Christophe |
The Fenouillard Family at the
1889 Exhibition |
Monsieur Fenouillard (Agénor), a Parisian businessman now happily
retired to Saint-Rémy-sur-Deule, was dying to see the Exhibition.
Unfortunately, so was his wife. Now that he nothing much to do, Monsieur
Fenouillard, though a good fellow at heart, was becoming insufferable.
Thus, to Madame Fenouillard’s initial overtures he responded with
a sharp
and categorical refusal. His poor young daughters began clucking away
like
turkeys, but canny Madame Fenouillard mused to herself, “He’ll
come
around.” Indeed, eight days later, that fine lady had so cunningly
manipulated
him that both she and her daughters (Artémise and Cunégonde)
found themselves installed aboard an excursion train, accompanied by
Monsieur Fenouillard. Grunting, fuming and grouchy, he was still bent
on
dismissing everything as idiotic, though secretly not believing a word
he
was saying.
They had been traveling for two hours when an enormous bundle fell
from the luggage rack onto Monsieur Fenouillard’s sleeping head.
—
CHRISTOPHE (pseudonym of Georges Colomb, 1856-1945) was one of France’s
earliest and foremost cartoonists. His trio of masterpieces, La
Famille Fenouillard,
Le Sapeur Camember and Le Savant Cosinus are still available from the
French
publisher Armand Colin.
For the complete article purchase The
Sienese Shredder #2
Related article in The Sienese Shredder #2
François Caradec - Introducing The Fenouillard Family
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