Flashback 5: Esmeralda and Claude

"Esmeralda! Clopin! Stay where I can see you!"

Esmeralda was having too much fun to listen to her aunt's instructions. It was rare that she and Clopin had a chance to run through the street, since her aunt preferred that they stay in the Court of Miracles. But the children had convinced her to let them go to town with her today while she ran an errand. Esmeralda's excuse had been that she needed to see more daylight. Clopin had merely cited that it would be fun.

It was fun. Esmeralda enjoyed running around with her cousin, seeing all the different people and businesses. While her aunt was busy, she was determined to enjoy being out and about to the fullest extent.

"Esmeralda, look!" Clopin cried. "It's a horse!"

Esmeralda gasped. Just outside the courthouse, a man was holding onto a tall, black horse. It was the largest horse Esmeralda had ever seen. She and Clopin quickly went to check it out.

"Is that your horse?" Esmeralda asked the man holding the horse's reins.

"Oh no, I'm just holding him for the judge." The man replied.

"He's so big!" Clopin remarked. "I bet he's fast too!"

"I would assume so." The man agreed. "The judge has the best of everything."

"He's beautiful!" Esmeralda commented, reaching out a hand and stroking the creature's hair.

At that moment, two men came strolling out of the courthouse. One was an affluent-looking, older man. The other wore judge's robes, although he looked young for a judge.

"Judge Frollo, are you quite certain about this?" The older man asked the judge.

"I have given you my answer." The judge replied.

"You haven't even met her! How can you say-"

"I don't care how pretty your daughter is! I'm not getting married! Now if you don't mind, I'll be on my-"

The judge stopped in his tracks, gawking at the sight of the children in front of his horse. Furiously, he strutted up to Esmeralda and pushed her hand away from the horse.

"Get your filthy hands off my horse!" The judge thundered.

Esmeralda was frightened. What had she done wrong?

"Don't talk to my sister like that!" Clopin snapped.

Esmeralda was relieved when Clopin stood up for her, especially because he called her his sister. They weren't siblings by blood, but Esmeralda was happy that Clopin loved her like a sister just as she loved him like a brother.

"Watch your mouth, child!" The judge threatened.

He turned to the man who held the reins and swiped them from him.

"Why have you let these gypsy children near my property?!" The judge demanded.

"They were just curious about the horse..." The man replied nervously.

"Probably curious about horse THEFT!" The judge snapped.

"I wouldn't steal a horse!" Esmeralda insisted. "I don't even know how!"

"You're in training, no doubt." The judge assumed. "Your kind are nothing but trouble!"

"Judge Frollo!" The older man called, catching up. "Will you please reconsider my offer? You're a reasonable young man. Surely-"

"ENOUGH!" The judge yelled. "I swear, if one more man asks me to marry his daughter, I will punch his teeth out just to shut him up! I am not getting married! EVER!"

Esmeralda struggled to believe what she was seeing. Most men had to ask women's fathers for permission to marry them, but the judge apparently had men begging him to marry their daughters. The appeal was understandable. Judges were powerful men who possessed money and status. But what kind of man like that needed to be begged to marry? He could easily have nearly any woman, and yet he was furiously determined to avoid them.

But among his anger, there was something else that Esmeralda noticed. The judge seemed to have a touch of sadness in his eyes. What was the cause of that?

"Clopin! Esmeralda!"

Esmeralda saw her aunt run toward her and Clopin, grabbing them and pulling them toward her.

"Are these children yours?!" The judge questioned.

"I'm sorry, your honor!" Esmeralda's aunt said pleadingly. "They didn't mean to offend you!"

"Teach them to keep their hands off the property of their superiors!" The judge snapped.

With that, he mounted his horse and rode away.

Later, Esmeralda's aunt reprimanded her and Clopin.

"Never run away from me again!" She ordered. "And for crying out loud, stay away from that man!"

"Who is he?" Esmeralda inquired.

"That was Judge Claude Frollo! He hates us!"

"What? Why does he hate us?"

"I don't know, Esmeralda. Some people can't stand those who are different from them."

Esmeralda was disheartened. She'd never thought that strolling around town could be so dangerous.

"I think he deserves a prank." Clopin said with a mischievous grin.

"Don't even think about it!" Esmeralda's aunt scolded.

Clopin frowned. Though young and innocent, he was vengeful, and playing jokes on people was his way of getting even with them.

"But why did he look so sad?" Esmeralda asked, thinking of that sorrowful look in the judge's eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Her aunt replied. "But you mustn't feel bad for him. Judge Frollo is a bad man."

Esmeralda couldn't shake the feeling that she'd seen sadness in that man. For days she couldn't get over it. But over time, as she heard of the mistreatment he inflicted on her people, Esmeralda changed her mind. Judge Claude Frollo was nothing but senselessly cruel. He wasn't capable of feeling sad. It was clear that he felt nothing but contempt.