"ARABIAN NIGHTS"

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 118, 14 November 1929, Page 17

"ARABIAN NIGHTS"

LIFE IN NORTH AFRICA PICTURESQUE TAN6IERS WEIED SIDE SHOWS (Copyright.) .. • In Tangier- the side shows begin about 7 o 'clock in the evening. You walk through the main, thoroughfare up to the top of the hill where the market is situated. The market square is quite open; from it you can see all-the -hills of Tangier and view its teeming life; mosques and hear the calls of the muezzins; you can hear the jangling bell of the Spanish church and the deepened bell of the English church on the next hill. : . The square is set like an amphitheatre or stage. The Arab coffee shops and the suks on two sides are like loges. Down a side street is the wood and charcoal market with" a," stream of native mountain women-coming1 in with their loads of olive roots. Just above on the hillside are row upon row of veiled Mohammedan women, squatting before their wares—little piles of round fiat loaves of newly-baked bread, henna in sugar can sections, strange vegetables and fruits in neat piles, readymeasured and weighed.. The dry goods and shoe groups make gorgeous patches of colour. Bed fezes,- turbans, and burnouses of brilliant colours, water boys trotting along with dripping sacks, donkeys everywhere; each with his little bell and his rider giving a warning "B-r-r!" ' ...""

In the very centre, of, this'teeming scene was a flat cleared space about an acre in area. No less than a dozen large groups or rings of-people were being wooed to join them'by the solemn beat of tom-toms .and the whining of reedy Arabian flutes. Each-had its own beat and its own tune that. thrilled. and haunted the. soul of you with mysterious promise. The wail ..of t"he r clarinets: was like smokywreaths;of vibrant hashish that coiled about -your imagination and drew you on. and on, until you found yourself standing on the inner circle of standees,; looking over the heads of 100 or more squatting natives. . ■ •

This particular show in the great twelve-ring circus happened' to -be the story-teller, one of the most remarkable studies in theatre and dramatic exposition that I have ever witnessed. The whole company was blind! It consisted of an orchestra of three pieces, two small barrel drums beaten with the hands, and a species of violin which the squatting player rests on one knee and holds perpendicularly. The principal actor was a tall, grey-bearded Moor, with a long, sensitive face, that .was lyrical in its expressioriistic power. Light and shadow passed over it' in waves, it gave the impression of radiating spiritual colour, while emotion, wit, and passion, flashed like sunshine, sparkled like a fountain; or flared like flame, according to the story.in hand. The weird music took on the same tone colour and tempo. This chief actor, stood out in'the centre, andfrom time to time revolved so that'all the audience might see his face as" well as hear his voice. ' ; ■•

The entire recital was sung, with the exception of low-spoken asides significantly interpolated by the remaining two members of the company, two tall, handsome fellows seated on. either side of the orchestra. ;. They acted as interlocutors, taking Tines and. cues of characters like that'of~tlie villain'and disturbing forces opposing the hero.

Story-telling does not do justice: to thisshow. It is drama of. the high and pure order. There is no cluttering scenery to hamper poetic minds, but it is supplanted by the. rare imaginings ..of a poetic soul who brings tangible dreams within the experience of fertile imaginations. I never knew the gorgeous' meaning of "Arabian Nights" before; Keluetantly I left that popl of-3000 upturned faces, most of them with untutored minds behind them,' and my guide led me to an even greater gathering that was pure theatre, with 'only the dress elements of drama in it.-This was the Snake Charmer's circle.-: Ho was his own manager as -well as leadnig man. The rest of the • company consisted of two beautiful '■ cobras and two ugly tom-tom players. . Theresas something sinister about them' all, bu fi even in that I had to acknowledge. that was good theatre. : .The snake charmer was .a tall anguV lar Eiff, obvious from the long lock of hair allowed to grow from'one side' of his head and which he .shook loose to add character to the performance; He went round and round inside his ring, a huge green mountain; snake wound round his neck, waving his hands wildly and promising in the name of Allah, at which he always paused and touched his lips and heart, that : ho: would give such a performance as,they had never before .witnessed! Were they interested? A loud 'chorus from: every part of the circle. '"Very well, then, who would be the first to dedicate his sublime efforts by offering a piece of silver? Silence. • Some one holds up a hand with a piece, of copper in it. He takes the copper and spits on the ground. He has been insulted before Allah! He, the greatest "Ser". pent charmer of Morocco of the worW, about to risk his life for a piece of copper.

Ah, a foreign gentleman! . .No-ri-you Moors, look ,and learn something. You will see gold! My guide trans> lates and whispers that I make it a. peseta. I do. There is. a howl of lament. The tambourine- is -held mv; way again. Then guide holds ;up the show by making me-the ■chief^attraction. See this: gentleman?'. They" will never have a greater; privilege; Every, lucky person, present .will -become known, perhaps famous throughout the world—especially- this':.6nake [charmer. The snake charmer demandedrnore money ashis share ;ii: the -pro% ceeds.of my profit., .Everybody mur- | mured approval. Another peseta. Parse strings seemed to -be loosened.. Coppers poured in and the show began.- The tom-toms sobbed. "..... •"■ ;

I was given two skewers to examined The next moment the snake •charmer thrust them. through ■ his -cheeks and there they stayed throughout the ; peFformances. Several other snakesweri shaken out of bags: and came into the ring like charging bulls thai made small boys sitting too far .forward jump up and run." The music got wilder and so did the charmer.' He danced and tore his hair,' especially when one of the snakes sank his fangs into his leg. He grabbed up the seri pent and thrust his grinning face repeatedly into its fangs. Then:ho put it into his mouth and bit it until, it squirmed. He then picked up one of the deadly cobras that had: been, striking at him repeatedly and fairly awed the creature, looking it in the eyes and bringing his face nearer and nearer, until it touched the serpent's head. • ■. : ' . •"

My guide was pulling;at my.-gleeve in a way that made me jump. "Comei Meester, the dancing tribe of mountain boys is beginning." Wo could ~ hear their cymbals. "We passed by the EiS acrobats, the comedy singer coavuls^ ing his audience, the. sorcerer terrify-" ing a woman almost into fits, the Koran, reader holding a revival meeting, his audience swaying and the letter writers, the native barbers "cupping" .their,, customers;, the juggler posing sticks,of bamboo on^is elbow. Every day at seven this* show goesoiu