
But her mother said impatiently: "No matter who he is, you must never behave like this!"

From that day on, Quasimodo was continually thinking about the girl who had been so willing to meet him. His bell-ringing sounded more beautiful than ever, and he even made a new wooden figurine painted to look like Yvette. One day then, he asked Esmeralda and Phoebus where the girl lived, and decided to stay near her home to wait.
Yvette, in turn, was restless and missed her new friends all the time. On that very day, however, she was finally able to get out of the house without anyone seeing her - and one may guess how delighted she was when seeing Quasimodo! A little later, Esmeralda and Phoebus
joined them, and they all were glad again.
But suddenly Yvette noticed that the captain was going to embrace Esmeralda, and that Quasi looked blue. "What's the matter, Quasi?" she asked, gently.
The bellringer flushed and dared say nothing. But at the very moment, Yvette watched up and noticed her mother on the balcony of her home.
"Come, quickly!" exclaimed she, giving her hand to the dancer. They rushed towards Notre Dame, and by coincidence, Clopin's caravan also arrived at the square just then.
Clopin was really surprised when seeing those four rush to him. "Who is chasing you?" he grimaced. The youngsters were a bit embarrassed, but suddenly Phoebus got an idea. "Hey, Esme, do you think we could take Yvette to the Court of Miracles?" Before Esmeralda could reply, Quasimodo said determinedly: "It's not a place for so honourable a girl!"
"Our Quasimodo obviously has his eye on his girl!" Phoebus teased. Yvette glanced at Clopin and warned the captain: "Stop that!" Namely, Esmeralda had told her that in presence of the elders, the Gypsy youngsters were never allowed to talk about such things.
Clopin, in turn, grimaced at Yvette, saying cheerfully: "You'd better stay away from the Court of Miracles, for there is a hanging rope for your kind of people!"
"Oh, no! Don't ever say that again!" exclaimed Esmeralda, "it makes me think what our enemy once said to me!" And she told about the case in Notre Dame, whispering.
"For Heaven's sake!" exclaimed Yvette, and Quasimodo looked really furious. The Gypsy girl looked gently at him. "It's all over now," she said, "and I'm sure you will be very happy!"
Right now Djali seemed to become restless, and the five friends noticed that Yvette's father was nearing them. Clopin closed the door of his caravan, and Yvette gave her hand to the bellringer.
Her father was very angry. "Yvette, how often must we forbid you to keep contact with this kind of rabble?"
Yvette knew extremely well that all children had to obey their parents in everything, even as grown-ups. However, she already adored the bellringer and was so deeply affected with Esmeralda, Phoebus and Clopin that she couldn't bear to think about leaving them.
"Dear father, Phoebus is the captain of the guards, not rabble," she assured, "and I have never in my life met anyone so lovable as Esmeralda - and I simply can't let you abuse Quasimodo because he has been mistreated all his life!"
Quasimodo was restless, too, because he understood Yvette's parents had the possibility to separate them. Of course, he didn't have courage to appeal the bourgeois, but he whispered to the girl: "I will come back soon," after which he climbed to the bell tower and brought Yvette the small wooden figurine meant to look like himself. "Keep this, but take good care of it," he asked. "Once I had an Esmeralda doll, but HE burned it!"

