𝐃𝐔𝐊𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐒𝐎𝐑 and the Duke of Wellington.
"𝑫𝒂𝒏 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒖𝒄𝒆𝒓, 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝑬𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒅"~~~𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫
"𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒏 𝑸𝒖𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝑽𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒂'𝒔 𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒆 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒂𝒏 𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒈𝒈𝒚"~~~𝐃𝐮𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐨𝐫
"𝑫𝒂𝒏 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒖𝒄𝒆𝒓, 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝑬𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒅"~~~𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫
"𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒏 𝑸𝒖𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝑽𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒂'𝒔 𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒆 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒂𝒏 𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒈𝒈𝒚"~~~𝐃𝐮𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐨𝐫
The Devil of Pope-Fig Island (c. 1762–1764)
By Charles-Dominique-Joseph 𝐄𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐧
📍 Engraving illustrating 𝐉𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐞 𝐋𝐚 𝐅𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞’𝐬 The Devil of Pope-Fig Island
The story explains why. Perretta tells him that her husband attacked her with his claws and caused a terrible injury between her legs. She then reveals herself, making the Devil believe he is looking at proof of the wound.
And that is where the joke begins.
The Devil actually believes her. Instead of threatening Perretta, he becomes frightened by what she has shown him and backs away.
A woman lifts her skirt toward the Devil… and somehow, the Devil is the one who looks terrified.
The woman is Perretta, a character from one of Jean de La Fontaine’s comic tales. The Devil has come to deal with her husband, but Perretta quickly turns the encounter completely in her favor.
Look at her posture. She stands confidently on the raised platform, one leg forward, lifting her skirt while facing the Devil directly. She doesn’t look frightened at all.
Then look at him.
The Devil leans backward with both arms raised, his mouth open and eyes fixed on Perretta. The creature who should be frightening her suddenly looks like he wants to escape.
Eisen makes the reversal even stronger through their body language. The Devil looks physically powerful, but Perretta controls the entire encounter without using a weapon. Her real weapon is deception.
Look around them. The wooden buildings, stairs, basket, and stone platform make this ridiculous supernatural encounter happen in an ordinary village setting. Everything feels normal..except the Devil suddenly being afraid of a woman.
That reversal is what makes the scene so clever. Perretta appears to be the powerless person facing a supernatural creature, yet within seconds, she becomes the one controlling the entire situation.
The Devil came expecting to frighten her.
Instead, she frightened him.
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