1955-02-23 — Page 4

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THE CHINA MAIL WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1955.

When Dennis Elsenberg left his Johannesburg home for London he promised himself: “I'll try anything once." High on the list of "things I'll try once" was ballet. So when he reached London one of his first calls was to Covent Garden to wa'ch the pick of the world's dancers at work. He decided to "have a RO [ but the youngster who'd hitch- hiked his way across Africa and Europe found that dancing can be, a man-size job. Here he tells the story of that painful discovery.

Ballet For

IE blush on my face

Tesponed as one of the

girls giggled. Surely

is was the worst moment in my life.

"Pleast,"

Baid the

instructor, "Please try

und

follow-please don't invent

Innocents

By Dennis Eisenberg

POCKET CARTOON by OSBERT LANCASTER

A LIMITED SEASON!

French

your wo steps." He ruttled uff string of words.

ሴ

I hadn't the faintest, idea what he was talking about. It had looked so easy, so graceful, at Covent Garden. So simple, that I had cided to try it for myself.

de-

I ignored the scoffs and warn- *TYKS of my friends. And I bought a pair of ballot shoes and

[ was

Now. feeling very ally, the class of young, only male in a aspiring ballerinos, bitterly regretting my brilliant ideu.

The instructor was short and stocky; he looked more Ülke a wregler than my idea of a bullet Loucher. He had rather a squeaky voice. "Now we wel go through that again." Be re- peated a long list of French In- structions.

No Idea

Wish he would talk in English. I thought. All that I could re- member of five years of school

BALLETS

"Zhukov

DE

boy

Zhukov! Wesn't hr that fair

who dance OPPPREC Macd

Toumanova in Lac!”

nearly fell over. "That's better," he sald, but I was feeling a though I had been tom by wild

horses.

"Now, One and two three," he counted.

and

of the right leg. My back kept on bending sa sympathy to case the sudden atralni on, siệch tand, lega. It was supposed to siny Field.

My

hands drooped the wrong way and I kept on con- fusing the third with the fourth

position. The second and was

You casy.

stood the way a soldier stands "at ease. The only complication wes that the toes had to już out sideways.

To add to my confusion, the plaintive wall of Aomeone murdering Bach on a violin wins drifting in from the studio next door, A male volco ฟ

bewing Talian Opera from

Now I understood the purposeful notice at the entrance

to the studios reminding singors to knep their windows closed when rehearsing.

ne

A Brainwave

Streich and bend from fifth in front to 11th behind. Patiently the pianist was Anger- ing scraps of Liszt and Chopin,

we jumped and scroped in thne to the music. I kept my eyes riveted to the feet of the girl in front of me. Nice figure, I thought, all the same. "Con- centrate," I muttered flaresly to myself,

I

I

I Jumped

twirled pirourted-end felt as clumsy The idea was to try and bende an elephant trying to compete while remaining in this ex- with a herd of gazelles. Every tremely awkward position. now and then I would

nearly topple over and had to grab at the bend roll along the wall.

end? Would this never

The minutes ticited by-oh, so slowly suddenly I had a brain- wat would pretend that I

1 managed 1 descent

couple

£

of

cles

cies

Inches. Muscles I never knew existed come to lite. Weird creaks and shoot- ing pains were coming from all and over my body. And my thighs "Garcon." Besides, even if Just try to twist your thighs knew what a "Grend Ballument" right round and then start was, I hadn't the faintest iden of squatting.

French

B

**Mercl" won

VG 40 15.

"Please," he said wearily. "I before to open the told you thighs, point the toes, don't bend the knees, straighten the back.

Now, firs! position."

thele

Obediently, I forced the toes outwards from

natural position, til one pointed to the cast, the other to the west, 1

A

myle or smething. "Coward,"

wave. I

Viag

Il that I had pulled a

I heard someone say.

1

decided to stick it out.

was at an end.

ali

The trouble was that my left leg seemed to be

in the way

I

COLI

over

Inies

IF ONLY THE B.B.C. HADN'T CANCELLED THEIR CANDID INQUIRY

FARITISH HAIL |

"Well, ever disce they heard the B.B.C. were talking of televising the black spots of British Railways.....”

London Express Survios

Thousands have sought the fabulous treasures of El Dorado and have been

been defeated

by mud

THE SACRED LAKE OF

T

43 B

THE

HE felight drew a dull gleam from the breastplate and armoured helm of

over

GILDED MAN

By Kendall McDonald

The Gdert

today his

Men

did exist. tsures

are

p

TREASURE

riches of the stuff that › dreams are made ot.

Further attempts followed to raise the treasure of the Gilded Man-tor it seemed likely that the Spaniards had raiaod no more than a fraction of the toil board. All efforts failed.

