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Original Short Stories of Maupassant, Volume 1

Original Short Stories of Maupassant, Volume 1

Guy de Maupassant

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Original Short Stories of Maupassant, Volume 1 by Guy de Maupassant

Chapter 1 No.1

It was after Bourbaki's defeat in the east of France. The army, broken up, decimated, and worn out, had been obliged to retreat into Switzerland after that terrible campaign, and it was only its short duration that saved a hundred and fifty thousand men from certain death. Hunger, the terrible cold, forced marches in the snow without boots, over bad mountain roads, had caused us 'francs-tireurs', especially, the greatest suffering, for we were without tents, and almost without food, always in the van when we were marching toward Belfort, and in the rear when returning by the Jura.

Of our little band that had numbered twelve hundred men on the first of January, there remained only twenty-two pale, thin, ragged wretches, when we at length succeeded in reaching Swiss territory.

There we were safe, and could rest. Everybody knows what sympathy was shown to the unfortunate French army, and how well it was cared for. We all gained fresh life, and those who had been rich and happy before the war declared that they had never experienced a greater feeling of comfort than they did then. Just think. We actually had something to eat every day, and could sleep every night.

Meanwhile, the war continued in the east of France, which had been excluded from the armistice. Besancon still kept the enemy in check, and the latter had their revenge by ravaging Franche Comte. Sometimes we heard that they had approached quite close to the frontier, and we saw Swiss troops, who were to form a line of observation between us and them, set out on their march.

That pained us in the end, and, as we regained health and strength, the longing to fight took possession of us. It was disgraceful and irritating to know that within two or three leagues of us the Germans were victorious and insolent, to feel that we were protected by our captivity, and to feel that on that account we were powerless against them.

One day our captain took five or six of us aside, and spoke to us about it, long and furiously. He was a fine fellow, that captain. He had been a sublieutenant in the Zouaves, was tall and thin and as hard as steel, and during the whole campaign he had cut out their work for the Germans. He fretted in inactivity, and could not accustom himself to the idea of being a prisoner and of doing nothing.

"Confound it!" he said to us, "does it not pain you to know that there is a number of uhlans within two hours of us? Does it not almost drive you mad to know that those beggarly wretches are walking about as masters in our mountains, when six determined men might kill a whole spitful any day? I cannot endure it any longer, and I must go there."

"But how can you manage it, captain?"

"How? It is not very difficult! Just as if we had not done a thing or two within the last six months, and got out of woods that were guarded by very different men from the Swiss. The day that you wish to cross over into France, I will undertake to get you there."

"That may be; but what shall we do in France without any arms?"

"Without arms? We will get them over yonder, by Jove!"

"You are forgetting the treaty," another soldier said; "we shall run the risk of doing the Swiss an injury, if Manteuffel learns that they have allowed prisoners to return to France."

"Come," said the captain, "those are all bad reasons. I mean to go and kill some Prussians; that is all I care about. If you do not wish to do as I do, well and good; only say so at once. I can quite well go by myself; I do not require anybody's company."

Naturally we all protested, and, as it was quite impossible to make the captain alter his mind, we felt obliged to promise to go with him. We liked him too much to leave him in the lurch, as he never failed us in any extremity; and so the expedition was decided on.

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This carefully edited collection has been designed and formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices. Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893) was a popular French writer, considered one of the fathers of the modern short story and one of the form's finest exponents. Maupassant was a protégé of Flaubert and his stories are characterized by economy of style and efficient, effortless outcomes. He wrote some 300 short stories, six novels, three travel books, and one volume of verse. His first published story, "Boule de Suif" ("Ball of Fat"), is often considered his masterpiece. Table of Contents: Introduction to the Works of Guy de Maupassant by Leo Tolstoy Novels: A Life Bel-Ami (The History of a Scoundrel) Mont Oriol Notre Coeur - A Woman's Pastime Pierre and Jean Strong as Death Novellas and Short Stories: Boul De Suif Simon's Papa Suicides On The River Lieutenant Lare's Marriage Two Friends Father Milon A Coup D"Etat The Horrible Madame Parisse An Adventure in Paris The Awakening Crash My Landlady The Horla Our Letters Profitable Business A Fashionable Woman The Donkey A Mother of Monsters A Family Affair The Mad Woman The Bandmaster's Sister The Cripple A Cock Crowed Words of Love Miss Harriet Mademoiselle Fifi Pierrot ...and many more Plays: A Tale of Old Times A Comedy of Marriage Musotte Poems: Des Vers Travel Sketches: Au Soleil: African Wanderings La Vie Errante Sur L'Eau: In Vagabondia French Original Texts: Une Vie Pierre Et Jean Mont-oriol Notre Coeur Fort Comme La Mort Bel-ami Mademoiselle Fifi Madame Baptiste La Rouille Marroca La Bûche La Relique Le Lit Fou? Mots d'Amour Une Aventure Parisienne Deux Amis Nuit de Noël Le Remplaçant Boul De Suif La Maison Tellier Le Pere Milon Le Diable La Petite Roque Lui? Mademoiselle Pearl Le Horla Clair de Lune Des Vers Recollections of Guy de Maupassant by His Valet by François Tassart ...

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