His Angel

Chapter 1 - The Bells of Notre Dame

The bells of Notre Dame echoed throughout the city of Paris, waking the citizens to a glorious and warm morning. Just outside the cathedral was a man in a caravan, with black hair that reached his shoulders and colourful clothes reminiscent to that of a jester, as he sang to some children who were gathering around to listen to his story.

🎵Clopin: "Morning in Paris, the city awakes to the bells of Notre Dame. The fisherman fishes, the bakerman 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 began his story, placing his hand up to his ear as he said, "Listen, they're beautiful, no? So many colours of sound, so many changing moods. Because, you know, they don't ring all by themselves."

He made a puppet, that looked like a mini version of him, pop out from behind the caravan and had it speak in a funny voice. "They don't?"

"No, silly boy." Clopin chuckled as he gestured to Notre Dame. "Up there, high, high in the dark bell tower, lives the mysterious bell ringer and angel of the church. Who is this woman and creature?"

"Who?"

"What are they?"

"What?"

"How did they come to be there?"

"How?"

Clopin hit the puppet on the head with a stick, making the children laugh as he reprimanded him, "Hush! And Clopin will tell you. It is a tale. A tale of a man, a fair lady and a monster."

...

Hidden by the cover of the night, a small group of gypsies quietly sat, huddled in a boat, hoping to avoid detection. On the boat, a woman tried desperately to hush her crying baby.

🎵Clopin: "Dark was the night when our tale was begun on the docks near Notre Dame."

"Shut it up, will you!" Her husband begged.

"We'll be spotted!" Another man scolded.

"Hush, little one!" The mother begged her child.

🎵Clopin: "Four frightened gypsies slid silently under the docks near Notre Dame."

Once the boat had stopped, the gypsies all hurried to exit while the ferryman held his hand out for his compensation.

"Four gilders for safe passage into Paris."

However, they were all taken off guard as an arrow was shot into the ferryman's staff and, as they looked around, they were horrified to see themselves surrounded by soldiers.

🎵Clopin: "But a trap had been laid for the gypsies and they gazed up in fear and alarm. At a figure whose clutches were iron as much as the bells!"

A figure appeared, riding on a horse as black as midnight. The gypsies gazed up at the man in absolute horror. This man was head of the Palace of Justice and a gypsy's worst nightmare.

"Judge Claude Frollo..." One man gasped, frozen in fear.

🎵Clopin: "The bells of Notre Dame."

Frollo stared down at the small group with cold, uncaring eyes. He was an older man yet there was no kindness nor mercy to be found from him.

🎵Clopin: "Judge Claude Frollo longed to purge the world of vice and sin. And he saw corruption everywhere except within."