Jules Comtois was a pâtissier from the 19 hundreds that lived in Béziers, a town in the South of France. For many years, he worked in his families little patisserie, a modest business that his father Camille and his mother Lara started with their life savings when he was just a child. His mother was the responsible for managing the finances, scheduling the deliveries and contacting the suppliers. His father was in-charge of the kitchen, and ovens. He also mentored Jules in the art of making delicious french deserts. The work was hard and required precision, creativity and out of the box thinking but all the effort did pay off. Even if it wasn’t much their little patisserie provided enough to sustain the family and also made them popular in the neighbourhood.
Many small family businesses are strong because they perfect their craft and focus a lot on mentoring.
On the summer of 1913 Jules was coming back from doing a delivery by horse carriage to Sérignan(a nearby village where they had some frequent clients). As he was approaching Béziers, in the distance he saw a smoke column in the sky. At the begging he did not give it much importance, he thought that probably some farmers were just burning part of a field to prepare it for fallow. But as he got closer he noticed that the smoke, was not coming from the fields, it was coming from the suburbs area where the patisserie was.
When he arrived to the patisserie he saw with horror how the family business was being consumed by flames. There was not much they could do to save it. When the fire consumed completely the building, he observed what seemed to be the cause of the fire. Apparently corrosion in the chimney in one of their baking ovens somehow permitted a light piece of burning floating wood bark to get through and reach one of the wooden pillars of the building’s infrastructure.
It was a really sad experience for the whole family, their patisserie was their life time project.
Regardless of this disaster, in just matter of a couple of months Jules mother and father managed to find an alternative source of income. The father, Camille went to a local school and found a job helping in the kitchen and the mother Lara also found a way to earn some money by repairing broken school uniforms. Jules was also helping, by collecting and delivering the uniforms for his mother. The Comtois were a family with a very strong will power. No matter what happened to them, they always found a way forward. And no matter what the neighbours thought of their failures, they continued to push towards what they thought was a good plan. The hoped of re-opening their business and they were determined that they would accomplish it sooner or later.
Pride is not a good ally when dealing with setbacks . But determination is!
The autumn and winter passed and with hard work the family managed to settle most of their remaining financial hurdles. They were hopeful that maybe in a couple of years at most, they would be capable of saving enough to be able to re-open their business.
One morning around August, some uniformed men arrived to town and they knocked in the door. They were looking for Jules. The mum Lara opened the door.
Officer: Good morning miss, does Jules Comtois live here?
Lara: Yes it’s my son. What is it regarding?
Officer: The government of the republic has made a call to arms for all men aged 16 to 55. War has started!
There were already rumours in the neighbourhood that a war might have started. They were right! The archduke of the Austro-Hungarian empire Fraz Ferdinan was killed by a Serbian anarchist in Sarajevo in June. Now both the Austrians, Germans and Turks have allied and declared war on Serbia, Russia and their allies. France and Britain have begun their mobilisation and full scale war had already begun.
Lara and Camille were very afraid that something might happen to Jules in the front line, but there was no option, their only child had to go to war. Jules packed some light clothing and some provisions. On the way out of the house he hugged his parents and told them not to fear because he will return alive and will continue to help them rebuild the home business.
The departure of Jules made Lara and Camille have to work a bit harder but quickly they adapted. They were a very resilient couple and they were always ready. While away, Jules did regularly send part of his army allowance back home. The parents were extremely worried about their son being sent to the war and many times they would have difficulty sleeping at night. Regardless of their worries, they remained focused on their work and their financial situation got better and more stable, thanks to good planning, readiness, and also the motivational thought of their son’s safe return home once the war ends.
Work as if peace will last for 100 years, but be ready as if war was to start tomorrow.
Jules stance in the front line was not brief. He was sent to a trench located some 60 kilometres east from the city of Amiens, very close to the Belgium border. For months and years he experienced the horrors of war. He saw, people dying, getting sick, mutilated and mentally destroyed. But somehow in all that chaos, he managed to keep his composure. He just kept saying to himself every night that everything is just temporary.
