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The Court Jester Whose Wit Saved His Life

How a court jester slapped the king's butt, then brilliantly convinced him not to kill him Triboulet served as court jester under King Francis I, who ruled France from 1515 to 1547 . Triboulet's quick humor rescued him from Francis I's deadly wrath, not once, but twice. Court jesters hold a unique place in history. Playing the fool for kings and queens meant they were always in close proximity to royalty, but so very far from their rank and station. Comedians often like to push boundaries, but that can be a dangerous business when your job is to entertain the peope who have executioners at their beck and call. Especially when you forget your place—or purposely ignore it, as the case may be—and playfully smack the reigning monarch square on the behind. That little whoopsie was the claim to fame of Triboulet, a court jester who served King Francis I in 16th-century France. But it was how he got away with slapping the king on the butt and living to tell about it that earne...

Mysterious secret room of more than 70 years

Mysterious secret room of more than 70 years

Mysterious secret room of more than 70 years


A group of students in Norway discovered an old hideout, according to an abandoned study on April 9, 1940, seven months after World War II began for real, the German occupation of Norway began. Furthermore, two months later, the Scandinavian country surrendered to its invaders.

Among the fascinating objects that the students discovered in the room was an old handwritten sign that had remained intact. His message could read: "If you have a bad stomach, then you don't have access."

Mysterious secret room of more than 70 years


The room also contains an alarm system and a map of Western Europe.

Mysterious secret room of more than 70 years


The secrets behind the alarm system, however, remained hidden, because following the wires would have required breaking down one of the walls.

Mysterious secret room of more than 70 years


From December 1944 to March 1945 the room was used to print illegal newspapers. Resistance members wrote stories obtained from the BBC radio service. Unfortunately, they were forced to leave the hideout after only a few months there, after a series of searches were made by the Gestapo, the secret police of the Nazi regime.

The students also saw that the walls were covered with the names of towns and cities in Poland. It is assumed that the newspaper's staff had been following the Soviet advance in the country. The room was secured via a locking mechanism whereby a large nail sealed the space from the outside. After more than seven decades, however, the lock no longer worked.

It may not be the most mysterious secret room in all of history, but for the group of students it was a great discovery.

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The Court Jester Whose Wit Saved His Life

How a court jester slapped the king's butt, then brilliantly convinced him not to kill him Triboulet served as court jester under King Francis I, who ruled France from 1515 to 1547 . Triboulet's quick humor rescued him from Francis I's deadly wrath, not once, but twice. Court jesters hold a unique place in history. Playing the fool for kings and queens meant they were always in close proximity to royalty, but so very far from their rank and station. Comedians often like to push boundaries, but that can be a dangerous business when your job is to entertain the peope who have executioners at their beck and call. Especially when you forget your place—or purposely ignore it, as the case may be—and playfully smack the reigning monarch square on the behind. That little whoopsie was the claim to fame of Triboulet, a court jester who served King Francis I in 16th-century France. But it was how he got away with slapping the king on the butt and living to tell about it that earne...