Chatterbox, 1906 Part 35

PUZZLERS FOR WISE HEADS.

5.--ARITHMOREM.

Subst.i.tute Roman figures for the Arabic numerals, and transpose the letters. The initials will give a woman's name.

1.-- 300. A T S R A U A.

2.-- 560. R E A N E A.

3.-- 100. B E G R R N O A O.

4.-- 50. Y 0 E N.

5.--1050. R T A I E.

6.-- 500. A N I I.

7.--1500. N N Y R O A.

8.--2000. E T E.

1. An early British prince.

2. A very great king.

3. An inventor in the middle ages.

4. A small town in Buckinghamshire.

5. An English bishop who suffered martyrdom.

6. An extensive region of Southern Asia.

7. An ancient province of France.

8. A small insect

C. J. B.

[_Answer on page 147._]

ANSWER TO PUZZLE ON PAGE 75.

4.--Quick-lime.

THE DEAD WATCH.

In the eighteenth century, when watches were less common in country districts than they are now, a Highland soldier gained one as part of his share in some plunder after a great battle. The watch was going well and ticking merrily when he received it; but naturally, at the end of a day or so it ran down and stopped, because he knew nothing of how to wind it.

The man had never seen a watch before, much less possessed one, and he was greatly alarmed at this sudden silence. But he determined to do as well as he could with the treasure that had fallen to his share, and so offered it to a comrade in exchange for some really far less valuable article of jewellery. His friend, not being so ignorant, was curious to know why he parted with it so cheaply.

'Why,' said the other, with a proud look, as though he had got the better of the bargain, 'why do I want to get rid of it? Because it died last night!'

LYING AWAKE AT NIGHT.

'Good morning Mr. Sun!' Jack said, As by the blind he stood; 'All night I lay awake in bed And thought you'd gone for good.

The white moon kept me company From ten o'clock till two: Then in the darkest hour of night, Behind the hill she slipped from sight To go and look for you.

'I thought and thought of lots of things As in my bed I lay; The whole long list of English kings From Alfred till to-day.

I thought of bats and bicycles, Of stilts, and tops that hum, Then turning to the window-pane, I thought of _you_, and sighed again: "Whenever _will_ he come!"

'The house was still as still could be, But on the stair-case near, The big clock seemed to talk to me In whispers hard to hear.

"He's coming! Tick! He's coming soon!"

I thought I heard it say: "Look, look toward the window-blind,-- Tick-tock, tick-tock--and you shall find The darkness growing grey."

'But as it spoke, a gurgle low Towards me seemed to float, As though the poor old clock, you know, Had something in its throat.

And then it chuckled: "All is right,"

And loudly chimed with glee: "Oh, what's the time? Oh, tell me, _do_!"

I cried, and counted one and two, And then I counted three.

'But after that I fell asleep,-- At least, I think I did,-- For soon the sun began to peep Beneath a sleepy lid.

Then bright and brighter grew the ray, And o'er my bedroom cast A glow that chased the gloom away From every corner where it lay, And morn had come at last.'

THE MUSIC OF THE NATIONS.

IV.--THE JURUPARIS OF SOUTH AMERICA, THE MEXICAN WHISTLE, AND THE CHINESE HINEN.

Of all the so-called musical instruments of the world, that known as the Juruparis, used by the Indians of the Rio Negro, seems to involve most misery to humanity in general. To women and girls the very sight of it means death in some form or other, usually by poison, and boys are strictly forbidden to see it until grown to manhood, and then only after a most severe preliminary course of fasting.

The Juruparis is kept concealed in the bed of some stream far away in the gloomy forest, and wherever that river may wander, or however brightly its waters may sparkle in the sunny glades, no mortal who values his life may cool his parching lips with its freshness, or bathe his aching limbs in its clear depths. Only for solemn festivals is the Juruparis brought out by night and blown outside the place of meeting, and it is restored to its forest home immediately afterwards.

The word Juruparis means 'demon,' and it is supposed that its mysteries date back to some pre-historic Indian tradition, as various tribes inhabiting the vast forests round the Amazon district practise weird ceremonies in honour of the demons.

[Ill.u.s.tration: The Juruparis in casing.]

In form the Juruparis is a slender tube from four to five feet long, made from strips of palm wood. Close to the mouth is an oblong hole, and when the instrument is to be used a piece of curved Uaruma or Arrowroot wood is inserted into the opening, which is then nearly closed with wet clay.

When not in use, the Juruparis is wrapped in a great-coat made of strips of the tough bark of the Jebaru-tree, which are wound round and round the sacred instrument and held in place by a rough framework of wood. In the museum at Kew Gardens a Juruparis in its outer casing may be seen.

In ancient days the Indians of the American continent seem to have been more clever at making musical instruments than of recent years.

The Aztecs held pipes and flutes in great respect, and they were played at all religious ceremonies. At the great yearly festival of Tezcatlepoca, who was always represented as a handsome youth, a young man was sacrificed to the G.o.d, and a chief condition of the selection was that the selected person should be a really fine flute-player, presumably so that he might amuse Tezcatlepoca in another world. As the victim ascended the high mound on which the sacrificial altar stood, facing the rising sun, it was his duty to break a flute on every step.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Mexican Whistle.]

The whistle shown in the ill.u.s.tration is made of burnt clay and painted.

Instruments were shaped like all kinds of grotesque animals, birds, fish, and so on. Some have finger-holes, enabling the pitch to be altered and give different tones, others have a little ball of clay set loosely in a hollow place, so that when the air is set in motion a shrill whistling sound is emitted.