Guignol

My friend has been looking for a new (used) dresser, so today I accompanied her downtown to browse furniture stores and thrift shops. We didn't find one. We made a last attempt at the Salvation Army store on the way home. It might sound weird, but the local Salvation Army sometimes has nice furniture, although it often needs a good cleaning. I had no intention of buying anything, but I saw a weird little figurine with the word "Guignol" written across his base. He had what looked light a lightning rod popping out of his shoulder, and he held what resembled a stickball bat. His head is flat and he has a long braid down his back. I don't know why, but I thought this would be a perfect gift for my youngest son. So I forked over ninety-nine cents and Guignol was mine.

I had to know what the word meant. I thought it was probably a name, but I'd never heard of him. It turns out that Guignol was a puppeteer from Lyon. He had been a dentist for a brief time at the end of the eighteenth century; he started performing brief puppet shows outside his dental office to attract customers. His puppeteering became so popular that he left his dental practice and devoted all his time to performing. Discovering his history only made me love my little Guignol more.

I brought him home, put him in a gift box, and wrapped him up. Tomorrow morning my middle son is going to visit the youngest, and I'll send the box with him. I think that when he opens it, he'll think I've lost my mind. But I also think that, with time, he'll come to see that Guignol is, in fact, just what his bookshelf was missing.