Just as night is temporary, so is hardship and suffering.
One of the officers in Jules battalion noticed that Jules character was strong and brave and he thought that potentially he could trust him to send him into an important mission. So one morning around 4 a.m, way before the sunrise the officer and another two soldiers entered the trench barrack were Jules was sleeping woke him up and toke him to the officer quarters for a briefing.
Officer: Monsieur Comtois, I apologise for waking you up during your rest but we have a delicate situation at hands and we thought that you are the best suited for this mission.
Jules: At your orders captain.
Officer: A few days ago our phone line was disrupted by the enemy artillery and we are unable to to call for counter-artillery fire to support our offensives. If we are unable to communicate with HQ again to resume the artillery bombing ahead of our positions the enemy will buildup in front of us and send us all it has to raid. Our troops are already decimated we must send this letter to HQ to tell them that the trench is not lost and the bombing needs to resume.
Jules: I understand my captain. I will bring this message back to HQ
Officer: France is proud of you, good luck!
Theoretically the mission was not extremely complicated since HQ was behind a few kilometres away from the front line, Jules shouldn’t have to cross enemy territory. The only inconvenience would be to leave the area immediately behind the trench since the terrain was completely destroyed. It was full of barbed wire, scrap metals, mud, dead boddies, rats …
Around 5.30 am Jules crawled out of the trench and started moving slowly west, towards the HQ. The terrain was very muddy and wet and he had to move very slowly, keeping low and sometimes crawling. A slight scratch in a rusty piece of barbed wire or scrap metal from a shell could cause him a lethal infection. After nearly 5 hours on arduous ups and downs through shell craters and abandoned trenches, he managed to reach firm undamaged ground.
He stood up and walked through farming land and a grass fields for some hours. Everything seemed peaceful and he was able to see in the distance the field were the HQ was located. It was already noon and the sun was starting to lower on the west, he was almost half way through a field when he heard the noise of an engine in the distance, he thought maybe was a truck or perhaps a British tank but he looked around himself but didn’t see anything, yet the noise was getting louder. He raised his sight a bit while looking behind himself and discovered in the air a flying object coming towards him. It was an airplane, this was the first time ever Jules saw an airplane, excited he started waving at him since he thought it was a British pilot coming back from the front.
After a few seconds observing the airplane, he noticed that the pilot changed direction facing towards him. All of a sudden a cold sweat was running through his back as he realised that this was not a friendly plane. It was a German scout plane. He saw some light blinking on it as it was descending rapidly and a second later he heard the bullets noise. The plane was firing at him as it was descending. Jules was in panic, he started running to the side of the field where he noticed there was a line of trees…
The field was too big, he run as fast as he could as the plane fired at him but. there was no way he would make it to the trees. By miracle he managed to dodge the first swipe, the plane fired at him at least 30 rounds but all missed. As the pilot was turning to come back for a second swipe, Jules saw a fallen dead tree to his side. He had to make a life or dead decision. Run to the cover of the old tree and hope that it will withstand the bullets burst, or continue running in straight line towards the line of trees and hope the plane misses again?
Intuition is a very powerful thing, it can be more powerful than intellect.
Some would think that this was luck, others god grace, but perhaps was just Jules intuition. He decided to turn to the side and run to the cover of the dead tree. His intuition didn’t betray him, as he turned towards the tree he had the sun setting exactly in front of him, so when the pilot turned the plane he was blinded by the beams of the setting sun. The plane fired a long burst and some bullets impacted in the tree and nearby. Jules now at cover behind the tree and with the sun on his back, removed his rifle from his back; an old “Fusil Mle 1886 M93” and fired a bullet towards the plane that was now turning away after finishing the swipe.
Luckily for Jules the pilot did not return for a third swipe. Maybe run of ammunition or perhaps thought it wasn’t a worth target to pursuit.
