| The FoolMy first direct experience of the
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| | role of the fool?The fool traditionally
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| fool in masking was watching Morris
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| | questions. S/He challenges the norm. S/He
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| Dancing here at home in Yorkshire,
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| | goes beyond the routine and everyday. S
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| England. The Morris dancers were dressed
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| | He crosses the boundary between the
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| up in their usual dancing shoes with
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| | physical and the spiritual. The fool
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| bells and baggy pants. To be absolutely
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| | knows both sides but sadly does not
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| honest I have always found Morris men a
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| | understand either. The fool is beyond
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| bit funny! Perhaps I should explain about
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| | judgement but is incapable of judging.
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| Cecil Sharp, no I'll leave that to a
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| | The fool is a go-between, a hinderer, a
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| footnote.The Boars Head Morris Men were
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| | creator and destroyer. He sets things up
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| dancing in a pub car park. ( Pub short
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| | only to break them down.To be honest I
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| for Public House a place for drinking
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| | love the fool, because I feel I am one,
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| beer etc. in the UK.) They were doing the
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| | at times. The fool embodies the
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| usual dances that are related to
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| | contradictions of the world. He accepts
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| fertility, good crops and harvests etc.
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| | our human frailties and simultaneously
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| But of course they really don't quite
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| | challenges them. For those of you who
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| have the pagan beliefs off pat. Mind you
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| | know the symbols on the tarot cards
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| when you see them drink ale in the
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| | consider the fool, for those of you who
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| quantities that they did then you would
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| | do not make some time to find out.Some
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| realise that they had perhaps fully
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| | Examples of Fools in Masquerade Italy In
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| understood the pagan ways of having a
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| | Masks the Art of expression Cesare Poppi
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| good time. ( Not to say all people who
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| | describes the Carnival at Moena in the
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| follow the pagan ways drink lots of ale,
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| | Italian Dolomites. Two Arlechign, a local
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| just a convenient concept )What you are
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| | version of Harlequin, lead the masked
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| probably asking by this juncture is this
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| | group. They are dressed in chequered
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| to do with fools?Well the Boars Head
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| | costumes, with a tall pointed cap below
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| Morris Men had a masked fool. He was
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| | which is a loose veil giving them a
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| complete with boars mask pantaloons and
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| | featureless appearance. They carry horse
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| boars headed stick. He also carried a
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| | whips. Around them the crowd of cheering
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| bucket for collecting cash donations for
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| | young boys follows their moves. Suddenly
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| charity, or maybe beer money. He followed
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| | the dash into the youths slashing
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| the dancers mimicked them and cajoled the
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| | fiercely with the horse whips, striking
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| watchers for change to fill his
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| | vicious blows to the confused youngsters.
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| bucket.Interestingly I knew the fool
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| | Panic ensues. A pleasing village scene
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| quite well and in real life, with out the
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| | has suddenly been turned upon its
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| mask, he would never do what he did with
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| | head.China In China, or your local China
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| the mask. Being English he was just far
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| | Town, when the New Year is celebrated the
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| too polite!The Boars Head stick became a
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| | Lion Dance is performed. This often
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| threatened cudgel, never used, just
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| | acrobatic masked dance is performed by,
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| pointed and waved. The mask was a place
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| | usually two dancers accompanied by two
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| to hide behind, for a normal everyday
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| | Happy Face dancers wearing their papier
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| person. As you will find by looking
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| | mache masks complete with large grins
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| further on this site the mask allows
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| | painted on them. As the dance progresses
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| people to change personalities. He
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| | through the streets the dragon collects
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| bullied and pranced and enjoyed his dual
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| | lettuces and money to help bring luck in
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| mission to collect money and to protect
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| | to the New Year. Around the dragon the
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| the dancers from the crowd. Sometimes the
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| | two fools pester the crowd for money and
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| children get too close. That is not
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| | simultaneously keep the crowd, especially
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| allowed. Sometimes the dancers space is
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| | the children, at a safe distance.Pacific
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| threatened by cars entering the parking
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| | West CoastNoohlmahlDuring Kwakwaka'wakw
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| space. Wow! That is not a good idea!But
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| | Potlatch ceremonies in the West Coast
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| suddenly the fool sets off in pursuit of
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| | Areas of Canada another fool prowled
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| three attractive women. He rattles his
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| | around. He is Noohlmahl. A filthy
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| bucket and rounds them up as a sheep dog
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| | creature with a long nose from which snot
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| would. They are pressed into donating
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| | streams he is up for a laugh but should
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| generously. He just leaves his dancers
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| | the watchers mention his state,
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| unprotected to fend for themselves. The
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| | especially his nose, a violent reaction
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| next ten minutes is exchanged in good
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| | can be expected.Iriquois False Face
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| natured banter. ( The wife of the fool is
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| | SocietyThe Iriquois False Face Society
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| present! )The above is from memory,
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| | also have a fool mask to support the
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| probably about 20 years ago. In terms of
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| | processes of healing that they undertake.
