A Fable

A woman stands beside the old eastern city gate and scrutinizes the faces of those who pass her by. As news of the mutinous French regiment spreads, people flock to the town of Chaulnesmont. Anyone related to the mutinous soldiers is arrested and held for punishment. The section-leaders, officers, and N.C.O.’s were all taken by surprise when the men refused to leave their trench to attack, “acting without communication as one man” (123). They have sought the Generalissimo’s permission to execute the mutinous soldiers. The related civilians feel “drawn to the city” (124) due to a collective sense of dread and anguish. In many ways, they have grown “used to the war” (125) after four years of violence. Ironically, the only thing that can save the men who stopped the war is the resumption of the war. The civilians feel “rage and consternation” (126) that a small group of 13 men has caused 3,000 soldiers to mutiny. The corporal who is leading this small group is an enigma. He is of an unknown nationality and seems to have appeared from nowhere to corrupt his fellow soldiers. For two years, they have spread their message to French, British, and American soldiers.