any Barons

aron Von Lodge was the head of a small country known as Lilliland near Switzerland. The time was the early 1900s.

The Baron and his fiancée, Lady Angela of Alpine Castle, had been together since childhood. Their families knew each other quite well. Professor Hamblin, the Baron’s chief advisor, thought of them as an ideal couple.

One day while shopping with a friend, Lady Angela saw the Baron holding hands with another very attractive woman. A few days later Professor Hamblin thought he saw the Baron in a restaurant with another unknown woman. Soon the Baron had been seen all over Lilliland with people and at places that he did not usually frequent.

Lady Angela mentioned seeing the Baron with a woman on a certain day at a certain time and place. Professor Hamblin said that he was at a meeting with the Baron at that exact time in the castle office.

They both concluded that there was someone walking around town who looked just like the Baron and dressed just like the Baron.

When the real Baron found out about this he asked, “How many Barons were there walking around looking like me?” Professor Hamblin guessed about six. The Baron immediately asked the Professor to investigate.

The Professor saw signs asking people who were of the same size, build and age of the Baron to sign up and be paid to attend a meeting. At the meeting pictures of the real Baron were given out. At a later meeting the people were told how to dress and act like the Baron. The third meeting all the look-alike people were hypnotized into believing that each was the real Baron. They were carefully instructed not to take anything or sign the Baron’s name to any financial document or anything dishonest to avoid arrest.

The person who put up the posters was a professional actor who also resembled the Baron. The purpose of this charade was to upset the people of Lilliland and bring down the government. If the people lost faith and trust in the Baron, the monarchy would fall.

Professor Hamblin’s investigation also discovered that this man did the same thing in other small countries and was bought off. The Baron had him arrested and sent to one of the countries where he was wanted for illegal activities.

After this matter was resolved the Baron said to Lady Angela that maybe he was too common looking. “Maybe I should grow a beard or mustache, or something.” Lady Angela told said, “No, because I like you just the way you are, my dear.”