It was already dark when Jules arrived to the HQ and delivered the message to one of the high ranking officials. Immediately a telegrapher started transmitting it to the British artillery which was far behind.
That evening, Jules was offered a bed and some food. He ate and went to sleep. It was important for him to be rested to be able to return to the front line in the morning. He closed his eyes and fell asleep with the echo of the artillery detonations far in the distance.
The following morning around 8.00 am Jules woke up, he was well rested but he realised that he overslept and the sun was already well up. He no longer had the cover of the darkness to return but he had to go. He filled his water canister, took his rifle and left the HQ and starting walking back towards the front line.
He walked back the same way, through the farming land and green fields. After a few hours of walk he decided to make a brief stop to pee and also drink a bit of his water. There was an old abandoned mill close to him so he decided to check it out. The mill was abandoned and the roof had a huge hole caused probably by cannon fire of some sort. After a brief break he decided to get back on track but as he was exiting the mill in front of him there were two German soldiers facing the opposite direction. A cold sweat again ran through his back and slowly he removed his rifle from his shoulder. Jules was in the trench for months and even participated in combat but this was the first time he saw the enemy from such a close distance.
Very slowly he raised the barrel of his rifle and aimed at them. One of them didn’t have his pointy helmet on. Jules thought that he would aim at him but whatever he was going to do in the next 5 to 10 seconds could be the difference between life or dead.
He could slowly walk backwards turn around and run through the open field, but probably they would hear him and he could easily end with a bullet in his back. Another option would be to shoot at one of the soldiers and either charge on to the other with his knife. It’s highly unlikely he would be able fast enough to reload and shoot a second round at the other soldier. But those Germans looked really scary it would be a one to one fight to the dead.
After thinking it for a few seconds, he decided that the best option would be to slowly return inside the mill and hope that they would go away. So he started walking backwards by keeping his aim at the soldier without the helmet. It was just a couple of steps back but he was doing it so slowly to avoid alerting them. The other soldier said something in German and then bent down to tighten his bootstrap, but when he was kneeling too his boot, he turned his head to the left and saw Jules. Jules heart started beating really fast and started sweating. He had to make a decision there was no more time.
The soldier that was kneeling, with a broken voice in fear said “Ba.. Bastian”. As he said that the other soldier replied “Ja?”. That was it! Jules had no choice the other soldier was turning.
Quickly he changed his aim to the kneeling soldiers head and … Bang! Unfortunately he missed, he got his ear. The German soldier from the shock lost balance and fell with the left side of his face and head covered in blood.
Jules didn't have time to reload so as the other soldier turned around completely he hit him as hard as he could in the nose with the back of his rifle. The soldier lost balance and fell on his ass in the ground, but quickly tried to get his rifle from his shoulder to aim at Jules. In this moment Jules had to make another decision, try to reload or run. He tried to reload but his rifle jammed. The previous round didn’t eject correctly so he had a jammed rifle and two German soldiers in front of him, one of which was about to aim at him.
Now he had to escape. He threw his rifle at them and run back behind the mill and started running as fast as he could through the open field. After seven seconds approximately, he heard a shoot. Bang! and two more seconds after Bang!, Bang!
Jules kept running and managed to make enough distance between him and the soldiers who were having a difficult time aiming with an ear ripped off and a broken nose. After nearly 10 minutes of running and when there was no more shooting Jules decided to slow down and walk since he reached some tree line. Those Germans were probably scouts and they didn’t bother chasing Jules.
He was really lucky to be alive. He had to improvise a plan but it went wrong and he had to improvise again. His nerves of steel and determination saved his life.
No plan survives first encounter with the enemy.
At this point Jules was a bit disorientated and also fearful. He didn’t know what to do. He needed to get back to the front line but following his original path could put him in contact with the enemy. Now he had doubts, were those two soldiers lost like he was? were they just scouts? or maybe the front line was overrun and the enemy was already advancing into their territory? It was way to risky to try to continue the original way, he needed to find some shelter and think about an alternative route.
