Le Jongleur de Notre Dame

"Le Jongleur de Notre Dame" is a religious miracle story by the French author Anatole France, published in 1892 and based on an old medieval legend. Similar to the later Christmas carol "The Little Drummer Boy", it tells the story of a juggler turned monk who has no gift to offer a statue of the Virgin Mary except for his ability to juggle well. Upon doing so, he is accused of blasphemy by the other monks, but the statue comes to life and blesses the juggler. It was made into an opera by composer Jules Massenet in 1902, (see "Le jongleur de Notre-Dame"), but "straight" dramatic versions have also been produced.

*The story has been staged for television several times, especially during the days of live TV. The titles used for two early versions were, respectively, "Our Lady's Tumbler" and "The Young Juggler" (the second version starring Tony Curtis).

*In 1942, MGM filmed a short subject based on the story, entitled "The Greatest Gift". It starred Edmund Gwenn as the juggler (here called Bartholomew), and Hans Conried as one of the monks. It is sometimes shown on the Turner Classic Movies channel.

*An animated Terrytoons short based on the story, narrated by Boris Karloff and entitled "The Juggler of Our Lady", was released in 1958, and was nominated for a BAFTA award.

*In 1968, the British television series "Jackanory" presented an adaptation of the story under the title "The Little Juggler".

*In 1970, an obscure, low budget, feature-length film version entitled variously "The Juggler of Notre Dame" , "Magic Legend of the Juggler", and "Legend of the Juggler" was released, starring Barry Dennen in the title role, and featuring such actors as Walter Slezak, Willoughby Goddard, and Joe E. Ross.

*In 1984, "The Juggler of Notre Dame", an Americanized, modernized adaptation of the story, starring Carl Carlsson, a real juggler, was filmed for television in color, and co-starred Merlin Olsen and Melinda Dillon as characters created especially for this version. The late Eugene Roche played the role of the Prior, here called Father Delany.

During the Golden Age of Radio, the story was broadcast several times, usually under the title "The Juggler of Our Lady", and always on the then-popular radio series "Family Theater". But another adaptation featured on "Family Theater" was entitled "Joppe the Juggler". It was broadcast during the Christmas season of 1950, and starred Wallace Ford as the juggler, with opening and closing remarks by Spencer Tracy.

In 1980, while compiling an anthology of science fiction stories entitled "The Best of All Possible Worlds" for Ace Books, which featured five of Spider Robinson's favorite stories by select authors together with a favorite story recommended by each of those authors Mr. Robinson contributed a self-translated version of the story, entitled "Our Lady's Juggler," in response to learning that the story was Robert A. Heinlein's favorite short story of all time.