GABY GLIDES

Southland Times, Issue 20203, 14 June 1927, Page 8

GABY GLIDES

TERPSICHOREAN REVIVAL. MANY RESIDENTS CONSIDERABLY UPSET. If the recent severe frosts following the showers of rain in the early part of the evening have done nothing else they have taught several people that their knowledge of the terpsichorean art has not been dimmed by the passing of years. People who have been in the habit of walking sedately along have found themselves executing a glide that would have turned Gaby Deslys green with envy. The movement is not without grace, the victim, in most cases, favouring the double-actioned splits, though on Sunday evening an elderly gentleman was noticed scooting along on the seat of his nether garments in an endeavour to overtake his legs. While these evolutions are no doubt very amusing to the onlooker, they are far from pleasant to the unwilling victims, of whom there has been a large number. The most serious injury reported is the fracture of two ribs, while a sprained wrist comes next on the list of casualties. On Sunday an early church-goer had the misfortune to slip and land on her nose, which suffered severely in the process. Yesterday a milk-boy came to grief with a large can of cream which made a lake on the pavement and provided an excellent, if chilly, meal for the cats of the neighbourhood. The back yard of a private residence was the scene of yet another downfall, a lady bringing in her coal-scuttle sitting down abruptly, sustaining considerable injury to her dignity. Perhaps the most unfortunate section of the community is that of the local quadrupeds who have twice as many pedal extremities to manage as human beings. It is reported that after trotting briskly for 20 minutes a cab-horse had, on Sunday night, progressed the same number of yards, and it was not until the driver walked ahead of his steed and broke into a dissertation on the Southland climate in general and bitumenised roads in particular that the horse was able to gain a foothold. Apart from the horses, several asses are reported to have fallen down, but the publication of their names has been prohibited. But the small boys! They are in the seventh heaven of delight, as a cautious — very cautious—walk along the North Road will demonstrate.