The Tramp (Maupassant)
A man named Nicolas Toussaint, who was nicknamed "Bell," had been crippled since the age of fifteen when his legs were crushed by a carriage.
He lived a life of poverty and begging, dragging himself along roads and farmyards on his crutches. He was given a small shelter by a kind Baroness, but after her death, he struggled to find food and shelter. He had roamed all over Saint Hilaire, Varville, and Les Billettes without harvesting a solitary centime or an old crust.
He had roamed all over Saint Hilaire, Varville, and Les Billettes without harvesting a solitary centime or an old crust.
One day, after going hungry for two days, Bell decided to travel to a nearby village in search of food. Despite his efforts, he was turned away by everyone he encountered. Hunger was overwhelming his confused and stupid wits with utter misery.
Hunger was overwhelming his confused and stupid wits with utter misery.
Desperate and starving, he killed a hen in a farmyard, hoping to eat it. However, the farmer, Maître Chiquet, caught him and, along with his farmhands, brutally beat Bell before locking him in a woodshed and calling the police.
The police arrived the next day and forced Bell to walk with them to the town jail, despite his injuries and exhaustion. Onlookers assumed he was a thief as he was escorted through the streets. Once in jail, the police neglected to provide him with food, and the following day, they found Bell dead on the floor of his cell.