Birdie's Morning Song [pp. 627-628]

1871.] BIRDIE'S 2J~LOBNINa SONU. 627
General von Gagern could not repress a smile, so violent a scene took
place in consequence that he was finally obliged to make a formal
apology.
In consequence of the personal commission of the government,
the present Resident of Sumadang takes a special interest in procuring
intelligence from elsewhere with regard to this species of spiritism,
and fromn the Regent of Sukapure, in the southern portion of the regency, he learned directly that, during the lifetime of his father, a
very similar case occurred, in which he himself was personally cbncerned. Some few miles from Sukapure there lived, at that time, a
family named Tesseire. M. Tesseire, a native of France, was overseer of an indigo-factory at that place, belonging to the government.
Although at that time (this was in 1834) the culture of indigo was
regarded as a heavy burden by the natives, and the government was
ultimately obliged to give it up as impracticable in that region, yet
all accounts unite in saying that M. Tesseire and his family were
beloved by the inhabitants, and looked upon as good and friendly
people.
As this family was one day at dinner, suddenly there fell several
large stones in the middle of the table; and from that moment this
was repeated regularly and almost uninterruptedly for a fortnightsometimes in one, sometimes in another, apartment of the house.
Several times M. Tesseire himself, while in the open field, riding on a
buffalo-car, was pelted with earth and buffalo-dung. At another time,
buffalo-bones fell into the room, and once even an entire skull.
These objects always fell in a perpendicular direction from above,
and, exactly as in Sumadang, became visible at the height of five or
six feet from the floor. No injury was done to the inhabitants of the
house. The Regent of Sukapure, a friend of M. Tesseire, immediately
hastened to him, and one of the chambers of the house was prepared,
as usual, for his reception. Hardly, however, had he retired to bedas his son, the young regent, declares-when, before the eyes of the
latter, the bed was first shaken, and then lifted from the ground several times. A light was burning in the room at the time, and several
persons belonging to his suite were present. The regent sprung
alarmed from his couch, and immediately left the house.
The building itself stood on the high and almost perpendicular
banks of the Tjitandoog, a mountain-torrent, which foamed and boiled
a hundred and fifty feet beneath. The regent declared that several
times they had marked one of the stones that fell with a line or cross
of white-betel lime, and had then thrown it into the stream below, and
that the same stone, wet, and with the same mark, had always reappeared, and often scarcely a minute after it had been cast into the
waters so far beneath.
The manifestation here, as in Sumadang, was entirely harmless,
but continued a much longer time. The resident Ament testified to
having been also an eye-witness of similar scenes.
When inspector of the coffee-culture, he was on a journey through
the Preanger Regency, and, while in Bandong, he heard of one species
of gendarda that had appeared in a little house occupied by an old
Sundanese woman, which stood behind the dwelling of the Assistantresident of Bandong. The name of this assistant-resident was Nagel.
It was agreed between Ament and Nagel, together with the Regent
of Bandong (the native prince), to search out the case to the bottom.
They took with them the native militia, and invested the house, as
had been done in Sumadang. It had, like all the native houses, only
a single dwelling-room. The old woman walked in first, immediately
behind her the resident Ament, then the assistant-resident, and the
regent with his suite. A narrow path led up to the door.
No sooner had the old woman stepped over the threshold than she
was seized by the feet, and by an invisible hand dra.t,ed forward several steps, screaming loudly for help. The house was, as already said,
entirely surrounded by the soldiery; the room, like all such little bamboo-houses, was without a ceiling, and open to the roof, under which
a linen awning was stretched. The inspector Ament entered next, but
had scarcely passed the door when a handful of coarse sand was
thrown with great force against his breast. M. Ament, a very intrepid
man, has since told me that nothing would have given him greater
satisfaction than to make the experiment again, but that he has never
had another opportunity. Here, also, the most exact and exhaustive
investigations led to no results.
Within the last twenty-five years, the gendarda has become more
rare; indeed, it has wholly ceased to appear, or perhaps is concealed I
by the natives through an apprehension of ridicule. But about twelve
years ago there appeared something of a similar nature, also in Bandong, and the assistant-resident Vissher van Gaasbees went instantly
to the house, but saw no manifestations.
With the more liberal, and even in some measure cultivated, regents and smaller chiefs of the country, one can converse calmly upon
these mysterious appearances. They confess that they believe firmly
in the reality of them, but say that they are not able to explain them.
The really highly-intelligent Regent of Tjamis has even said: "I be —
lieve that there are families in which the power of rendering themselves invisible is hereditary, and that it is in consequence of the
gradual extinction of these families that the visitations of the genda.
rna are less frequent at the present day than heretofore."
Such is the account given by credible witnesses, who, it cannot be
doubted, are fully convinced of the truth of what they affirm. It
must always be an interesting subject, but in what degree it is to be
attributed to self-deception on the part of those concerned is left to
the judgment of the reader.
BIRDIE'S MORNING SONG.
I.
W AKE up, little darling, the birdies are out,
And here you are still in your nest!
The laziest birdie is hopping about,
You ought to be up with the rest:
Wake up, little darling, wake up!
II.
Why, here I've been singing an hour or more
The sweetest that ever I knew;
The gold of the morning peeps in at the door,
I know it is looking for you:
Wake up, little darling,, wake up!
III.
I've hopped all about on your pillow, in vain;
I've bathed in the deeps of my cup;
I've played in your tresses, again and again You're wonderful hard to wake up:
Wake up, little darling, wake up!
IV.
Oh, see what you miss when you slumber so long The dew-drops and beautiful sky!
I couldn't sing half what you lose in my song;
And yet, not a word in reply?
Wake up, little darling, wake up!
v.
The leaves and the grasses are twinkling in glee;
The brook and the sweet baby-rill
Are calling a welcome to you and to me,
And here you are slumbering still:
Wake up, little darling, wake up!
VI.
I've sung myself quite out of patience with you,
While mother bends o'er your dear head;
Now birdie has done all that birdie can do,
Her kisses will wake you instead!
Wake up, little darling, wake up!
I
BI-RD IE'S MOORANINVG 8ONG.
1871]1
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