The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this website is here.
Reference for this case: 11-Nov-54-Coivrel.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.
The regional newspaper Le Courrier Picard, in their issue for the Oise department, reported on page 5 for November 13, 1954:
"The best saucer story, for the moment, is undoubtedly the one we received yesterday, from Coivrel, a small village in the canton of Maignelay."
"In the evening of Thursday, a Polish worker had seen, near a large beet depot, a sort of oblond [sic, "oblong"] craft emitting an orange light. There was no doubt that the "cigar" landed on the spot a few meters from the road."
"Approaching while keeping a prudent distance between the thing and him, the workman thought he would fell backwards when he saw near the mysterious craft a small man with a large head, about 90 centimeters high. A "Martian", says our Pole. And he ran and rose the alarm in the village."
"Soon, a few brave residents surrounded the cigar which had not moved. Motorists who had been stopped as a precaution joined the small group."
"When he was within earshot, the Polish questioned the Martian, first in Polish, then in Russian, and finally, in German."
"The big-headed dwarf did not flinch. It was then that it was decided to attack. One rushed to the cigar and its pilot."
"However, the luminous object was of fabric and it was vulgar candles which lit it. The Martian was made of a superb hollowed pumpkin in which a clever prankster had lit a candle. The large head was placed on a Dutch oven, itself perched on two sticks."
"Some laughed at the joke, others thought they would scold the Pole, who, the poor chap, had nothing to be blamed for!"
[Ref. cpd1:] NEWSPAPER "LE COURRIER PICARD":
The best saucer story, for the moment, is undoubtedly the one we received yesterday, from Coivrel, a small village in the canton of Maignelay.
In the evening of Thursday, a Polish worker had seen, near a large beet depot, a sort of oblond [sic, "oblong"] craft emitting an orange light. There was no doubt that the "cigar" landed on the spot a few meters from the road.
Approaching while keeping a prudent distance between the thing and him, the workman thought he would fell backwards when he saw near the mysterious craft a small man with a large head, about 90 centimeters high. A "Martian", says our Pole. And he ran and rose the alarm in the village.
Soon, a few brave residents surrounded the cigar which had not moved. Motorists who had been stopped as a precaution joined the small group.
When he was within earshot, the Polish questioned the Martian, first in Polish, then in Russian, and finally, in German.
The big-headed dwarf did not flinch. It was then that it was decided to attack. One rushed to the cigar and its pilot.
However, the luminous object was of fabric and it was vulgar candles which lit it. The Martian was made of a superb hollowed pumpkin in which a clever prankster had lit a candle. The large head was placed on a Dutch oven, itself perched on two sticks.
Some laughed at the joke, others thought they would scold the Pole, who, the poor chap, had nothing to be blamed for!
Negative case, prank.
(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)
Coivrel, Oise, Polish, worker, Martian, cigar, landing, prank, pumpkin, candle
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Version: | Created/Changed by: | Date: | Change Description: |
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1.0 | Patrick Gross | February 5, 2020 | First published. |