Jasper County Democrat, Volume 9, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 June 1906 — Catching Your Shadow. [ARTICLE]

Catching Your Shadow.

“You go out,” said the Malay lady, “on the night ltefore the full moon and stand with your hack to the moon and your face to an ant hill, so that your shadow falls on the ant hill. Then you recite certain jump! (Incantations) and, bending forward, try to embrace your shadow. If you fail try again several times, repeating more Incantations. If not successful go the next night and make a further effort anti the night after if necessary—three nights in all. If you cannot then catch your shadow wait till the same day in the following month and renew the attempt. Sooner or later you will succeed, and ns you stand there in the brilliance of the moonlight you will see that you have drawn your shadow into yourself, and your body will never again cast a shade. Go home, and in the night; whether sleeping or waking, the form of a child will appear before you and put out Its tongue. That seize, and it will remain, while the rest of the child disappears. In a little while the tongue will turn Into something that breathes—a small animal, reptile or Insect—and when you see that the creature has life put it lu a bottle, and the pelsit Is yours.”—Swettenham’s “Malay Sketches.”