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| mask traditions that is very recent. For
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| | These corn husk mask are relatively
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| mask traditions can be traced back at
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| | simple and disposable. As with other
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| least 25,000 years. I am certain they go
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| | traditions the fool plays his amusing and
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| back to the time of the first questioning
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| | organising role.Playfulness has a major
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| peoples; 50,000.................or more
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| | place in many masquerades.In our lives we
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| years?What then is this reference to
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| | all play the fool, despise the fool in
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| fools and masking traditions. Well as you
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| | others and love the fool who entertains.
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| dig through this site you will find that
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| | Sadly the fool who entertains can also be
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| the fool crops up in several other
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| | torn apart by internal mental
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| traditions.In Masquerade the fool is an
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| | divisions.The masked fool is the one who
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| essential figure. On the surface he,
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| | maintains order and at the same time
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| occasionally she, is the one who keeps
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| | questions it and sometimes on a whim
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| order. He controls the children, he stops
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| | destroys it. Traditionally the fool
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| their prying eyes invading the dressing
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| | treads a fine line between the known and
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| room. His stick maintains the performance
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| | the unknown, the acceptable and the
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| area. He cracks jokes, entertains,
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| | unacceptable. Even without the mask I am
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| juggles pulls faces and GETS VIOLENT. He
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| | sure you recognise the fool in your
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| chases the children with a whip and hits
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| | life.The fool is a universal being. Today
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| them mercilessly if he gets the chance.
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| | (15/12/04) I lost my fool, she was our
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| He tries to seduce women, and does if he
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| | cat. If you wish to know she died of old
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| can!Suddenly he becomes bored and goes
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| | age. She had the soft luxury of a purring
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| away to sit and talk philosophically with
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| | fur to stroke and in a moment she
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| a group of friends from his unmasked
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| | transformed into a fanged biter. She had
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| time. As the conversation progresses he
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| | the gourmet taste of a French chef yet
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| introduces new ideas. He begins to
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| | licked her own arse. She refused to go
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| ridicule the accepted norm. He questions
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| | outside when the wind blew, because it
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| the accepted reality. He attempts to
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| | was cold, yet sat happily on the wet
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| turns arguments on their headsThe
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| | grass when it was raining and blowing a
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| Ubiquitous FoolThe fool is a ubiquitous.
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| | gale. Tango, the cat, was my fool, just
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| The fool occurs in the masking traditions
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| | as I was hers when playing hide and seek.
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| of North and South America, Africa,
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| | I loved her affection and was saddened by
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| Europe, Asia, China,
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| | her rejection of the food I gave her. All
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| ........................ if you know some
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| | in all Tango, our family cat, was all
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| more please fill in my blank.Universally
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| | contradiction and beautifully herself.
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| the fool treads the line between
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| | She is a very missed little
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| normality and the incongruities that the
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| | being.FootnoteCecil Sharp collected folk
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| world. The fool is both sensible and
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| | sings in the British Isles. Amongst folk
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| totally none-sensible. Not that he does
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| | enthusiasts he is something of a hero as
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| not use his senses he just uses then in a
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| | he preserved may folk songs and
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| different way. He questions and cajoles.
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| | traditions. He was instumental in helping
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| He jokes and makes fun of others. Yet
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| | preserve the hundreds of different Morris
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| when someone over steps the arbitrary
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| | dances. Yet as with the song lyrics he
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| boundary, (who decided ) he changes.
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| | collected they were purged for naughty
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| Suddenly he becomes the quiet hearth cat,
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| | bits. Anything that went against his
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| the sleeping feline, domesticated, sleek
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| | strict Victorian morality was censored.
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| and silky. And as you stroke and pleasure
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| | The whole of British folk tradition was
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| the cat she begins to become claws and
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| | made "nice".Inspired by Masks the Art of
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| teeth and worse growls. He becomes the
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| | Expression ed.
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| raging tiger, claws and teeth.What is the
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