The Opelousas courier., 1905-07-08
|oANCE OF The CbRABAOS.
4 LAUGHMAkING DIVERSION OF
THE FlLIPlNOS.
She Awkward Animals Taught to
Sing and Dance-The L.udicrous
Performance Made Funnier by the
Effects on the Carabaos Of Barley
Soaked In Alcohol.

Effects on the Carabaos Of Barley
Soaked In Alcohol.
The carabao of the Philippines Is
domesticated and serves the purpose
of OK, horse and cow. 1t Is very gen
tie and Is very 0btdient to aH the
commands of its master when IL cal
understand and obey them: Inougl
awkward, 1t can even be taught te
dance.
When it is young it's Indian owner
trans ii in somewhat the following
manner: He begins to play Hh 4 feet
flute. and with a small switch gives
the Cardiac light raps on it's hind legs
as a hint that they must be raised
one at a time. thus tie tJntin'te+ IN,
til l., learns to move its legs quickly
when it hears the music of it's master
Then it is taught to raise both Its
hind legs at once. and also the same
movement with it's front legs. AS d
leaping dog. AfterWard 1t Is taught
to stand Upon it's hind legs, holding
it's front legs raised, and in such
fashion make hops around a circle In
Dictated by it's master:
When it knows perfectly these ex-
ercises the Indian teaches it to dance
to the sound of the flute. The mother
has usually received similar instruc'
ton In her youth. and is present on
these occasions. 1t seems as if she
delights in seeing her son making
progress in it's education. III proof uf
this opinion, many times she gives
samples of her own ability to dance
before the eyes of her son as it to
demonstrate how exceedingly easy a
thing it is to do when once you KNOW
how. -
When the calf has learned all these
movements the Indian teaches it the
last, which is very difficult: This is
jumping forward and back: Raising
itself On its hind legs, it leaps for
ward. Then, bracing itself on its
front legs, it makes a leap backward.
Thus it executes a movement forward
and back. almost as If it were entirely
in the ali.
Next begins the vocal culture This
is the most difficult of all. The poor
animal does not know what its master
requires Ct II, and the Indian. in order
to make it comprehend, plays on it's
reed flute and at the same time prlcks
the calf on it's Joins with a rod tipped
with a steel filed to a fine sharp point.
This process of instruction Is neces-
sarily painful tosthe pupil, and must
not be carried out in the presence of
its mother, because She would be apt,
in defence of her calf and in ansWer
to it's cries of pain, to kill her master.
The little animal, on feeling the
pain, naturally bleats and baas. The
Indian continues the operation, and
by dint of repetition the calf appre-
hends at length that in order to
escape the pricks of the steel it must
sing at the sound of the flute.
So effective is this mode Of train
ing that ever afterward when it hears
lue pllO HiuSlC IL Dddb uSopSl olCly IN
for a long time without ceasing.
These exercises being mastered, it's
education in both dancing and singing
is completed. In other words, it has
received a liberal education.
Thereafter when the master begins
playing his flute the mother and calf
dance andante or allegro according to
the time of the music, and they sing,
as it may by courtesy be termed, to-
gether in duet.
If one wishes to laugh until ex-
hausted, laugh to split his sides, ne
should attend an Indian festival and
enjoy the singular event of the dance
and singing of the carabaos to the
sound of the pitO.
When the Indians wish to divert
themselves with this particular song
and dance they begin by feeding the
carabao early in the morning with
barley soaked overnight in alcohol.
This meal, which the carabaos enjoy
greatly, is heating, and reduces in
them a condition of and
extraordinary liveliness. If the truth
Of the matter must be told, the fact
is that under the influence of the alco-
hol the7 get a little gay.
When preparing for this exhibition
the Indians gather in some plaza or
where there is room for a large cir
Gle in the open air.
They eat and drink to repletion and
to intoxication. When the
feasting is concluded each owner
brings into the circle the carabaos
which he has brought with him for
the occasion, large and small. The
Indians then take out their pitos of
cane and begin the music.
When the carabaos hear the pito
they begin to dance and to sing, fol.
in chorus the playing of the
Indians. In the same degree that the
Indians play their pitos more quickly
the carabaos become more and more
animated, but when the players begin
q quick gallop the carabaos below
filling the air with the thun-
dering noise of their united below
ings.
They dance desperately, as though
the large and small carabaos
all mingled together in a confused
herd. They leap from n side to an
other in concert, giving each other
powerful outings with the head, but
without wounding one another. They
-un with their front legs raised high