"Your hunds," he yelled. had forgotten to

At lest the musle stopped. The the tall bearded Spaniard. droop my

Body He repeated over and "Now hands.

clipa stretch and

ancient people has described the into his barge and throw into the lake his two heaps of gold I stretch,"

and sing stretched

utterly

x-again the on question-- And

ceremony of El Dorado,

One calculation of the trea A solemn proccasion, with and emeralds, stretched and could have sworn hausted and striving desperately "Where is El Dorado?" to yours for the finding if you can

banners flying, assembled on the If to rok dignine. I retired, de- the thing that had been dras a lake and sift the mud

Beofore the Spaniards came ures in the lako at the begin- I heard something map.

at its bottom.

shores of the icke. A spell of this ceremony only he'd go little slower, fealed, to the shower room.

had been going ning of this century...it must be its value at thought.

US 0 the tights for Sajipa, King of the Chibcha

when they guesswork-put for centurice; silence was followed by a great Sajipa, the Chibchas king, died,outery when, in a litter, on

21 120,000,000. pyjemes, but eny one interested Indians, and now revolved in vain. There were some of his, or at one of the surrounding more treasure into the lake for is in the r

Indians dumped the the d

in English company? in buying a pair of virtually

on a spit over the fire. But subjects who were impressed by h, there appeared in the bright anto keeping the white men with the most unromantic nomo new, alzo nine ballet shoes?

the Indian died without the Spaniards' torture methods sunshine a gilded man their were sald to love the yellow

low of Contractors, Lid., was regis- speaking.

and talked. Quesada found that King, who had first been bathed metal. And so through the tered with capital of £80,000 The year of 1530 was drawing he had been camped only a day's in turpentine and then covered clear waters of the lake to the and took over the work of a

march from the lake of untold with powdered

concorm that had to its end and elfcady the lower

soft muddy gold,

bottom some 214 Columblan treasure. belghts of the Andes were copped

Slowly he came down the hill feet beneath sank unfold been formed a few years carlier. But first something of the to the lake....and embarked in with snow. The story of E!

wealth.

They found the lake was 46ft. Dozudo-now

of in legend story of the Gilded Man..

deep at its lowest part and the a beautiful barge. At his fect a city of Pawn the

The "sacred laker of Gunta-

British engineers planned to was a heap of gold and another Spanlard Quesada and nearly vita, hiding place of the incx- of emeralds. Four braziers filed

drain it by means of e tunnel cut This 1,000 men-at-arins and followers haustible treasures of El Dorado, with myrrh and other perfumes THE Spaniards set about

through

the mounength and through matted/jungle and fever les between nine and ten thou- were placed at his side,

T draining the lake. Using cap was to be 1,100ft, in

70H. below the level of the stinking awanip in search of sand feet above sea level on the Standing in the barge in his tive Indian labour they cut huge waters. plunder to the foothills of the summit of a conical mountain, glittering "skin" of gold he was cicits in the surrounding hills. Tho work took three years,

not far from Bogota.

rowed by eight oarsmen to the Finally they lowered the depth because the lake kept refiling, Their numbers had been cut

centre of the lake.

of the lake to a mere 15 feat due to heavy rains and local down by two thirds on that

There the Royal barge was and found 1 great deal of

springs. Finally, all the water journey-by desertion, Indian

mbored, the braziers ignited, and treas

treasure. But the soft sides of tribe attacks, foveay and exhaustion. THE Chibches, a

on the shores the multitude of the take crumbled and collapsed was drained away. Was it just o legend that

NO RAIN Indians now vanished, num- his subjects turned their backs and the lake refited—to a depth them on? It was far bered a million or more at the to the lake, and a dead silence of over 50 feet. The Spaniards PUT the Gilded Man had not substantial a

than time of the Spanish conquests. was broken by a splash as the gave up. that

El porado meent The They were as civilised Rs the King plunged into the water. Gilded Mao--and the Spaniards Incas of Peru and the Aztecs of Immediately the surface of the But the story was carried to had seen some of his treasures Mexico. Twice a year the tribe water began to gliter with gold the Western world and very soon that had Altered through to the made pilgrimage to the lake and die Indies throw their took on the trappings of legend, coast of South America-golden in whoss daphhs, according to golden offerings into the lake. gradually shifting ita nature The King, no longer in gilded until it became symbolic of a ornaments and emeralds "as their religion, lived a goddess. big as a man's palm.”

One of the descendants of these splendour, broko surface, climbed golden city, a dream of gold,

Miniature

Masterpieces

for Milady..

