to raise a smile. The king petulantly throws himself into his chair of state. The jester appears again out of a large box and laughs at his master, who again seats himself with a frown. Finding all his efforts to please are not appreciated, the jester summons a lady to his aid. Now the king is all attention. Then taking three stools, the jester places them before the king, helps the lady to stand on the center one, pulls her dress, which falls to the ground, displaying her as a Grecian model. The king now forgets his indigestion and watches the figure. The jester produces two staves, which he places under the outstretched hands of the model, then with a few passes hypnotizes his subject; he now takes the center stool from beneath the sleeping beauty, leaving her suspended on the two staves. After one or two more passes, he removes one of the staves, leaving the subject with only the support of the other, to the astonishment of the king, who is still more surprised when the beautiful model throws him a kiss. The jester now replaces the stool under the feet of the model, awakens her and helps her down. The king sits on the stool, takes the model in his arms and is about to kiss her, when, to his intense disgust, he finds himself embracing his jester, who, linking his arm in that of the king, leads him off.
1044–1049. The Good Luck of a "Souse." Length, 445 feet. Price $53.40.
The scene opens in the bar of a saloon, showing the various stages of intoxication of its patrons. One of the manufactured articles is much further soused than his fellows and it requires the efforts of the police, who are called in by the bartender, to get him away from the worship of Bacchus and convey him to his home, where they leave him. His wife and daughter have retired, and when he comes in they are awakened from slumber and upbraid him for his condition. This treatment infuriates the already angry man and he commences to belabor them; they try to defend themselves but are overcome. Their puny efforts are of no avail against the strength of the madman, who ultimately throws them through the window. The outside of the house, which is undergoing repairs, is now seen, with scaffold, etc., fixed. A peddler is now seen approaching with his pack in shape of a large pannier strapped to his back. Just as he arrives under the window the daughter is seen to fall out of it, into the basket, and is thus saved from danger. The mother next follows, and her hair catching one of the beams of the scaffold, she is also saved from harm and is gently brought to the ground, joining her daughter, and both rejoice at their miraculous escape, and go for the police to help them. In the meantime the husband and father in the home, overcome by the horror of the tragedy, is instantly sobered, and in remorse for his drunken freak looks round, and seeing a piece of rope, proceeds to hang himself. The rope breaks and lands him in a bucket of water, which further cools off the effects of the liquor, when to his utter bewilderment his wife and daughter appear, accompanied by an officer. The now thoroughly sobered man is overjoyed to find they are not hurt and begs their forgiveness, which is granted. He then signs the pledge, promising to abstain in future from all intoxicants, to the great joy and delight of his now happy wife and daughter.
