The king of the country in which the "village
of shoemakers" was, sent a herald into the town, who proclaimed that if
the village would furnish a certain number of shoes for the army by a
given day, the young men should be exempt from conscription; but that if
the village failed, every man in the town, young and old, should be
marched off into the army. There was a great cry, for the task appeared
to be an impossible one. Whether it was a superstitious reverence for
Hugo's charm, or that in trouble they naturally depended on him, certain
it is that the crowd by common consent gathered before the shop-door of
the silent shoemaker in the blue blouse and red flannel cap. For so busy
had Hugo been that he had not heard the herald's proclamation.
"Neighbors," said Hugo, "this is a great waste of time. We have a very
few days to do a great work, and here is one hour wasted already. Every
journeyman and apprentice is here idle. Let every one of them return to
their benches and go to work. Let the masters step into my little house
here to consult." The journeymen hastened off, the masters divided the
work between them, and Hugo was put in charge of the whole village as one
great shop. He did not allow a man to be seen on the street.
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