ROLEX

Superbly elegant, Preciga

Role

Andes.

drove

more

PILGRIMAGE

of

Nathaniel Gubbins

tion.

curse,

Of shining hair and gunited The moilt bright

glance, the

Drelied only on water to guard his treasures. The London syn dicate waiting Jubilantly for news of great riches they in- cluded a former M.P. for East Instead told of mud. Norfolk, Mr R. J. Price were

Mud, mud, and more mud-

od

solid mud to a depth 30,000,000 cuble So £1,000,000,000 at stake,

AWA

cubic feet in all.

what was a Hille mudi? The ospital of Centrectors was in- dieared to £35,000 and the

and the work went ahead) "now dam was HEN the people of honest Australian doctor's par- Since then his dreams have Oh, not joi meitho parsing built did a cleansing

charm been haunted by visions of Eng-

structed to separate the our town see " Then Len Hutton strained his lish cricketers popping in and

from the mud. All that was bulky egg head leg. The atmosphere in the Ser out of hospital, being dragged arn

wanted now was some more of with a worried look Nest was terrible, A whole from their beds to play with

the heavy rains which had held slapping one flat foot before evening was spent In sllosco thermometers in their mouths,

....sudden' smile

up the previous work and the muttered and villainous Australian doc-

That other, mortal men be- mud would be washed away the other down the High broken only by a

Then Hutton got better tors disguised as umpires giving

Aquile.

from the riches of centuries. Street they ask themselves and the Sea Nest rang with English batsmen chloroform as What brighter diance than the rains never camo. what's poor old Uncle Nat merry laughter once more. they totter to the crease in their

Depression set in the next pyjamas, bothering about now?

day. When the Plucky Little

anybody So the next time Is he windy about the one again?" she was told worried frown they can be us

asked,

"Has Bodser got sees the bulky egg, head's international situation? Has

"No. But, Trevor Balley asured he is not bothered about he had another consignment down with gastele 'flu."

trilling matters like the end of of literature from the Obviously the first Test was civilisation because he doubts if

lost with our only all-rounder it ever began. British Israelites warning

out of

game. Bedser He will only be wondering him that the End is Near? wouldn't be at his best. Hutton's which English cricketer is going Has his one wild gamble on leg would let him down. They down with shingles or gastric the Stock Exchange dropped migtit as well come home. Then du net.

another 11⁄2d?

shingles

Albert the Poet

Bailey got better. Hooray. We

chance. Does he therefore

sco ruintill had a

When Ray Lindwall took to staring him in the face? Hds his bod with a high tempers- he decided ence more to be ture his uncle tried not to look come a tectotaller, non-smoker, pleased. But he thought this vegetarian? Does he hate the was making the game a bit INSPIRED by a report in the prospect of total abstinenoo? la more - oven though he hoped

Apapers of an electronic brain in Manchester that can write the robot

ha butikling with him conscience? Lindwall wasn't suffering” loo

dreading Is ha

Christmas much gaiety? Has he bangover? But soon afterwards Graveney postry, Albert,

asked if he could Do his flat feet hurt?

woot, down with gastrie du. A cohmINIS, The answer is that he is soon as he got up McCannon write poem to Mildred, the worrying about cricket, his only was hit in the stomach folding female robot working for the

We left in a ridiculous at short log. He went into a American Navy.

I said: "Won't a love binding pursing home. Then Balley split bo, was in the his finger." The first Test was

October ho

depths of despair, because Alec lost agaid. Balley recovered. The spa

VIANDEMA

Bedaer hnd shingles. He read first. Test was won agains overy Hne about Bedsor's ill- › Ono evening when he atmo-

was sphere in the

was nem. As the recovery

the bear with gloom

Australian doctor in attendance, what's happened

accurate

of-breaking the Oath of Hippo»/ 'cratie by ismering Alo) OLE

letter

mid:" "She didn't answer the last one

I wald; "Knowing you, it te possible that she was shocked.” Be" said "Hab, beh, heh, lowing

He then

Hoes in aboli

PMT Mildred

#3

yours, Mildred,

fey ..., finds_WOTO madam Electric eyes in metal heddy enough to our lad engineers to What mortal hair could shide greater effor!! In 1908 the cdm-

bright

pony',cipital was raised once As polished ice beneath the more to £40,000. And It rained

Higher

overywhere except where it would was into the lake.

ABANDONED

My

lovely alldred, factory

Away,

Tranh

flesh

away with· 'human'

That withers like the fading

rose. Give me of robot or that

FORE,

Cipe the a girl with himmlig I wirel Who ages not and never tires. I said: "Careful, Albert" Who never tires of telling me, Albert, Albert, I love theo, Oh, Mildred, how I long to

"feat

Your loving arms of hardened

And long to hear your from

feet

|

AT.

a breastplate of beaten gold otheby's about that time from the lase raced £80. weighed obalt eight ounces. A aneke was muctioned there, gõid.

for £15 The date of s goddess railed R81 But the company was spending more and more money. And then cara gnother blow. The mad sot hard,

For more than two and a hall years' no drop of rain had fallen.

The The mud became like rock," engʼavarra drilled shafts here and there, Some canaments of gold and grocious stones were found, Their value was about" 23,000.

street,

andbo

Abandon Mildred, dear, I love yoy true, predios met on Jul 11, 1011 And every nut vand hole, VAR Bhorky

Elafterwards trine” the. wars. The inke nawią įrealled And as I never loga bị hãlors The gold, that is mom cert

love, your rivets, dereus, caure camii kawit fr and volver

hard onging in

As we go 'claniding down the inally, in 1910pm* Company,

will do, Albert."