Adventure Magazine Cover — page 201: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Adventure SBOOKS ‘YOU (AN “BELIEVE Verdicts by Experts on the Authenticity of Current Non-Fiction (GOODS and Commodities Tested by Our Experts OLD SONGS “HAT eACEN SFLAVE SUNG Collecting and Discussing Old Songs still Living among the People into what the Siamese variety would be like, for they are very similar. The trouble again is, where would you get hold of the book? There is a very concise and well-illustrated brochure on Burmese theatricals entitled ‘““The Burmese Pwe” by Mrs. Chan Tun, published by—alas—Thacker, Spink & Co. of Calcutta. Only goodness knows where a copy might be found in this country. I can, however, tell you something about gesture, and I enclose a photograph of a pair of Me-Kong dancers which will show you the costume they wear. As you will see from the restricted skirt, the dance must perforce consist of mere shufflings of the feet accompanied ty rhythmic—and often very graceful —undulations of the body and arms. A peculiarity which is immediately noticeable and characteristic is the position of the fingers which are held at all times turned upward as much as possible. I don’t mean turned up to heaven; but turned the opposite way to the normal bend of the knuckles. This is considered very classy and beautiful, and dancing girls spend long hours pressing their fingers against their knees to the point almost of dislocation in order to induce the desired back curve. The gestures are in turn accompanied by long-winded lyrics in a rising and falling sing-song of not un- pleasing tone. Perhaps a diagram will convey some sort of idea. The rhythm adheres strictly to the tempo of the dance. The story is the universal one of the peasant maiden who knocks the hand- some prince coocoo with a single look between the eyes. gre-et shall I my prince How day? Shall I paint my face -kha? -na -low with ta yel a jas- -ry mine shall I car bloom? Or But you want to keep away from the sickly sentimental. Good. You can turn to war, of 199 COMICLOO S CO