Another celebrated dwarf was Nicolas Ferry, otherwise known as
Bebe. He was born at Plaine in the Vosges in 1741; he was but 22
cm. (8 1/2 inches) long, weighed 14 ounces at birth, and was
carried on a plate to the church for baptism. At five Bebe was
presented to King Stanislas of Poland. At fifteen he measured 29
inches. He was of good constitution, but was almost an idiot; for
example, he did not recognize his mother after fifteen days'
separation. He was quite lax in his morals, and exhibited no
evidences of good nature except his lively attachment for his
royal master, who was himself a detestable character. He died at
twenty-two in a very decrepit condition, and his skeleton is
preserved in the Museum of Natural History in Paris. Shortly
before his death Bebe became engaged to a female dwarf named
Therese Souvray, who at one time was exhibited in Paris at the
Theatre Conti, together with an older sister. Therese lived to be
seventy-three, and both she and her sister measured only 30
inches in height. She died in 1819.
Aldrovandus gives a picture of a famous dwarf of the Duc de
Crequi who was only 30 inches tall, though perfectly formed; he
also speaks of some dwarfs who were not over 2 feet high.
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