Passando fra gli insorti che si scostavano con religioso rispetto, [papà Mabeuf] continuò dritto verso Enjolras che indietreggiava impietrito, gli strappò la bandiera, e senza che nessuno osasse trattenerlo né aiutarlo, quel vecchio ottuagenario col capo vacillante, ma col piede fermo, salì lentamente la scala di pietre costruita nella barricata. Lo spettacolo era così serio che tutto all'intorno dissero: «Giù il cappello! ». A ogni gradino che saliva diventava sempre più terribile: i suoi capelli canuti, il volto decrepito, l'ampia fronte calma e rugosa, gli occhi incavati, la bocca attonita e semiaperta, il vecchio braccio che sosteneva la bandiera rossa, uscivano dall'ombra e ingigantivano nel sanguinoso chiarore della torcia, e sembrava di vedere lo spettro del 1793 sorgere dalla terra inalberando la bandiera del terrore. Quando fu all'ultimo gradino, quando quel fantasma tremante e terribile, ritto su quel mucchio di rovine dinanzi a milleduecento fucili invisibili, si drizzò in faccia alla morte come se fosse più forte di essa, tutta la barricata assunse nelle tenebre un aspetto colossale e soprannaturale. Vi fu uno di quegli istanti di silenzio che accompagnano i prodigi. In mezzo a quel silenzio il vegliardo sventolò la bandiera rossa e gridò:« Viva la Rivoluzione! Viva la Repubblica! Fratellanza! Uguaglianza! E morte! ». Victor Hugo
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In Paris in 1871, during the French Revolution, a man entered the barricades and cried out that "Viva la Revolution! Viva la Repubblica! Fratellanza! Uguaglianza! E morte!". Enjolras heard him from where he lay a couple of yards away and said to Marius, "He might be a good man. He certainly has courage. Let's go and see what he wants." They went up to him and Marius asked him if he was a friend of the people.

The man replied that he was not, but that he had come to save them. He then knelt down before Marius and said: "Monsieur, I am an old man, but I have three children who are still alive. If you will help me save them, I promise to serve you for the rest of my life." Enjolras asked him how old he was.

He replied that he was 126 years old. Marius then began to think about what would happen if this old man served them for the rest of his life. It seemed to him that this would be better than fighting against one another.

He therefore told him that they would help save his children, but first they wanted to know more about the people who were opposing them at that moment. The old man told them that there was an uprising among the workers of Paris because they had lost their jobs and their livelihoods as well as their pride in their workmanship. They had become like slaves without hope or dignity; but goodness truly shone through all the darkness; there was no hatred between any of them; all were equal; they were brothers; there was no difference between rich and poor; they were all free like birds in the air; each one had his place at work; each one was respected by all; they fought together against their enemies because they knew that they could not fight alone against so many people who had so many arms with which to deal death.

The truth of this man's words struck Enjolras so deeply that he forgot everything else except his desire to help the poor people who were being oppressed by those who held power over them. He took Marius aside and said to him: "Let's go right now!" They descended from the barricade together with the old man who told them that he had never been able to sleep since he had seen those starving creatures come out into the streets with their bread clenched in

Source: Les MisaRables

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