During the last few years, Yvette's parents had tried to choose her a husband, but their plans had failed every time. However, the reason for that had not been Yvette's rebelliousness, because she was naturally a very dutiful daughter. Now that she had several times defied her parents by meeting the Gypsies, the bourgeois couple began to determinedly search for a suitable man. And this time, they were lucky.
"Yvette, your father and I have found a widowed bourgeois who is willing to marry you," the mother announced one October morning. "He already has four full-grown children, so he says it's not quite necessary for him to have babies with you, but he appreciates your intelligence and domestic skills. For these reasons, we are thinking to agree to the proposal."
Yvette wasn't extremely happy about a proposal to marry a much older widower, but she knew that she no longer was in the best age to get married. Suddenly, however, she remembered Quasimodo and the other new friends of hers - it was clear that the real reason for these marriage arrangements was to prevent her from meeting them anymore. Well, Yvette decided, it was absolutely sure that she never ever would abandon the Gypsies.
"How soon am I supposed to be married?" asked she.
"We are still negotiating," answered her mother, "and most likely you may meet your future husband before engagement." That, by the way, was very rare in those days.
That night, during the Vespers, Yvette left the house and neared Notre Dame; she was going to tell Quasimodo she would get married - although, of course, she couldn't be in love.
After ringing the bells Quasimodo stood looking down at the city, like so often before. He had nothing to do, and he missed Yvette. Although he already had many good friends and he no longer lived alone in the dark bell tower, he now suddenly realized he didn't have anyone he could really love. He remembered his bitter disappointment in Esmeralda, and sighed...
Yvette, in turn, had already been praying inside the Cathedral, and after coming out she unexpectedly heard singing from the tower. She stayed under the windows. It was hard to make the words out, but Yvette recognized Quasimodo's voice.
Esmeralda and Phoebus were walking on the bridge the same night. Suddenly they spotted Yvette and hurried to her, because they, too, had missed her and wondered what had happened to her. But when she saw the dancer, she wasn't delighted at all, because the bellringer was the only thing she was thinking about, and at the very moment she remembered how sadly he had been looking at the lovers when they had last met. "I see," thought she, "Quasi loves Esmeralda, and she has abandoned him because of this handsome officer!" She turned her back on the two and burst into bitter tears. Poor little Quasimodo had no one to love...and she, Yvette, was supposed to go and tell one so lonely that she was to get married!
No! Suddenly Yvette was absolutely sure that there was only one man in the whole world to whom she could give her heart - although she knew her parents would object to her decision. Never ever would she accept the suitor chosen for her!
"Dear friend, what on earth is the matter with you?"
She heard the warm voice of the Gypsy girl. It took some time until she was able to speak.
"I...think...I'm in love with...Quasimodo," sobbed she at last, "but I can't go and tell him...for he cares for another...who doesn't love him in return!" She hoped Esmeralda wouldn't ask more because it was absolutely impossible to tell her the truth, least of all in the presence of Phoebus.
Esmeralda knew one had to be tactful if someone had a heartache, but she in turn was absolutely sure the bellringer didn't have any girlfriend. That was why she tried to comfort Yvette. Captain Phoebus, in his turn, asked: "Could I possibly tell Quasi you want to meet him?"
Yvette exclaimed, still sobbing: "I don't want every single Gypsy to know I stand here crying because of their hunchback!"
"For Heaven's sake, Yvette, no one will know anything unless you two want to tell us - and Quasi really is not our hunchback: he is your future lover, isn't he?" exclaimed Esmeralda, but Yvette couldn't stop crying.
Then, suddenly, the bellringer stepped out of the Cathedral. He didn't know Esmeralda and Phoebus were out there, and he was quite amazed when the captain came to him and said: "Yvette is here, and I think she would like to talk to you." Then he urged Esmeralda to leave.
"Cry no more, dear Yvette," asked the dancer, gently. "Quasi is here, and it's not very nice
if he sees you looking like that."
Yvette was content with the darkness, but now she got angry with the Gypsy girl again. "Go away! This is not your business!" whispered she.
After staying alone with Yvette, Quasimodo neared her shyly. "Hello...Were you waiting for me?"
Yvette flushed. "I...I heard you sing," she said at last.
Quasimodo got really embarrassed. "Yes...I...was thinking that there are many...lovers walking out here," he finally was able to explain.
Yvette thought she would start to cry again. "Oh, Quasi...I remember everything you and the others have told me about your lonely life," she said embarrassedly, "and I know I could care for you if..." She turned away, flushing again.
Suddenly, Quasimodo felt he was the happiest man in the world. He would have liked to embrace Yvette, but he knew anyone could see them. Because of that he led Yvette to his home that was right by the side of Notre Dame.
"Quasi, I shouldn't be here...it's so late and I, an heiress, am visiting your kind of a young man!" Yvette felt she was obliged to say this, although she was happier than ever. But then she laughed. "Imagine what Frollo would say if he knew someone is in love with Quasimodo!"
"On his opinion, you would be out of your mind," assured the bellringer honestly. "Imagine:
whenever he used my name he made sure I remembered what it means, but when you say 'Quasimodo' I almost like it."
"Quasi, I never want to do anything the same way as he," assured the girl. But when she looked hard at the young man's softening face, she unexpectedly was obliged to go and embrace him, to press her face to his shoulder and to babble: "Little hunchback, little Quasimodo!"
"What do you mean by that?" laughed the bellringer, putting her to sit on his lap.
"You look so attractive," replied Yvette, tenderly.

Copyright Sonja.

NEW!!!!!! Go to Chapter Two

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