The Three Musketeers
You might think that "The Three Musketeers" is an old traditional tale. Not at all! It's a novel written by Alexandre Dumas, published in a Parisian newspaper in 1844. Dumas had a secret: a historian named Auguste Maquet provided him with research and outlines, and Dumas rewrote them in his brilliant style. Dumas himself was mixed-race: his father, a general, was born in Haiti to an Afro-Caribbean enslaved mother. The real d'Artagnan existed: he was a Gascon soldier who became captain of the musketeers under Louis XIV. Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, however, are almost entirely invented! The famous phrase "One for all, all for one" does not appear exactly in the book. And the musketeers mainly fought with swords, not muskets. Dumas wrote two sequels, including the story of the Iron Mask. That's why this novel is still enjoyed today!
In 1625, in the southwest of France, a young man named d'Artagnan leaves his family and his little village. He sets off for Paris, full of dreams and hope. He wants to become a musketeer of King Louis XIII. In his bag, he carries a few gold coins, an old sword, and a letter of recommendation for the captain of the musketeers, Mr. de Tréville.
His horse is old and yellow, a little ridiculous, but d'Artagnan loves him like a friend. His mother gives him one last piece of advice: "Be brave and honest, my son." His father adds: "Never let anyone insult you." The young Gascon kisses his parents and rides off at a gallop.
On the road, he thinks about the adventure that awaits him. He already imagines the musketeers' uniform, the battles, the glory. Nothing can stop him.
On the road to Meung, d'Artagnan meets a stranger with a mocking look. This man, the Count de Rochefort, looks at the old yellow horse and bursts out laughing. "That's a horse fit for a scarecrow!" he mocks. Furious, d'Artagnan jumps to the ground and draws his sword.
A fight breaks out. But Rochefort is stronger and craftier. He disarms d'Artagnan and steals his recommendation letter. Then he rides away laughing. D'Artagnan is wounded and humiliated.
"I'll find you again, mysterious stranger!" he swears. "I will restore my honor!" The young Gascon sets off again on the road to Paris, his heart full of anger and determination.
When he arrived in Paris, d'Artagnan went to the house of Monsieur de Tréville, the captain of the musketeers. The house was full of noise and comings and goings. In the waiting room, he noticed three inseparable men: Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. They were talking in low voices and laughing together. Clumsy d'Artagnan bumped into Porthos as he passed. "Idiot!" growled Porthos. Then he said an unfortunate word to Aramis, who turned pale with anger. Finally, he offended Athos without meaning to by touching his sword. The three musketeers stared at him with a threatening look. "You will give us satisfaction!" they said. D'Artagnan, fearless, accepted. He found himself with three duels for the same day. The young Gascon had no idea that this day would change his life.
D'Artagnan shows up for his first duel, against Athos. The swords cross. Suddenly, Cardinal Richelieu's guards appear to arrest the duellists, because duels are forbidden. There are five guards, and they attack.
Athos, Porthos and Aramis fight side by side with d'Artagnan. The Gascon fights like a lion. "One for all, all for one!" they shout. The cardinal's guards fall back, then run away.
The battle is won. The three musketeers look at d'Artagnan with respect. "You are brave, young man," says Athos. D'Artagnan smiles. He has finally found friends.
Faced with such bravery, Athos, Porthos and Aramis burst out laughing and put away their swords. "You are crazy, but you are brave!" they said. "Come with us, Gascon." D'Artagnan became their friend and took his place among the musketeers. That day their motto was born, engraved in every heart: "All for one, one for all!" King Louis XIII congratulated them in person and gave them his smile. But in the shadows, Cardinal Richelieu, jealous, watched these insolent young men with an evil eye. "They are too bold," he murmured. "One day, they will pay me for this." No one heard him, but everyone felt a shiver pass by.
In truth, it was Cardinal Richelieu who ruled the kingdom. The king signed, but the Red Eminence decided. Now the cardinal wanted to dishonor Queen Anne of Austria, whom he secretly hated. He knew a terrible thing: the queen had given her friend, the Duke of Buckingham, twelve diamond studs — a gift from the king himself! Richelieu smiled wickedly. He persuaded Louis XIII to demand that the queen wear these jewels at the next great ball at court. "It will be magnificent, Sire," he whispered. "Let all Paris admire Your Majesty's diamonds." The king agreed without suspicion. He did not know that he had just set a deadly trap for his own wife.
When the queen learned the news, she turned as white as a sheet. The clasps were in London, around the neck of the Duke of Buckingham! In a panic, she shared her secret with her maid, the gentle Constance Bonacieux.
