The Seven Vagabonds (From "Twice Told Tales")

In Short

A young, wandering narrator seeks shelter from a thunderstorm inside a large showman's wagon parked at a New England crossroads. There, he discovers an eclectic group of itinerant figures: a puppet showman, a book peddler, two foreign street performers, a sly fortune-teller, and a Penobscot Indian. Bound for a Methodist camp-meeting in Stamford, they form a joyful band of vagabonds and agree to accept the narrator as their travelling novelist. However, when a passing preacher reveals the camp-meeting has dissolved, their impromptu alliance abruptly scatters to the winds.

The Story

The narrative begins on a summer afternoon at a New England crossroads, where a youthful, rambling narrator faces three choices of travel. A darkening storm forces him to seek shelter inside a large, house-like wagon parked near the guidepost. Inside, he finds a respectable, aged showman who travels with a mechanized box of miniature puppets depicting artisans, soldiers, and dancers. Joined by a smart young book peddler who rents a corner of the wagon as a circulating library, the narrator settles in as rain begins to fall.

Two more wanderers arrive: a handsome young foreigner carrying a mahogany peep-show box and a cheerful girl in bright attire carrying a fiddle. The narrator looks through the peep-show, admiring foreign cities and country scenes while enjoying the girl's lively descriptions. Before long, a lean, gray-eyed mendicant and card-reader joins the shelter. The fortune-teller changes the narrator's bank note for silver and reads his fortune using cards, revealing details of the narrator's past that surprise him.

Finally, a Penobscot Indian armed with a bow and arrow enters to escape the roaring tempest, completing the gathering. Learning that each vagrant is heading toward a great camp-meeting in Stamford to ply their respective trades, the showman suggests they form a traveling confederacy. When the showman inquires about the narrator's vocation, the young man declares his intention to become an itinerant novelist who recites extemporaneous fictions. Though the book peddler expresses slight jealousy, the merry girl speaks up for the narrator, securing his acceptance into the group.

The alliance triggers a outburst of celebration inside the wagon: the showman plays his barrel-organ, the puppets dance, the young pair dance and play the fiddle, the Indian shouts a war-song, and the conjurer looks on with quiet amusement. As the storm clears, the seven vagabonds step out into the brilliant sunshine to begin their procession on foot toward Stamford.

Their unified journey is cut short almost immediately. A thin Methodist preacher riding in the opposite direction informs them that the camp-meeting has already broken up. With their common destination gone, the confederacy instantly dissolves. The fortune-teller heads north alone, the showman and book peddler drive their wagon toward the coast, and the fiddler and dancing girl head east in a burst of music and laughter. Left behind with a pensive shadow on his mind, the narrator links arm with the Penobscot Indian and walks toward the distant city.

How It Unfolds

The voyage begins A young rambler comes to a three-way crossroad and enters a covered wagon to shelter from an approaching rainstorm. Inside, he meets an elderly showman who demonstrates a barrel-organ that brings a box of tiny puppet figures to life.

Books and newcomers A brisk book peddler selling primers, picture books, and pamphlets introduces himself in the wagon's corner. Soon after, a handsome young foreign man with a peep-show box and a merry girl with a fiddle arrive out of the rain.

Cards and wild company A sly, ragged fortune-teller enters, changes the narrator's money, and reads his past and future with a pack of cards. A Penobscot Indian carrying a bow and arrow then joins the group, seeking shelter from the fierce tempest outside.

A pact established Upon discovering that all six vagrants are bound for a camp-meeting in Stamford, the narrator asks to join their troupe as an itinerant novelist. The cheerful girl intervenes on his behalf, and the group celebrates their new confederacy with music, dancing, and shouting.

Dissolution at the crossroad Emerging into the post-storm sunlight, the seven wanderers meet a traveling Methodist preacher who announces that the Stamford camp-meeting has disbanded. The confederation splits apart immediately, sending each vagabond down a separate road.

The People

• The Narrator: A young, romantic wanderer of eighteen who desires a life of wandering adventure. He wants to be admitted into the wandering band as a roving storyteller, and though he secures his place through the girl's favor, he is left pensive when the troupe abruptly disbands.
• The Showman: A grave, respectable old man who resembles a deacon or schoolmaster. He operates a traveling puppet show featuring tiny animated figures and serves as the sensible, unwieldy leader and driver of the wagon.
• The Book Peddler: A smart, talkative young man in green spectacles who rents space in the wagon to sell books. He enjoys displaying his literary knowledge to strangers but briefly resists the narrator's inclusion out of professional jealousy.
• The Merry Damsel: A bright, cheerful girl dressed in vibrant colors who plays the fiddle and narrates the peep-show scenes. She wants joy and laughter wherever she goes, easily convincing the troupe to adopt the narrator.
• The Foreign Gentleman: A tall, athletic young man who carries the peep-show box and plays the fiddle. He accompanies the cheerful girl, speaking carefully modulated English as they travel from festival to festival.
• The Fortune-Teller: A lean, shrewd mendicant in a gray suit who carries a bag of silver and a deck of cards. He delights in petty fraud and reading human nature, taking quiet pleasure in outwitting others.
• The Penobscot Indian: A silent hunter wearing a feather and a silver crucifix, who wanders the country making a living through archery. He accepts the invitation to join the troupe to shoot for coins at Stamford.

In Its Own Voice

"If there be a faculty which I possess more perfectly than most men, it is that of throwing myself mentally into situations foreign to my own, and detecting, with a cheerful eye, the desirable circumstances of each."

The narrator reflects on his adaptable nature while watching the old showman operate the mechanical puppet theater.

"My design, in short, was to imitate the storytellers of whom Oriental travellers have told us, and become an itinerant novelist, reciting my own extemporaneous fictions to such audiences as I could collect."

Stepping into the center of the wagon, the narrator proposes his intended livelihood to the assembled troupe.

"Good people, answered he, the camp-meeting is broke up."

A passing Methodist preacher delivers the single sentence that instantly dissolves the newly formed alliance of wanderers.

What It's Really About

The story explores the tension between freedom and social stability, examining the romantic impulse to escape structured society. Hawthorne uses the temporary sanctuary of the wagon to gather disparate, marginal figures who exist outside the routine of settled town life. The narrative questions whether true community can exist among inherently restless spirits whose lives are defined by constant motion. It also acts as a commentary on the artist's role, positioning the storyteller alongside peddlers, showmen, and tricksters who trade in illusion, entertainment, and spectacle. Ultimately, the sudden dispersal highlights the fleeting, ephemeral nature of human connections formed along the open road.

Why Read It Today

This short piece offers a charming, atmospheric look at early nineteenth-century American roadside culture, capturing the period's traveling shows, camp-meetings, and itinerant trades. Readers who enjoy gentle essays, reflective character sketches, and romantic philosophy will appreciate its warm tone and evocative prose. The story moves at an unhurried pace, focusing on mood, vivid character descriptions, and subtle humor rather than intense dramatic conflict.

The text presents few difficulties, though modern readers should anticipate mid-19th-century sentence structures, period vocabulary, and romanticized portrayals of ethnic figures, particularly the Penobscot Indian and the fortune-teller. What remains compelling is the narrator's infectious yearning for an unconventional, creative life and the sharp realization that spontaneous companionships are often as brief as a summer shower.