High Steppers

sides and see every angle. That might mean getting a second opinion or imagining yourself in someone else's shoes, And for one group of French shepherds, those shoes were pretty darn big. Along the southwestern coast of France is the Lawn region, just below Bordeaux, out on the Bay of Biscay, and is covered in a lush forest of maritime pine trees. But land didn't always look this way. In fact, more than a century ago it wasn't nearly as verdant and

full of life. It was maintained as a feeding ground for the one million sheep in the area. Locals would burn parts of the land to keep it suitable for the sheep to graze, leaving it soft, flat and marsh covered. It was almost impossible to get around on foot, and there were no proper roads on which to drive, so instead, shepherds found another way to navigate the uneven terrain. They

walked around on stilts. These were five foot tall leg extensions that were fastened to the shepherd's legs so they could walk above the flocks without sinking into the soil. A long staff was used to keep them from falling over and to direct the sheep where they needed to go. Those who lived in land during the nineteenth century learned

how to walk on these stilts as children. They could do everything in them too, including running and jumping, as though they weren't wearing anything at all, and there was perhaps no greater proof of their dexterity than a land stilt walker named Sylvain Dornan. Dornan was from Sahl and had no connection to the stilt walkers of Lan. His father had actually made a living harvesting resin from pine trees,

but Sylvain became a baker. But after moving to Arkaschon and seeing the flock of tourists visiting the city, the young Dornan got an idea he would go out in public, surrounded by crowds, and show off his moves in a pair of stilts. He would dance and perform for passers by, who would tip him for the entertainment, and his notoriety even earned him an invitation to climb up to the second level of a brand new building in Paris, one called the Eiffel Tower while wearing his stilts, which he

did with a wild boar by his side. But Dornan wanted to take things even further. He'd always been fascinated by the stories of Russians who had come to France from their home country on foot, so he decided to do the same, just in the opposite direction. After obtaining sponsorship from a local magazine, the famous baker prepared for his journey to Russia on stilts, and he built two pairs. One measured a little over three feet tall while the

other was almost six feet in length. Then he donned the full regalia of land shepherds, packed a bag and left Paris on March twelfth of eighteen ninety one. Over two thousand spectators were there to see him off. Dornan averaged about thirty seven miles a day and met all kinds of people during his travels. Some were friendly and

would walk alongside him for short stretches. Others, like neighborhood children, would tease him and throw rocks as he walked, and more than one police officer gave him trouble for his stunt, but he eventually made it, crossing almost three thousand miles in just under two months. He returned home a hero and went right back to work at his bakery, although he occasionally strapped on his stilts every now and then

to dance or race in front of wrapped audiences. Over time, stilt walking died out, at least where the land shepherds were concerned the hard to navigate. More marshlands were soon covered in pine trees, and the landscape dried up, forcing the sheep elsewhere to graze. But not all is lost. Some French dancers perform on stilts to this day, continuing the tradition made famous by Sylvain Dornan, who took one large step for man and one enormous leap for stilt

walkers everywhere. It may not be the world's oldest profession, but it's right up there. Piracy has been around for as long as people have known how to sail. The earliest references to pirates comes from the records of a pharaoh writing in the fourteenth century BCE. The Egyptians struggled to tamp down the problem, and by the time of ancient Rome, the Mediterranean Sea was infested with pirates. Now these ancient seafarers caused a relentless headache for the Romans.

They preyed on merchant ships. They attacked coastal villages and took loads of people hostages. Four captives were forced into slavery, while the rich were ransomed back to their families for exorbitant sums. Virtually no one was safe, but every once in a while a hostage turned out to be more

trouble than they were worth. That's exactly what happened in seventy five BC when a band of pirates from southern Turkey captured a small vessel crossing the aeg and c. They overpowered the crew and looted the hull, but the real prize was the ship's owner, a twenty five year old Roman nobleman, who was on his way to Rhodes, where he planned to study public speaking under a famous orator. From the moment he was on board, the pirates knew

that they had gotten more than they bargained for. This youth didn't seem remotely worried about being captured, and immediately started bossing his captors around like servants. When he found out how much they were planning to ransom him for, he laughed in their faces and advised them to double the amount. The pirates tried to ignore him, though, dismissing the young man's comments as the arrogant boasting typical of

Roman elites. They sent a message to his family demanding payment for his release, and then they set sale for their island hideout. And meanwhile, the young noblemen continued to make their lives a living nightmare. He complained about the cooking, he argued endlessly with the crew, and he shushed them from disturbing his naps by working too loudly. Pretty soon, the pirates were starting to wonder if he was even

worth all the trouble. If he didn't shut up soon, they were liable to throw him overboard and just be done with it. But the real ordeal was just getting started. One evening, the youth appeared on deck in an annoyingly cheerful mood Waving around a roll of parchment, he announced that he was eager to share some poems he'd been working on. The pirates were horrified, but short of cutting his throat and giving up on the ransom altogether, there

was nothing they could do. For the rest of the journey, they were subjected to bad poetry and half finished speeches. If they ever failed to praise their hostage for his writing, he would storm off in a huff, call them illiterate savages, or threatened to have them executed once he was freed. It was enough to make even the most hardened pirate reconsider their life choices. After thirty eight long days, the young man's family finally paid the ransom. The pirates were

all too eager to say goodbye. They dropped him off on dry land and wasted no time in turning around and sailing in the opposite direction. It felt good to be paid, but even better to be free of their hostage. Unfortunately, it wasn't the last time that they would see him. A few weeks later, the pirates were anchored at their hideout when a fleet of Roman warships arrived on their shores.

The navy quickly captured the pirates, who were stunned to learn that this force was led by their former hostage. The young nobleman hadn't been exaggerating when he told the pirates to increase the ransom. While his name wasn't famous yet, Julius Caesar would soon be the most powerful man in the world, even though he was just a student at this point. The future dictates already had enough influence to see his captors thrown in prison. Then, true to his word,

he personally oversaw their crucifixions. It was a humiliating, painful end for the pirates, but after everything they'd been through, it might still have been preferable to another night of bad poetry. I hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour of the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, or learn more about the show by visiting Curiosities podcast dot com. The show was created by me Aaron Mankey

in partnership with how Stuff Works. I make another award winning show called Lore, which is a podcast, book series, and television show, and you can learn all about it over at the Worldolore dot com. And until next time, stay curious.