Mynheer Willem van Dirck, a goldsmith in 16th Century Brussels, is driven into a fury when his daughter dies giving birth to a boy with dwarfism. The boy, Hugo, is shunned by both his father and grandfather; both refuse to care for him. His struggling great-aunt loses track of him when he is a baby.
Hugo is swept through the country as a troupe of players' spectacle on par with the dancing bear before he passes into the care of a Bishop. In the monastery, he grows up studying medicine and the Church's doctrines. His knowledge gains him entry to King Phillip's court; as a man of the King, he discovers his roots and leaves his abusive family behind forever.
Hugo eventually becomes the Spanish court's respected jester and dies well-regarded by those around him.
Warning: Please be aware that this work may contain words, terms or descriptions which may be culturally sensitive and are considered inappropriate today, but which reflect the period in which it was written.
Writing Disability in Australia:
| Type of disability | Dwarfism. |
| Type of character | Primary. |
| Point of view | Third person. |