Constance, terrified, ran to find d'Artagnan, whom she loved. "We must bring the clasps back from England in a few days," she said, weeping. "Otherwise, the queen is lost, and so am I!"
d'Artagnan clasped her hands. "For you, I would cross the sea and fire." Yet he knew it was an almost impossible feat: England was far away, the road was full of dangers, and Richelieu had spies everywhere.
Without wasting a minute, d'Artagnan and his three friends raced toward the port of Calais. They galloped day and night, bent low over their horses' necks, with the wind howling in their ears.
But the cardinal's men were waiting for them along the way. At a crossroads, an ambush broke out! Porthos fell first, wounded in the shoulder. Further on, Aramis was knocked down and taken prisoner. At last, Athos, also wounded, collapsed murmuring: "Run, d'Artagnan, run!"
Alone, with a heavy heart, the young Gascon continued his race against time. Already, behind the dunes, he could glimpse the gray sea and the masts of the ships.
In England, d'Artagnan gallops all the way to the Duke of Buckingham's castle. He arrives exhausted, but he rushes straight to the duke. "The studs! Quickly!" he cries.
Buckingham turns pale. He opens the case: twelve sparkling studs, but two of them are empty. "It's the Countess of Winter, a spy for the cardinal! She has already cut out two diamonds!" he says, in despair.
d'Artagnan doesn't hesitate for a second. He takes the ten remaining jewels, jumps on his horse, and sets off for Paris. The wind whips his face, but he does not stop. Not a minute to lose!
In Paris, the ball is about to begin. d'Artagnan slips into the palace and hands the clasps back to Queen Anne of Austria. She turns pale when she sees the two missing jewels.
Quickly, she opens her jewel box and replaces the two diamonds with two almost identical brilliants. Then she enters the ballroom, her heart pounding.
In front of the whole court, King Louis XIII counts the clasps one by one. One, two, three… twelve! Everything is in order. The cardinal, humiliated, hides his anger behind an icy smile. The queen can finally breathe.
Cardinal Richelieu could not bear his defeat. He decided to get revenge. That night, men in black cloaks kidnapped poor Constance Bonacieux. d'Artagnan searched for her everywhere, but she had vanished.
The cardinal then gave Milady de Winter a terrible mission: a woman of spellbinding beauty, but as dangerous as a serpent. "Get rid of d'Artagnan," he ordered.
Meanwhile, d'Artagnan discovered a secret. Milady was the hidden wife of Athos! This painful past made his friend gloomy and silent. The young Gascon understood that danger lurked everywhere.
Thanks to his cunning and his courage, d'Artagnan foils several traps set by Milady. He escapes poisons, duels, and ambushes. One evening, he learns something dreadful: Milady has a fleur-de-lis branded with a red-hot iron on her shoulder. It is the mark of criminals. Her past is dark and shameful. d'Artagnan unmasks her and forces her to flee. But before disappearing into the shadows, Milady turns around, her eyes burning with hatred: "I will kill you, you and all those you love!" she swears. d'Artagnan shivers, but he stands firm.
The siege of La Rochelle began. The troops of the King of France surrounded the city, but the Protestants resisted, supported by English soldiers who came by sea.
d'Artagnan and his three friends fought with a bravery that astonished the whole regiment. Every morning, they threw themselves into the fray, swords high and hearts joyful.
One day, near the Saint-Gervais bastion, a dangerous mission was entrusted to them. Bullets whistled around them, but the four friends laughed and joked, inseparable as always.
"All for one, one for all!" they shouted as they stood up to the enemy. Their courage became legendary throughout the whole camp.
Milady was finally unmasked. Her victims gathered to judge her, for her crimes were too many to be forgiven. She was condemned for all the harm she had caused.
D'Artagnan and his friends then understood that justice must sometimes be carried out far from the laws of men. That night, they remained silent, troubled by what they had seen.
Shortly after, Cardinal de Richelieu, intrigued by so much bravery, summoned d'Artagnan. He handed him a commission as lieutenant of the musketeers, signed by his own hand.
D'Artagnan looked at the paper, moved. His dream was finally coming true, but he knew he would have to choose whom to give his loyalty to.
D'Artagnan finally became a musketeer of the king, but he refused to serve the cardinal. His loyalty belonged to the king, and not to the man who ruled the kingdom from the shadows.
Athos retired to his lands, tired of fighting. Porthos married and became a rich lord. Aramis entered the orders and became a priest, as he had always wished.
The four friends parted, but before leaving, they promised each other loyalty forever. Their tears shone in the sun.
Their friendship and their motto "All for one, one for all!" remained engraved in their hearts, forever.
