by Jerome K. Jerome
www.world-english.org
"This story," commenced MacShaugnassy, "comes from Furtwangen, a small town
in the Black Forest. There lived there a very wonderful old fellow named
Nicholaus Geibel. His business was the making of mechanical toys, at which
work he had acquired an almost European reputation. He made rabbits that
would emerge from the heart of a cabbage, flop their ears, smooth their
whiskers, and disappear again; cats that would wash their faces, and mew so
naturally that dogs would mistake them for real cats and fly at them; dolls
with phonographs concealed within them, that would raise their hats and say,
'Good morning; how do you do?' and some that would even sing a song.
"But, he was something more than a mere mechanic; he was an artist. His work
was with him a hobby, almost a passion. His shop was filled with all manner
of strange things that never would, or could, be sold -- things he had made
for the pure love of making them. He had contrived a mechanical donkey that
would trot for two hours by means of stored electricity, and trot, too, much
faster than the live article, and with less need for exertion on the part of
the driver, a bird that would shoot up into the air, fly round and round in
a circle, and drop to earth at the exact spot from where it started; a
skeleton that, supported by an upright iron bar, would dance a hornpipe, a
life-size lady doll that could play the fiddle, and a gentleman with a
hollow inside who could smoke a pipe and drink more lager beer than any
three average German students put together, which is saying much.
"Indeed, it was the belief of the town that old Geibel could make a man
capable of doing everything that a respectable man need want to do. One day
he made a man who did too much, and it came about in this way:
"Young Doctor Follen had a baby, and the baby had a birthday. Its first
birthday put Doctor Follen's household into somewhat of a flurry, but on the
occasion of its second birthday, Mrs. Doctor Follen gave a ball in honour of
the event. Old Geibel and his daughter Olga were among the guests.
"During the afternoon of the next day some three or four of Olga's bosom
friends, who had also been present at the ball, dropped in to have a chat
about it. They naturally fell to discussing the men, and to criticizing
their dancing. Old Geibel was in the room, but he appeared to be absorbed in
his newspaper, and the girls took no notice of him.
"'There seem to be fewer men who can dance at every ball you go to,' said
one of the girls.
"'Yes, and don't the ones who can give themselves airs,' said another; 'they
make quite a favor of asking you.'
"'And how stupidly they talk,' added a third. 'They always say exactly the
same things: "How charming you are looking to-night." "Do you often go to
Vienna? Oh, you should, it's delightful." "What a charming dress you have
on." "What a warm day it has been." "Do you like Wagner?" I do wish they'd
think of something new.'
"'Oh, I never mind how they talk,' said a forth. 'If a man dances well he
may be a fool for all I care.'
"'He generally is,' slipped in a thin girl, rather spitefully.
"'I go to a ball to dance,' continued the previous speaker, not noticing the
interruption. 'All I ask is that he shall hold me firmly, take me round
steadily, and not get tired before I do.'
"'A clockwork figure would be the thing for you,' said the girl who had
interrupted.
"'Bravo!' cried one of the others, clapping her hands, 'what a capital
idea!'
"'What's a capital idea?' they asked.
"'Why, a clockwork dancer, or, better still, one that would go by
electricity and never run down.'
"The girls took up the idea with enthusiasm.
Canipe, Steve. ba-bocadancers.jpg. 8/25/2001. Pics4Learning
"'Oh, what a lovely partner he would make,' said one; 'he would never kick
you, or tread on your toes.'
"'Or tear your dress,' said another.
"'Or get out of step.'
"'Or get giddy and lean on you.'
"'And he would never want to mop his face with his handkerchief. I do hate
to see a man do that after every dance.'
"'And wouldn't want to spend the whole evening in the supper-room.'
"'Why, with a phonograph inside him to grind out all the stock remarks, you
would not be able to tell him from a real man,' said the girl who had first
suggested the idea.
"Oh yes, you would,' said the thin girl, 'he would be so much nicer.'
"Old Geibel had laid down his paper, and was listening with both his ears.
On one of the girls glancing in his direction, however, he hurriedly hid
himself again behind it.
"After the girls were gone, he went into his workshop, where Olga heard him
walking up and down, and every now and then chuckling to himself; and that
night he talked to her a good deal about dancing and dancing men -- asked
what dances were most popular -- what steps were gone through, with many
other questions bearing on the subject.
"Then for a couple of weeks he kept much to his factory, and was very
thoughtful and busy, though prone at unexpected moments to break into a
quiet low laugh, as if enjoying a joke that nobody else knew of.
"A month later another ball took place in Furtwangen. On this occasion it
was given by old Wenzel, the wealthy timber merchant, to celebrate his
niece's betrothal, and Geibel and his daughter were again among the invited.
"When the hour arrived to set out, Olga sought her father. Not finding him
in the house, she tapped at the door of his workshop. He appeared in his
shirt-sleeves, looking hot but radiant.
"Don't wait for me,' he said, 'you go on, I'll follow you. I've got
something to finish.'
"As she turned to obey he called after her, 'Tell them I'm going to bring a
young man with me -- such a nice young man, and an excellent dancer. All the
girls will like him.' Then he laughed and closed the door.
"Her father generally kept his doings secret from everybody, but she had a
pretty shrewd suspicion of what he had been planning, and so, to a certain
extent, was able to prepare the guests for what was coming. Anticipation ran
high, and the arrival of the famous mechanist was eagerly awaited.
"At length the sound of wheels was heard outside, followed by a great
commotion in the passage, and old Wenzel himself, his jolly face red with
excitement and suppressed laughter, burst into the room and announced in
stentorian tones:
"'Herr Geibel -- and a friend.'
"Herr Geibel and his 'friend' entered, greeted with shouts of laughter and
applause, and advanced to the centre of the room.
"'Allow me, ladies and gentlemen,' said Herr Geibel, 'to introduce you to my
friend, Lieutenant Fritz. Fritz, my dear fellow, bow to the ladies and
gentlemen.'
"Geibel placed his hand encouragingly on Fritz's shoulder, and the
Lieutenant bowed low, accompanying the action with a harsh clicking noise in
his throat, unpleasantly suggestive of a death-rattle. But that was only a
detail.
"'He walks a little stiffly' (old Geibel took his arm and walked him forward
a few steps. He certainly did walk stiffly), 'but then, walking is not his
forte. He is essentially a dancing man. I have only been able to teach him
the waltz as yet, but at that he is faultless. Come, which of you ladies may
I introduce him to as a partner? He keeps perfect time; he never gets tired;
he won't kick you or trad on your dress; he will hold you as firmly as you
like, and go as quickly or a slowly as you please; he never gets giddy; and
he is full of conversation. Come, speak up for yourself, my boy.'
"The old gentleman twisted one of the buttons at the back of his coat, and
immediately Fritz opened his mouth, and in thin tones that appeared to
proceed from the back of his head, remarked suddenly, 'May I have the
pleasure?' and then shut his mouth again with a snap.
"That Lieutenant Fritz had made a strong impression on the company was
undoubted, yet none of the girls seemed inclined to dance with him. They
looked askance at his waxen face, with its staring eyes and fixed smile, and
shuddered. At last old Geibel came to the girl who had conceived the idea.