Morning in Paris, the city awakes
To the bells of Notre Dame
The fisherman fishes, the baker man bakes
To the bells of Notre Dame
To the big bells as loud as the thunder
To the little bells soft as a psalm
And some say the soul of the city's
The toll of the bells
The bells of Notre Dame
Clopin sung cheerfully as the sun shone down brightly. Madeleine smiled as she watched noting that he had incorporated her words about the bells being the soul of city into his song. He caught her eye and she saw his eyes widen a fraction before quickly returning to entertaining his audience.
"Listen, they're beautiful no? So many colours of sound, so many changing moods. Because you know, they do not ring all by the themselves"
Clopin now pulled out Cloppet and Madeleine grinned at the sight of the little puppet.
"They don't?" the puppet sqeaked.
"No silly boy," scolded Clopin. "Up there, high, high in the dark bell tower. Lives a mysterious bell ringer. Who is this strange creature?"
"Who?" asked the puppet beginning to mimic Clopin
"What is he?" asked Clopin.
"What?"
"How did he come to be there?"
"How?" Clopin bopped the puppet on the head with a stick and began his story.
"Hush, and Clopin will tell you. It is a tale, a tale of a man and a monster."
Dark was the night when our tale was begun On the docks near Notre Dame Four frightened gypsies, slid silently under the docks near Notre Dame
But a trap had been laid for the gypsies
And they gazed up in fear and alarm
At figure whose clutches
Were iron as much as the bells
The bells of Notre Dame
Clopin's voice became darker as he spoke of the man that tormented his people.
Judge Claude Frollo longed to purge the world of vice and sin and he saw corruption everywhere except within,
Madeleine couldn't help but gasp as Clopin described the chase and the subsequent death of the child's mother at Frollo's hands.
"Stop! Cried the Archdeacon" Clopin said now taking on the familiar voice of the Archdeacon and alternating it with a perfect replica of the chilling voice of Frollo
See there the innocent blood you have spilt
On the steps of Notre Dame
I am guiltless, she ran, I pursued
Now you would add this child's blood to your guilt
On the steps of Notre Dame
My conscience is clear
You can lie to yourself and your minions
You can claim that you haven't a qualm
But you never can, run from nor hide what you've done from the eyes
The very eyes of Notre Dame
And for one time in his life Of power and control
Frollo felt a twinge of fear
For his immortal soul
What must I do?
Care for the child, and raise it as your own
What? I'm to be settled with this misshapen
Very well, let him live with you and your church
Live here? Where?
Anywhere
Just so he's kept locked away where no one else can see
The bell tower perhaps
And who knows, our Lord works in mysterious ways
Even this foul creature may
Yet prove one day to be
Of use to me
Now Clopin returned to his own voice pulling out a puppet of Frollo and the bellringer showing the bellringer growing up as they went up the stairs.
"And Frollo gave the child a cruel name. A name that means half-formed. Quasimodo."
Now here is a riddle to guess if you can
Sing the bells of Notre Dame
Who is the monster and who is the man?
Sing the bells bells bells bells bells bells bells bells
Bells of Notre Dame!
As Clopin sang the finishing lines of the song the actual bells of Notre Dame rang out melding with his voice.
The performance was followed by applause during which Madeleine slipped away from her seat on the fountain and into the puppet caravan. A moment later the door to the caravan opened and Clopin entered. He quickly closed the door and swept Madeleine into his arms kissing her passionately. Madeleine returned the kiss with the same enthusiasm. God she had missed him.
Finally the pair was forced to pull apart for air.
"I've missed you mon coeur," he said softly. Madeleine smiled back.
"And I you mon amour."
"Why didn't you say in your last letter you were going to be coming back today?" inquired Clopin sitting down and pulling her into his lap.
"I wanted to surprise you," replied Madeleine with a shrug.
"You certainly succeeded," Clopin told her with a mischievous grin.
"I'm glad to hear it," Madeleine told him as she stroked his cheek.
