The February gusts sent an awful chill throughout Paris, from the high bell towers of Notre Dame to the cobbled city streets below. The freezing weather sent many wandering wayfarers to seek refuge from the cold at the cathedral. Archdeacon Bonhomme welcomed these strangers into the sanctuary with open arms. He led them to two of the monks who were to give the outsiders warm food. After the monks took over watch for the Archdeacon, his mind was set on another poor soul in need of help: the young infant in the bell tower.
The old clergyman ascended the stairs to the south tower, clutching onto the ring of keys jumbling inside his robe pocket. The baby needed to be fed, washed, and brought downstairs to escape the cold winds that blew through the bell tower. He needed to tend to the babe as he was deprived of the necessary care and compassion that every child should be given from a parent.
Archdeacon Bonhomme was upset with how poorly Claude Frollo raised the baby he orphaned in cold blood. The elder successfully stopped the Minister of Justice from throwing the babe into the well, but was unable to save the young Roma woman who cracked her skull from a dangerous fall. The image of her blood spilling all over the snow-covered steps of Notre Dame forever burned into his memory. When he questioned Frollo, the man remorselessly explained how he killed her, assuming that the poor woman was a guilty criminal running from the law. Out of spite of Frollo's remorseless appearance, the Archdeacon guilted the Minister into raising the child as his own as penance for murdering an innocent in front of the House of God.
Though the clergyman was relieved that Frollo obliged into granting mercy to the newborn, the Minister had his own conditions for raising him. For one thing, Frollo demanded that the child must be locked up in the belltower so no one else could bear witness the infant's deformities. He also demanded minimal interference from the clergy. This proved to be difficult since Frollo was already a busy man working as the Minister of Justice for the city.
The following evening after Frollo's accepted the duty, Archdeacon Bonhomme was about to baptize the orphan when Frollo had the gall to name the baby Quasimodo. The Archdeacon and the other church members recognized the name's double meaning; In the liturgical calendar, it referred to the second Sunday of Easter season, Quasimodo Sunday. However, Frollo intentionally named the babe 'half-formed', as a cruel reminder of his physical imperfections.
A month had passed since Frollo took on the role of surrogate father for the child, Archdeacon Bonhomme was very disappointed in him for ignoring his parental duties in favor of his work. The infant was in need of constant care, needing to be fed, bathed, changed, watched over. Duties that require devotion and attention from the minister's part. The elder also detested Frollo's demands for the babe, such as being placed in the bell tower as opposed to one of the downstair cloisters, which was a more suitable living space for a small child. Both men were well aware that the bell tower was no place for an infant, but Frollo's shame of association with Quasimodo prompted him to place the child up there. Despite Frollo's insistence on supervising the infant alone, the Archdeacon was so concerned for the child's well being that he could no longer comply to the Minister's conditions.
After climbing up hundreds of steps, Archdeacon Bonhomme arrived at the loft of the bell tower. He scanned the area to find a lone nanny goat roaming around. The goat abandoned her hastily built stall in favor of walking around the empty bell tower and making a mess of the place. The Archdeacon scrunched his face at the sight of the small "goat berries" the animal left behind, as well as the half-chewed straws of hay and cud sprawled all over the floorboards.
A shrill cry from the small wicker cradle echoed throughout the bell tower. Alerted by the infant's wailing, Archdeacon Bonhomme and the nanny goat approached the crib.
He looked down to see Quasimodo positioned on his left side, wriggling furiously to liberate himself from the the thick wool blanket. The infant cried out from hunger, not having been fed since last evening. Frollo had missed his duty to tend the infant this morning in favor of attending the court hearings at the Palais de Justice. The Minister of Justice had let this poor child down yet again.
Pursing his lips in concern, the Archdeacon carefully wrapped the wool blanket around Quasimodo and picked him up from his bed. The clergyman cradled the starving babe in his arms. "There's no need to worry dear one," He soothed. "You will soon be fed."
The Archdeacon walked towards the stool nearby the work table. The nanny goat obediently followed the Archdeacon. As he settled himself down on the humble chair, the animal approached the humans within close contact so that the babe could be fed.
The Archdeacon positioned Quasimodo comfortably in his left arm as the baby latched his mouth directly on the nanny goat's teat. The infant began to suckle greedily from the lactating goat. Archdeacon Bonhomme smiled while Quasimodo was feeding, taking in the proper nutrients that would help him grow. Once the baby was satiated, he released his tender grasp from the goat's teat. The Archdeacon turned Quasimodo around and noticed a running droplet of goat's milk cascading from his lips and down his chin. He took out a clean napkin and wiped away the dribble.
After cleaning the baby's face, he softly caressed the nanny goat's head for her noble cause.
"Thank you for feeding this child," He praised the animal, moving his hand to scratch behind her ears. The goat nuzzled underneath the clergyman's kind hand. A small pair of hands reached out towards the goat. The Archdeacon noticed Quasimodo's eagerness to pet the goat and immediately obliged. He propped the infant on his lap, allowing the child to gently touch the animal's head. The goat was content with the child's display of affection and moved closer so he could caress her with ease.
As the child cuddled with the goat, Archdeacon Bonhomme took the time to observe the his unusual form. An oval overgrowth nearly covering his left eye, a tetrahedral nose, and his hunched back. Fiery red locks covered the top of his head. Though Quasimodo was far from the conventionally 'beautiful' baby, he was not ugly either.
The goat licked Quasimodo's cheek, causing the baby to giggle cheerfully. The Archdeacon smiled at the small bundle in his arms. Despite being born with such an unfortunate appearance, Quasimodo still possessed an innocent soul like any other child. Archdeacon Bonhomme planned on chastising Frollo for having deemed the babe as an 'unholy demon'.
When the goat decided to return to her stall, the clergyman turned the child around and held him close. The babe gave a toothless smile in return, which the elder found quite endearing. Archdeacon Bonhomme could almost sense Quasimodo's profound joy of being in the presence of another soul.
The Archdeacon looked into the boy's bright eyes, which were brimming with eagerness and curiosity. Quasimodo was inspecting the clergyman with great intrigue. The elder was compelled to provide comfort to the lonely child.
"All is well my son." He whispered. The Archdeacon planted a soft kiss on the top of Quasimodo's head.