e room filled up with people. Tambourines were put on chairs,
the old banner placed in a corner, and the sweet wine passed round.
After several bottles had been downed, to Monsieur Frederic's health,
the fete was seriously discussed, concerning such matters as whether
the farandole was as good as last year, and if the bulls had played
their part well. Then the musicians moved off to play concerts to other
Councillors. Just then, Mistral's mother entered.

With a flick of her wrists, she laid the table with beautiful, white
linen. But only for two. I was familiar with her household routine; I
knew that when Mistral had company, his mother wouldn't sit down at the
table.... The old dear only knows Provencal and would feel very uneasy
trying to talk to French people.... Also, she was needed in the kitchen.

Goodness! I had a great meal that day--a piece of roast goat, some
mountain cheese, jam, figs, and Muscat grapes. Everything washed down
with a good _Chateauneuf du Pape_, which has such a wonderful red
colour in the glass....

After the meal, I fetched the exercise book and put it on the table in
front of Mistral.

--We'd said we'd go out, said the poet, smiling.

--Oh, no. _Calendal! Calendal!_

Mistral resigned himself to his fate and in his sweet musical voice,
while beating the rhythm with his hand, he began the first canto:

Of a maid who fell in love and madly,
And a tale I told that turned out sadly,
Now of a child of Cassis,
If God's will it may be,
As a poor little boy casts out for anchovy...

Outside, the vesper bells ring, the fireworks explode in the square,
and the fifes play marching up and down the streets with the
tambourines. The bulls from the Camargue bellow as they are herded
along.

But I was listening to the story of the little fisherman from Provence,
with my elbows on the table cloth, and my eyes filling with tears.

* * * * *

Calendal wasn't just a fisherman; love had forged him into an heroic
figure.... To win the heart of his beloved--the beautiful Esterelle--he
took on Herculean tasks, in fact, those twelve famous labours paled by
comparison to his.

One time, having it in mind to get rich, he invented some ingenious
fishing devices to bring all the fish of the sea into port. Then there
was this terrible bandit, count Severan, who was going to re-launch his
evil trade amongst his cut-throats and molls....

What a tough guy our little Calendal tur