Jules walked and walked for 3 or 4 days in the forest without knowing where he was heading. He was really exhausted. He approached what seemed to be the end of the trees and down a little hill there was a village. He was hungry and thirsty and needed to get some food. So he decided to walk towards the village. The place seemed abandoned, but Jules was yet worried that maybe enemy troops could be hiding or have advanced scouting posts in some of the buildings. He searched a couple of small houses, there was nothing to eat, but he took a few pots and found rain water in an old bath that filled up by rain water that got through a huge hole that the house had in the roof. He thought it would be safe to drink it but just in case decided to boil it. Better to not take chances.
Jules got out of the house with an old chair, some rags or curtains and tinder he gathered. He lighted a fire and placed one large pot with water from the bath on it, between two bricks. Jules was calm but also worried. He was really hungry and started to get headache. It would be the 4th day without food and he needed to find something because he was not in good condition to continue his journey. He thought about hunting some game in the forest but he lost his rifle during in the skirmish and in addition to this, returning to the forest could be dangerous.
After 30 minutes or so the water started to boil. The only thing he had was a bunch of pine needle leaves that he had stuck in the shoulders and arms of his uniform. Those just stuck to him while he ran and crawled in the forest the previous days. But this was just not enough, he needed more nutrients.
As he was stirring the pot, and about to grab an old wooden bowl to take a bit of water. He heard a weak shy voice.
“Salut monsieur”, said the voice. Jules, turned his head and saw an old man in his late 70’s. The man asked to Jules what was he doing, to which Jules replied;
Jules: I am making a soup sir
Old man: An empty soup? I just see water about to boil.
Jules: It is not empty. This is a special soup, typical from where I come from. It’s called stone soup.
Old man: Stone soup? Are you joking me?
Jules: No sir, now in a bit I place 3 special stones inside with the boiling water and the water will after a while mix with the special minerals that the stones contain. It is an energetic drink with special properties that makes us feel younger and energetic.
Said no more, the old man, believed Jules story. He asked Jules if could he try a bit of the stone soup, to which Jules replied;
Jules: I will very happily share my stone soup with you but I must warn that the taste it’s extremely bitter. My mother often used to add some vegetables when she used to make it when I was young.
Old man: Yes makes sense healthy things are never tasty. Hold on young man I have something we could add to the soup.
The old man went back into his house and came back with a big potato and a little bag with salt. Jules couldn’t believe his luck, he took the potato and placed into the boiling water along side 3 random stones that he took from the ground while the man went into the house.
Jules: Now the potato will also absorb the goodness from the stones.
Old man: Excellent!
As they were talking another two old neighbours came by curious after hearing someone outside. The neighbours asked.
Neighbour: Jack, what is this young soldier doing?
Old man: He seems lost, he is cooking a special soup with magical properties that will give him energy.
After hearing about the stone soup recipe, the other neighbours decided they also wanted to try it, so they went to their houses and brought carrots and a cabbage with themselves. Jules added all the ingredients into the pot and then he shared the soup with all the old men. After eating and resting and chatting, Jules felt much better and he was ready to continue to the front line. With directions from the men, he managed to reach his trench by sunset that day.
Sometimes people will join and even help you, if they feel your “ongoing” success.
Three months latter, Jules received a letter from his superiors at HQ informing him that he was allowed to return home to visit his family on a week vacation. Jules visited his family back in Béziers and then went back to the front again. The war ended almost four years latter in a stale mate. He was in the front lines during the whole war. During his service Jules participated in multiple battles and was really lucky to have survived. He fought bravely and wisely and even received a medal once. Jules finally returned to his family when all was over and continued to help his parents rebuild the old business. They managed to re-open the patisserie, just one year after the war and they happily run their business for many years afterwards.
