#big floppy shoes

February 26, 1815: Napoleon escapes from Elba. Feeling safe after his exile the previous April, France’s clowns emerged from their underground lairs and chased the mimes from the streets. First viewed as liberators, the nation’s populace soon regretted their elation as they became constantly harassed by clowns, who stalked France’s citizens with big, floppy, honking shoes; flowers that squirted wine; and too-large pants that bobbed up and down on rubber suspenders. Hearing of his nation’s plight, an enraged Napoleon escaped to retake France. Realizing the Emperor was on his way, the clowns ran for it, bandy-legged and with flapping arms, into Belgium with Napoleon hot on the heels of their enormous shoes. While in Belgium, Napoleon was attacked by a coalition of nations at Waterloo.