WINTER  SPORTS

( Extracted from Le Journal By P.Woltt . Translated from French By S.K.Sengupta . )

“ The snow is good this morning , ” said I to the porter .

“ Tomorrow it will be better , monsieur . ”

A kid questioned me , “ Why monsieur does not go for sleighing ? It”s interesting too , sleighing ….. it’s for the children and the

old . ”

“ Are you sure it’s for the old ? ”

“ Oh yes , monsieur ! Grandpa does it every morning . ”

That reassured me .

“ And how does one take to it ? ”

“ That’s easy , monsieur . One sits on it and it moves all alone . ”

“ A guide is not necessary ? ”

He burst out in laughter , “ Oh no , monsieur ! ”

I was at last going to enjoy the winter sports . I bought a sleigh for me . A mild slope tempted me ….. , however I should have known that after the first turn …….

That delighted me . I installed myself on my sleigh . One was indeed well on this sleigh , but one missed a back .

“ Too bad , let’s go ! ”

Lord ! Help ! I run at 60 per hour . The speed augments . I go

mad ! A shock …..a shower of snow ….. I’m buried !

“ Mumma ! ”

One calls always one’s mother when one is old . I see blood everywhere …..

I feel myself ….. nothing ….. saved !

I abandon my sleigh and return on foot . Two hours of walking . I find the kid before the hotel .

“ Where’s your sleigh , monsieur ? ”

“ I abandoned it . It was going too fast for me . ”

“ Monsieur then did not use his feet ? ”

“ Feet ? ”

“ To apply brakes , monsieur . ”

“ Brakes ? ”

“ But yes , monsieur . One puts on brakes with his feet ! ”

The next day , I was proposed a trip in a bobsleigh . “ This monsieur , this will amuse you . ”

“ No danger , n’est-ce pas ? ”

“ You will be six . The one at the head will hold the steering-wheel , and as you are not trained …..

“ But yes , I am trained ! ”

“ Then you will be put in the tail . ”

Would I advance too much ? No. In the tail , I will fall over the others . I run no risk .

Here we part . It’s magnificent . What serenity , this run in the silence ! A skier wishes to overtake us ….. He falls , bravo ! Henceforth I will do no more but bobsleighing . In number , besides , one is immediately more sure of oneself , more courageous . It seems to me that we are not advancing . “ Don’t worry , within a few seconds we will be at 80 Kmph . ”

At 80 ! I clasp with my two arms the one who is before me . With a blow of the elbow he again throws me behind .

A cry : “ Lean to the right ! ”

“Why ? ” – “A turn … … look out ! ….. brake , the man at the tail ! ” – “With the feet ? ” ….. “ But no , brake with the brake ! ” …..

“ Which brake ? ”

I followed nothing ….. We tumble and what a tumble !

A friend advised me to purchase skates for myself . Skating is fun , he said , and safe !