#ludwig bemelman

[eriksangel666]

Madeline and the Phantom of the Opera: An Original Story by @eriksangel666

In an old house in Paris that was covered in vines, there lived 12 little girls in 2 straight lines.

They left the house at half past 9 in rain or shine. The smallest one was Madeline.

The little girls all loved to sing. In music class, their voices would ring.

Miss Clavel wanted to reward their talent with something sweet. Then one morning, she read the paper and said: "I know just the treat!"

Just before bed, she told them, "Girls, get plenty of rest. Tomorrow we're going to the opera, and I want you looking your best."

"The opera, the opera!" cried the girls with cheer. They slept and dreamt of the wonderful music they'd hear.

The next evening, in dresses pressed and neat, they set off for the opera and walked down the street.

The opera closed since it's chandelier was not quite right, but now it was fixed and ready for re-opening night.

In two straight lines, the girls sat down with glee. But there was one problem: little Madeline could not see.

She strained to peer over a lady's bouffant hair when she looked up, saw an empty box and thought "I can see from there!"

Since tonight was special, she did not want to frighten Miss Clavel. So she tiptoed very quitely and snuck out quite well.

Upon arrival, she saw the door had no locks, and easily entered the opera box.

Madeline loved her view of the stage, but her presence filled a mysterious man with rage.

"Mademoiselle," said a voice, "this box is mine."

"I won't stay long," she said, "the opera ends at 9."

"If you don't leave, there's no telling what I'll do!"

To the grump invisible man, Madeline just said "Pooh pooh! You are invisible, how could you have a place? If you want your seat that much, show me your face!"

At once he showed himself. He was no ordinary host. Madeline realized she had met the Opera Ghost!

"Oh Monsieur!" she gasped, her face turning white. The ghost cackled at her expression because he thought it was fright.

But after a few seconds, he was no longer glad. He realized Madeline was actually sad.

The ghost asked "What are you staring at?"

"You remind me of my friend," she said "A bad, bad hat."

He frowned. "What's that?"

"My friend Pepito always acted like he was mad. But really, he was lonely and quite sad."

She asked, "Monsieur, are you lonely too?" The ghost was shocked- she actually knew!"

"Yes," the Ghost whispered to Madeline. "I have been lonely for quite some time."

"But the music makes me feel less alone. And for that, I'm glad the opera is my home."

Madeline smiled. "I would never want the music to end." She took the ghost's hand. "May I join you tonight as a friend?"

The ghost blinked and became quite shy. He did not want Madeline to see him cry.

He said, "I would love nothing more mademoiselle." He sat her in his lap and they listened to the singers excel.

Madeline asked questions about the people who could sing, and the Ghost taught her music facts that were most interesting!

They mostly talked, which made the Ghost quite glad. Maybe having one friend wasn't all that bad.

At the end, Madeline gasped, "I must get back to Miss Clavel!"

The ghost smiled "I'll bring you back, she won't be able to tell."

Other guests would have been in a daze, but Madeline loved being guided through the Opera like a maze.

The Ghost kissed her hand. "Ma petite chou, I'll bid you goodnight." And with a flicker, he vanished completely out of sight.

The beauty of the music made all the girls weep. Miss Clavel said, "Allons-y, you little girls need sleep."

Late at night, Madeline wondered if she made up the ghost in her head. But she rolled over and found a letter that fell out while changing for bed.

She opened the note and it filled her with glee. For at the bottom in cursive were the letters "O.G."

It said, "Next time you want to hear music that's sweet, join me in my box and I'll bring you a seat."

Madeline now has a friend who lives under the Opera House floor

And that's all there is. There isn't anymore.

[laurenillustrated]

Madeline

Where the Wild Things Are

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

Halfway done with this art challenge, drawing popular children’s book characters in my style!

[paperandsong]

Illustration of the Palais Garnier from Ludwig Bemelman's Madeline, 1939

[lisamarie-vee]

[holespoles]

Ludwig Bemelmans - "In Rain" from Madeline (1939)

[milkywaypixies]

[sunlilys]

ludwig bemelmans, madeline, 1939.

[guy60660]

Ludwig Bemelmans | WSJ

[meowcatthings]

I usually just draw Madeline alone haha, so finally decided to try and draw some of her friends

[transpondster]

Illustrations by Ludwig Bemelmans

[Via]

[paperandsong]

The Phantom of the Opera if illustrated by Ludwig Bemelmans

"It's the ghost!" little Jammes had cried...Nothing was heard but the hard breathing of the girls. At last, Jammes, flinging herself upon the farthest corner of the wall, with every mark of real terror on her face, whispered: "Listen!"

"If that's the ghost, he's very ugly!"

Did the ghost really take a seat at the managers' supper-table that night, uninvited?

"The black shape lifted me onto the white shape, a glad neighing greeted my astounded ears and I murmured, 'Cesar!'"

"I don't whether the effects of the cordial had worn off when the man's shape lifted me into the boat, but my terror began all over again."

"I was in the middle of a drawing-room that seemed to be adorned and furnished with nothing but flowers, flowers both magnificent and stupid, because of the silk ribbons that tied them to baskets, like those which they sell in the shops on the boulevards."

"...I overwhelmed him with abuse and called upon him to take off his mask, if it covered the face of an honest man." "He replied serenely, 'You shall never see Erik's face.'"

"You see, Christine, there is some music that is so terrible that it consumes all those who approach it."

"I burned his mask; and I managed so well that, even when he was not singing, he tried to catch my eye, like a dog sitting by its master."

This ball was an exceptional affair, given some time before Shrovetide...it was expected to be much gayer, noisier, more Bohemian than the ordinary masked ball.

"My dear fellow," said Count Philippe, "you have fired at a cat."

He would go down to the tomb escorted by the whitest shoulders in the world, decked with the richest jewels.

"YOU'RE LOOKING AT ME BECAUSE I AM ALL WET?... Oh, my dear, it's raining cats and dogs outside!"

"I want to have a wife like everybody else and to take her out on Sundays. I have invented a mask that makes me look like anybody. People will not even turn around in the streets."

"You are crying! You are afraid of me! And yet I am not really wicked. Love me and you shall see!"

The daroga went to the window and opened it. His heart was full of pity, but he took care to keep his eyes fixed on the trees in the Tuileries gardens, lest he should see the monster's face.

They took the train one day from the 'northern railway station of the world.' Possibly, I too shall take the train at that station, one day, and go and seek around thy lakes, O Norway, O silent Scandinavia, for there are perhaps still living traces of Raoul and Christine...

And now what do they mean to do with that skeleton? Surely they will not bury it in the common grave!

[lisamarie-vee]

[holespoles]

Ludwig Bemelmans

[milkywaypixies]

oh wait, I forgot to post this one

[lamboflegion]

Hats off to Madeline