Maria's POV
"COME ONE! COME ALL!
LEAVE YOUR LOOMS AND MILKING STOOLS
COOP THE HENS AND PEN THE MULES!
COME ONE! COME ALL!
CLOSE THE CHURCHES AND THE SCHOOLS!
IT'S THE DAY FOR BREAKING RULES!
COME AND JOIN THE FEAST...OF..." the crowd sing.
"Fools!" Clopin says as he appears from the crowd. I smile and clap politely. He smiles brighter when he sees me. He continues to sing.
"ONCE A YEAR WE THROW A PARTY HERE IN TOWN
ONCE A YEAR WE TURN ALL PARIS UPSIDE DOWN
EVERY MAN'S A KING AND EVERY KING'S A CLOWN
ONCE AGAIN, IT'S TOPSY TURVY DAY!
IT'S THE DAY THE DEVIL IN US GETS RELEASED" he sings.
"Good is bad and best is worst and west is east" the other performers sing.
"IT'S THE DAY WE MOCK THE PRIG AND SHOCK THE PRIEST" Clopin sings.
"On the day we think the most of those with least" the performers sing.
"EVERYTHING IS TOPSY TURVY AT THE FEAST OF FOOLS!" Clopin sings loudly.
"Topsy Turvy" the crowd says.
"EVERYTHING IS UPSY-DAISY!" Clopin shouts. There are White Balloons with clown faces on them and confetti in them. A needle pops them and confetti flies everywhere.
"Topsy Turvy" the crowd says again as father and I take our seats. I see Pheobus on his horse Achilles and give him a warm smile. He returns it.
"EVERYONE IS ACTING CRAZY
DROSS IS GOLD AND WEEDS ARE A BOUQUET
THAT'S THE WAY ON TOPSY TURVY DAY!" Clopin sings loudly.
"Topsy Turvy" the crowd sings.
"BEAT THE DRUMS AND BLOW THE TRUMPETS!" Clopin and the performers sing. The crowd repeat 'Topsy Turvy'. "JOIN THE BUMS AND THIEVES AND STRUMPETS
STREAMING IN FROM CHARTRES TO CALAIS" Clopin sings with the performers.
"SCURVY KNAVES ARE EXTRA SCURVY ON THE SIXTH OF 'JANUERVY'"Clopin sings solo.
"ALL BECAUSE IT'S TOPSY TURVY DAY!" the performers sing with Clopin. He jumps onto the stage to present the first performer.
"COME ONE! COME ALL!
HURRY, HURRY, HERE'S YOUR CHANCE
SEE THE MYSTERY AND ROMANCE
COME ONE! COME ALL!
SEE THE FINEST GIRL IN FRANCE
MAKE AN ENTRANCE TO ENTRANCE
DANCE LA ESMERALDA...DANCE!" Clopin sings. Clopin disappears in a puff of smoke, and Esmeralda appears in his place. She proceeds to perform a sultry dance.
"Look at that disgusting display" Dad tells Phoebus.
"Yes, sir" Phoebus says smiling as he watches Esmeralda. She continues to dance. She dances over to us and sits on dad's lap. She pulls out a handkerchief and wraps it around his neck playfully, using it to pull him closer. She moves in to kiss him, but jumps away at the last moment. Going back to the stage as dad yanks the handkerchief off his neck.
"Relax father, she is only performing" I tell him. Esmeralda bows as the crowd cheers. It is time to crown the king of fools. I wonder who it'll be this year? The one last year was a drunken fool.
"And now, ladies and gentlemen, the piece de resistance" Clopin announces.
"HERE IT IS, THE MOMENT YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR!
HERE IT IS, YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S IN STORE!
NOW'S THE TIME WE LAUGH UNTIL OUR SIDES GET SORE!
NOW'S THE TIME WE CROWN THE KING OF FOOLS!" he sings. Last year's king, carried on the shoulders of the crowd, belches loudly. I roll my eyes, still a drunk fool I see.
"SO MAKE A FACE THAT'S HORRIBLE AND FRIGHTENING
MAKE A FACE AS GRUESOME AS A GARGOYLE'S WING
FOR THE FACE THAT'S UGLIEST WILL BE THE KING OF FOOLS! WHY?" Clopin asks us.
"Topsy Turvy" I say with the crowd and dad gives me a pointed look. But I ignore him.
"UGLY FOLKS, FORGET YOUR SHYNESS!
YOU COULD SOON BE CALLED YOUR HIGHNESS!" Clopin sings loudly.
"PUT YOUR FOULEST FEATURES ON DISPLAY
BE THE KING OF TOPSY TURVY DAY!" the crowd and performers sing together. Clopin has been pulling contestants onto the stage. Esmeralda pulls someone familiar onto the stage. Once all the contestants were lined up.
Esmeralda works her way down the line, ripping off masks and revealing the ugly faces underneath. Each contestant makes their uglist face and fail. They are pushed off stag by a kid goat. The festivities continue until Esmeralda reaches Quasi. She tries to pull Quasi's mask off, but soon realizes that it's not a mask. Oh no, dad won't like this at all. The crowds start to yell calling him hideous. Making my blood boil, how dare they.