"Well, at least you are back in time for the Festival of Fools!" said Clopin cheerfully.
"Of course! You don't think I'd miss the opportunity to see you perform on the one day Frollo can't punish you for merely existing!" Madeleine's tone was humorous however, the ending part held a note of severity.
"True, I am rather impossible to miss!" Clopin said.
"How do you know that story about the bellringer?" asked Madeleine. Everyone knew about the bellringer's existence but none had seen him.
"My father and I were supposed to meet those gypsies. But Frollo caught word. We tried to follow but were unable to help the woman in time. I regret that we could not have done more for the child."
"It wasn't your fault. Although I feel terrible for the boy. Growing up with a guardian like Frollo. Who knows what nonsense the shriveled old fool has been filling his mind with!" exclaimed Madeleine.
"It is a shame," agreed Clopin. They rested their foreheads against each other for a while. At last Madeleine said,
"You should get going on preparations for the festival."
"Or alternatively we could stay here," said Clopin burying his head in her hair. Madeleine giggled but pulled away.
"We'll have time for that later." She stood.
"Then I'll see you at the festival," Clopin said, also standing.
"We'll all be in masks, how will you know which one I am?" asked Madeleine.
"Simple," Clopin said as he took her by the waist and pulled her close. "I'll look for the most beautiful woman in the crowd." Madeleine blushed looking down.
"If you says so." Clopin tilted her chin up and gave her a brief and gentle kiss.
"I do." They shared as smile and Madeleine left.
HoND
Madeleine made her way down the streets feeling exceptionally pleased. It was wonderful to see Clopin again and their separation had only made her love grow tenfold.
Up ahead she heard music and turned a corner to see Esmerelda dancing with her goat.
Madeleine paused and clapped along. Esmerelda shot her a grin. Nearby a blond man in a blue cloak, leading a horse also stopped and stared appreciatively at Esmerelda whose dancing had only improved since the last time Madeleine had seen her.
Suddenly a whistle rang out which Madeleine knew to be the signal the gypsies used for approaching guards. Sure enough to ran around the corner. Esmerelda's goat grabbed the hat of money but it went flying. Madeleine saw Esmerelda run back to get the money only to be grabbed by guards.
As they interrogated her Madeleine made to step forward but a look from Esmerelda stopped her. Suddenly Esmerelda kicked her guard while the other was given a head but by Esmerelda's goat. The two ran away.
Once again Madeleine made to hinder the guards but the man in the cloak beat her to it. The man moved his horse right in front of the two guards who both tripped.
"Achilles sit," said the man to the horse and the horse dutifully sat on one of the guards. Madeleine giggled.
"Naughty horse!" scolded the man before turning to the guards but making no attempt to make his horse rise up.
"So sorry, can't take him anywhere." Slowly Madeleine began collecting the coins that had been dropped.
"I'll teach you to meddle peasant!" said the guard not trapped under the horse. The man seemed unconcerned as he swept aside his cloak revealing golden armor and a gold sword which he pointed at the guard.
"You were saying lieutenant?" he asked.
Madeleine grinned at the guard's stupefied expression before taking the gold and walking a few blocks away where she saw a familiar beggar like figure crouching on the side. She stepped by and dropped the hat of gold by the beggar.
"Close one Esme," she whispered. Esmerelda poked her head out from the cloak.
"Don't tell Clopin, he's gotten more protective than ever this past year." Madeleine nodded.
"Your secret is safe with me. Will the dress I made you work for the show?" she asked. Esmerelda nodded.
"Yes, thank you so much!"
"It's my pleasure," said Madeleine waving away the woman's thanks. "I'll see you at the festival!"
And with a final wave Madeleine set off back home to prepare get into her outfit for the revelry.
Author's Note: So we're starting on the movie now. Again all characters and plot elements belong to Victor Hugo and Disney. Please leave your thoughts on the story in the comments below. Until next week!