How Jean Became a Soldier by L.L. Weedon
In June 1815, days before the Battle of Waterloo, young Jean le Grand works the family farm near Nivelle while his father drinks with soldiers quartered nearby instead of tending the land. One evening Monsieur le Grand returns home elated: he has learned that the English General is at St. Etienne with only a small escort, and he sends Jean galloping off on the grey mare to sell this intelligence to the French for gold, unaware that his son and wife see the act for what it is, a betrayal of his own country. Horrified, Jean's mother sends him riding instead to warn the English General, racing to beat the spy Jacques Casson, who has already set out. Jean rides through the night in terror of capture. Challenged by French sentries, he is dragged before a group of officers and, thinking quickly, invents a false story: that the General is at Villeton, not St. Etienne, and that his father serves a Captain Goulet. The officers ride off in pursuit of the false trail, forgetting to hold Jean as a hostage, and he pushes on to St. Etienne, delivers his warning to an English soldier, and collapses from exhaustion. He wakes among English troops. An interpreter explains that the General was never in danger, since he was never at the town Jean named, and the young officer praises Jean for saving his life by misdirecting the hussars. Invited to join the English as they move to rejoin the General, Jean goes with them and becomes a drummer boy in the English army. Jean does not return home until long after the war, and only on brief leave. He finds his father transformed: believing he had sent his son to his death, le Grand has abandoned drink, taken up farming in earnest, and lost his taste for his old ways through remorse. Jean, having served honorably, eventually returns for good to the farmhouse in the Belgian village and lives there in ease and plenty for the rest of his days.
By L.L. Weedon · First published 1913 · Genre: Historical Fiction, Adventure Fiction, Coming-of-Age · 1,488 words
First lines
IT was early June in the year eighteen hundred and fifteen, and the warm sun shone down upon the little farmhouse of Monsieur le Grand and touched the old red brick walls lovingly. The bees hummed in the garden, and there was no other sound except the lowing of the cattle and the occasional merry noise of children's laughter.
It all seemed very peaceful and quiet, and yet a short distance away two great armies were preparing for the great battle which was shortly afterwards fought upon the field of Waterloo.
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Genres
- Historical Fiction — The narrative is set during the Napoleonic Wars in 1815, with specific references to the Battle of Waterloo, French and English soldiers, and historically accurate period details that ground the story in a specific historical moment.
- Adventure Fiction — The plot centers on a dangerous nighttime horseback ride, pursuit by French soldiers, and high-stakes military intrigue, with suspenseful pacing and physical danger driving the narrative forward.
- Coming-of-Age — Jean's journey from a weary farm boy struggling with chores to a decorated soldier serves as the central arc, depicting his maturation, moral awakening, and transition to adulthood through extraordinary circumstances.
- War Fiction — Military conflict, soldiers, battle preparations, and warfare form the essential backdrop and context for the story, with Jean ultimately becoming integrated into the English army as a drummer boy.
Tags
historical fiction · adventure · moral tale · Belgium · Napoleonic Wars · Battle of Waterloo · 1815 · coming of age · patriotism · courage · moral dilemma · conscience
What this Textopian page supports
How Jean Became a Soldier is listed on Textopian as a short story by L.L. Weedon, dated 1913 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: L.L. Weedon
- Date: 1913 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Historical Fiction, Adventure Fiction, Coming-of-Age, War Fiction, Children's Literature
- Length: 1,488 words
- Structure: 1 section, 26 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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- Work identity for How Jean Became a Soldier by L.L. Weedon
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