Quasi, realizing that people are disgusted by him, is devastated. Dad realizes that the only man left standing on stage is Quasi. Clopin, trying to keep things festive, jumps in. "Ladies and gentlemen, don't panic. We asked for the ugliest face in Paris, and here he is! Quasimodo, the hunchback of Notre Dame!" he announces cheerfully.
Upon hearing Clopin, the crowd once again grows festive, and Clopin crowns Quasimodo the King of Fools. As last year's king is thrown off of his chair. "ONCE A YEAR, WE THROW A PARTY HERE IN TOWN" the performers sing with the crowd.
"HAIL TO THE KING" Clopin sings as Quasi is placed on the chair carried by four men.
"ONCE A YEAR, WE TURN ALL PARIS UPSIDE DOWN" the performers sing.
"Oh what a king" Clopin says.
"ONCE A YEAR THE UGLIEST WILL WEAR A CROWN" the performers sing together.
"GIRLS, GIVE A KISS" Clopin says and two female performers kiss Quasi's cheeks. Making him blush and I giggle. I'm so happy he is having fun.
"ONCE A YEAR ON TOPSY TURVY DAY" the crowd sings.
"WE'VE NEVER HAD A KING LIKE THIS" Clopin states.
"AND IT'S THE DAY WE DO THE THINGS THAT WE DEPLORE
ON THE OTHER THREE-HUNDRED-AND-SIXTY-FOUR
ONCE A YEAR WE LOVE TO DROP IN
WHERE THE BEER IS NEVER STOPPIN'
FOR THE CHANCE TO POP SOME POPINJAY
AND PICK A KING WHO'LL PUT THE TOP
IN TOPSY...TURVY...DAY
TOPSY TURVY
MAD AND CRAZY, UPSY-DAISY TOPSY TURVY DAY!" the performers sing with Clopin. As Quasi stands on a wheel in front of Notre Dame. I clap with the crowd as he smiles brightly. Everything was going great until someone throws a tomato at Quasi, hitting him square in the face. The crowd quickly goes quiet.
"Now that's ugly!" a guard roars and my blood boils again.
"Hail to the king!" another shouts and throws a tomato at Quasi himself. Soon, Quasi is being pelted with produce of all kinds. Shouts come from all directions.
Quasi is soon lassoed and tied down on a rotating platform. He is spun around, as onlookers continue their torment. He sees dad and I watching and shouts for help. "Maria! Master, please! Help me!" he shouts and I go to do so and dad grabs my arm. Phoebus looks up at us.
"Sir, request permission to stop this cruelty?" Phoebus asks.
"In just a moment, Captain. A lesson needs to be learned here" dad tells him smirking. I glare and wrench my arm from his grasp and run to the plateform. I arrive to see Esmeralda kneeling before Quasi wiping his face clean.
"Quasi, I'm so sorry" I say with tears in my eyes. I'm his older sister and I am suppose to protect him. But I failed to do so.
"Maria! Gypsy girl! Get down at once!" dad shouts at us.
"Yes, your honor. Just as soon as I free this poor creature" Esmeralda tells him.
"I forbid it" dad states. She whips out a knife and cuts the ropes holding Quasi. I help him stand. "How dare you defy me!" dad shouts at us.
"You mistreat this poor boy the same way you mistreat my people" Esmeralda states.
"You speak of justice, yet you are cruel to those most in need of your help" I say looking into his cold eyes.
"Silence" dad orders.
"Justice!" Esmeralda shouts.
"Mark my words, gypsy. You and Maria will pay for this insolence" dad tells her. I hide my fear staying strong for Quasi.
"Then it appears we've crowned the wrong fool father" I sneer.
"The only fool I see is you" Esmeralda says tossing the King of Fools crown at him. It lands at his feet.
"Captain Phoebus! Arrest them both" dad orders. I look at him shocked. Phoebus motions for his guards to move in and arrest us. They surround the stage.
"Stay close to me" Esmeralda tells me with a whisper and I nod my head as she grips my hand. She looks at the guards surrounding us. "Now, let's see. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten of you, and two of us. What's a poor girl to do?" she asks. She begins to cry and we're surrounded by smoke.
She drags me to a mask stand and we duck behind it. "I'll get her out of here, you distract them" Clopin tells her. She nods her head and he covers me in with a hooded cloak. "Stay close" he tells me and I nod my head. Esmeralda distracts the guards and he leads me to Notre Dome. "Claim sanctuary, you will be safe here" he tells me.
"What about you, Esmeralda and my brother?" I ask him scared.
"Do not fear, we will all be fine" he says and kisses my forehead. "I hope I see you again soon my Maria" he states.
"I pray for that day" I tell him with a smile. He smiles back and leaves me. I find the archdeacon and claim sanctuary. He allows me to stay and I go explore the church.
A/N
Video above of Topsy Turvy song and gifs above of Esmeralda's performance. Picture on the external link of Clopin crowning Quasi the king of fools.