| A series of delicious Christmas coincidences began in | | | | Many years passed. Emile Deschamps was attending |
| the year 1800 in Orleans, France. The famous | | | | a dinner party one evening where plum pudding would |
| Romantic poet, Emile Deschamps, was attending | | | | be the featured dessert, and joked to the guests, |
| boarding school when a Frenchman recently returned | | | | "Then I know M. de Fortgibu will be there." He regaled |
| from England, M. de Fortgibu, introduced him to an | | | | the party with the tale of his previous two experiences |
| English taste treat unknown in France at that time -- | | | | with plum pudding. The meal wended towards its |
| plum pudding. Deschamps was delighted. | | | | conclusion, the dessert was brought forth, and the |
| Ten years later Deschamps was passing by a | | | | guests began to tease Deschamps about his missing |
| restaurant on Boulevard Poissoniere when he spied a | | | | acquaintance when the butler opened the door to the |
| beautiful plum pudding in the window. Remembering the | | | | dining room. "M. de Fortgibu," he announced. |
| wonderful dessert from before, he immediately went in | | | | Deschamps' hair stood on end as in tottered his friend, |
| and asked for a slice. Regrettably, the hostess | | | | now very old, looking blankly around the table. It turned |
| informed him that another customer had just ordered | | | | out that the venerable colonel had been invited to |
| the entire pudding. Seeing Deschamps' look of | | | | another dinner party, in the same building, and had |
| disappointment, she went over to an elderly man in a | | | | accidentally knocked on the wrong door. Deschamps |
| colonel's uniform at another table and said, "M. de | | | | exclaimed, "Three times in my life have I eaten plum |
| Fortgibu, would you have the goodness to share your | | | | pudding, and three times have I seen M. de Fortgibu! A |
| plum pudding with this gentleman?" The two Orleans | | | | fourth time I should feel capable of anything... or |
| friends became pleasurably reacquainted as they | | | | capable of nothing!" |
| again shared their holiday treat. | | | | "The proof of the pudding is in the eating. |