Children -- Juvenile fiction; Paris (France) -- Juvenile fiction
Jeanne was dressed in shining steel armor. Pierrot's tiny clown suit
changed to a coat of mail. They were ready for the battle.
"Forward, my brave men of France," called Joan of Arc. And the little
puppet saluted Jeanne. But Jeanne cried, "My horse! Where is my horse?"
A large statue appeared before them. It was the iron statue of a horse.
It was twice the size of a real horse.
Jeanne tried to mount. She could not. She was too small. The horse was
too high. But Pierrot mounted. With a graceful leap, he was upon the
charger's back. Then down he flew and offered Jeanne his hand. Up flew
the puppet, and Jeanne flew with him.
They sat upon the iron charger. Slowly he moved his joints, and then
off, off he galloped with the little girl and the puppet.
All the time Jeanne was brandishing her sword. She was Joan of Arc and
she was riding at the head of her army of France as Joan of Arc had done
long, long ago.
"Wait, wait!" called a voice. A policeman was running after them through
the Bois. "Stop! You have stolen a statue from the park. Bring back the
iron horse!"
He was so little--that policeman--and the horse was so big that they did
not mind him.
"He is only a policeman," said Jeanne to Pierrot. "He is always clubbed
and kicked in the Guignol plays."
Pierrot laughed, and pop!--part of his armor burst!
"Oh, he is a wicked, wicked policeman," said Jeanne. "The children
always hate him in the Guignol plays."
So away from the policeman they galloped.
But wait! Look! The policeman has grown, and he is now as tall as the
horse! The club he carries has grown, too, and he clubs the iron horse.
It makes a terrible noise, and the horse stops.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Wake up, little one!" says a gruff voice.
Jeanne opens her eyes and looks into the face of a policeman standing
over her in the park. She has been asleep on the bench, with the little
puppet Pierrot in her arms.
It is very dark in the park. It is night.
"Come," says the policeman. "Tell me where you live, little one."
Oh, the terrible policeman of the Guignol plays! Jeanne remembers how
the children hate him, and she tries to run away.
But the policeman catches hold of her arm. It seems to Jeanne that his
face is kind.
"Come, little one! Do not be afraid of me. I am the friend of the
children. Tell me where you live and let me take you home," he says.
It was very dark in the park, but as they walked through the city
streets, the lights made everything as bright as day.
Jeanne and the policeman and Pierrot came to the door of Auntie Sue's
Shop. When the policeman handed Jeanne to Auntie Sue, the little girl
could not help wondering why the children hate the policeman in the
Guignol plays.
"Oh, Jeanne, my little one, ma chérie! Where have you been?" cried
Auntie Sue.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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