The game of Cricket is the national pastime of Pakistan and other former British colonies. But according to a New York Times article datelined Beijing, the Chinese have turned it into a blood sport whose origin extends back more than 1000 years nurtured by the Tang Dynasty. That is, they are training field crickets to become fighters and these cricket fights can command bets as high as $1600 by a cricket owner. A really formidable fighter can be worth more than a horse. Legend suggests they were first domesticated by Imperial concubines who kept trilling crickets at their bedside to stave off loneliness. One effective fighting move is "creep like a tiger, fight like a snake." There is one province where the soil and climate seem to produce a particularly fiery breed - and the loudest chirpers are usually the fiercest. They are pampered with their diets and a bit of chili pepper will make them especially ferocious. But as our British friends might say "It's not cricket" - but this article was printed on a slow news day.
tjs
Next - Veterans Day
No comments:
Post a Comment