George Washington's World - Pierre Caron

Pierre Caron de Beaumarchais

Pierre Caron was very mad about being born a bourgeois. He wanted to be a nobleman wearing red heels and a dress sword and parading up and down the street. He did NOT want to be bourgeois working day over day over day on his father's trade which was watch-making/clock-making. He was so angry that he stomped out of his father's shop.

His father asked him if he could think of a better trade than watchmaking. Since he could not, he had to sit down to that old bench and work over clocks, without telling a soul about his wild and crazy plans to become a nobleman. In a few days, he was watching nobleman go up and down the streets. Sometimes, a nobleman servant would come up to the door and order this kind of clock or this kind of watch for his master. Then he had an idea. If he could make a new and interesting kind of clock, he could maybe one day ascend the steps to becoming a nobleman himself.

It was very complicated. He made a sort of watch that could tell time very easily and told the exact time for quite a while and he set off to show it to the King. The King's room was crowded with noblemen, but when it was his turn, the King was impressed and gave him a low rank in the kitchen, serving the King. He did this with quite a flourish and then spent the rest of his time socializing and plotting how to climb yet higher.

Finally, he found King Louis' daughters who were very plain and not beautiful. In fact, the King himself called them Rags and Sow. But Pierre gave them a few lessons and became his guardian. They were so delighted with him and helped him ascend into full nobility, complete with red heels and dress sword. Finally, his climb was complete.