70 TEA 



we reach the outskirts of a dense little gathering that 

 has collected in one corner of the market-place. 

 Evidently something of especial interest is going on — • 

 people are craning their necks and watching for an 

 opportunity to slip into a more advantageous standing- 

 place, and all such good places as can be reached by 

 climbing are fully occupied. By the courtesy of the 

 crowd to us as strangers, we are soon standing in the 

 front row of spectators, getting a near view of a novel, 

 theatrical performance. A small square of the ground 

 serves as stage. In the background squats the band. 

 Seated to one side on the foreground is a man, who 

 is the star artist and the sole living actor m the play 

 that is being performed. On the upper shelf of a 

 wooden stand within his arm's reach a large number 

 of puppets have been carefully laid out, whilst higgledy- 

 piggledy on a shelf beneath lie more puppets. The 

 man is filling the role of actor-showman. The puppets 

 are actors in a play that is in course of performance, 

 and each has been " made up " and dressed to take 

 a particular part ; the actor-showman says all their 

 speeches for them. Evidently, a comic part in the 

 dramatic story has just been reached as we pass mto 

 the front rank of the audience, and take our stand on 

 the scalloped border-line of a rough square, that marks 

 the end of the auditorium and the beginning of the 

 stage. We catch a glimpse of a court lady being put 

 on the lower shelf, amongst the motley pile of all sorts 

 and conditions of puppets which have already been 

 through their turn. Then we see the showman select 

 from tlie upper shelf a puppet with a monster head 

 and jovial little face. This jester on a stick, supported 

 by the right hand of the showman, cuts some clever 



