The Red Cloud chief., 1880-06-17
ORIENTAL

1870
and turbaned heads, though seldom
showing a woman or child 10 vary the
monotony, look odd enough to unac-
customed eyes. Still more strange
seem the huge gates that lead 10 private
dwellings; for the gates are always
closed, and the houses, with their high,
narrow windows, appear 10 have been
Euilt backwards, facing inward on a
court, instead Of toward the street.
These courts are adorned with bright,
tropical flowers and cool fountains, and
they form the usual lOunging-places Of
households, where indolent nabobs re-
tire from the noise and dust Of the outer
world TO enjoy, in the society of the
family, the quiet and repose in which
o%ricntals so especially delight. The
father is generally too digniiicd or too
Iistless TO care for amusements; but his
lively wives and children indulge in
various exciting pastirncs. Music and
dancing, fencing, leaping and other
feats of agility, and, above all, jnggler-
les, serve to entertain the secluded
household; and actors in all these sports
can be readily obtained by calling in
one of the bands of travelling jueglcrs
mel at every turn in the large cities Of
the East. For there is never a wedding
nor a funeral, a feast nor a fast, the
conservation of a priest nor the crown
ing of a king, where these "magicians,"
as they call themselves, are not found.
Even on the public thoroughfarcs, they
will sit and wait for an audience, drOn-
ing their peculiar music, or throwing
Out something 10 attract attention.
Scarcely can n pass without stopping
TO notice weird faces and fantastic
decorations: and, as one trick follows
another, each more wonderful than the
last, every pedestrian becomes a patron,
helping Ia till the pockets Of these dcx-
ferrous knayes. They are believed by
their countrymcn TO possess super
natural powers, to act under the influ-
ence of evil spirits, and TO be able, by IA
mere glance of the eye, To make well
people sick and sick people well with
out so much rs touching them. OF
course, you know that this is not really
true of them, and that their marvellous
performances are only seeming. not
real. miracles; but the exhibitions of
their art are strangely fascinating, new
crtheless.
On one occasion, quite a famous band
of Indian jugglers was in attendance AT
Il great national festival; and, for their
use, beautifully decorated booths and
tents had been erected, and supplied
with tanks of water for the numerous
ceremonial additions for whichthe Hin
docs are famous. Before eating. before
sleeping, before praying, as an ''opcn
Sesame" alike TO palace, theater and
temple, as part and parcel of their re-
ligion, their business and their pleas
ures, come always and everywhere the
inevitable bath and shaving of the head.
And these jugglers, n could see at a
glance, came always To the arena fresh
from their additions and robed in snow
white muslin.
The first trick at the festival / have
mentioned was known as the bamboo.
trick" and, though repeated several
times, the audience did not seem to
weary of it. Amid the beating of tom
toms and the music of many instru-
mcnts, the jugglers smoothed "a place
on the hard, dry sand of the arena.
We were invited To examine the
ground. but we could find nothing like
an opening, o yer that the soil had
been recently dug up, nor did we dis
II concealed apparatus of any
sort. Presently, a large basket of
coarse wicker-work was laid down and
carelcsslv covered with a little square
of gauze flannel. Both basket and flan-
mel were passed around. SO hat all who
chose might satisfy themselves that
these articles were quite empty; while
in the single waist-cloth and transpar-
cnt muslin jacket, of which the dress
of each actor vas composed, no large
article could have been concealed.
Yet, five minutes later, when the bas-
ket was lifted. there appeared growing
in the hard, sandy bed a flourishing
bamboo plant, more than a foot in
height! When the basket had been
raised the second time, the tree was
three feet high, and in twenty minutes
more our wondering ewes beheld a live
t~welve-foot bamboo clothed with verdi
IRE. while from its top blossoms and
fruit budded u luXuriantly, One of
the conjurers then drew from his mouth
some twenty yards of strong silk cord.
which he adroitly knotted, and attached
TO half a dozen hooks that had been
drawn from the same roomy place. By
the aid of these lie gathered the bam-
boo fruit, and then, without n C hav-
ing left the arena, he passed it around
to be handled and tasted by all who
wished.
Another of the %conjurers took from a
tiny bag a single handful of paddy,
which is rice with the husk still on.
He first lightened the soil of about two
square feet of the floor with a two
pronged fork, and scattered on it the
handful of paddy; then pouring on it a
cup of water, he said:
Now you will please to wait until
my crop grows, and see whether 1 am
not the best farmer You know"
He turned a basket over his little
plantation, and sang a simple air, so
sweet and plaintive that we were not
surprised when a bird seemed to an
swer his call. He lifted the basket,
and sure enough, there were the rice
plants, grown six inches high IN as
many minutes, and in their midsta nest
of real live rice-birds, and mother and
four nestlings, The old bird huttereu
and tapped her wings, as if fright
ened, then cooed softlyto herlittle zones,
and folded overthem her downy wings.
Meanwhile the basket had been lying side
ways ON the floor where the juggler had
thrown it a few minutes before. Now
he picked it up without leaving his
seat, and carelessly replaced it over
the rice-plants and birds. Yetthe next
time this mysterious basket was raised
nothing was to be seen but a pair of
deadly sun-snakes, writing and twist
ing themselves as if in a frenzy at hav-
ing been pinned in such close quarters.
They darted their forked tongues and
snapped their fiery eyes at one and an
other of the spectators nearest them,
to the small terror of all. But the con.
jurer had only to wave a tiny silver
wand, and, in a droning, caressing
voice. to speak to the serpents. when
they sprang into his arms, one %coiling
Itself about his neck, the other kissing
his very lips and the tip of his tongue,
and then hiding its hideous form in his
bosom.