The index page for the 1954 French flap section of this website is here.
Reference for this case: Mid-Oct-54-Montdidier.
Please cite this reference in any correspondence with me regarding this case.
The local weekly newspaper Journal du Santerre, of Montdidier, in the Somme department, published on October 22, 1954, this "edutating" story:
"Everyone knows that we like very fresh champagne in the region; the three lads who came back the other evening from M... and returned to Montdidier, as best as they could on their bikes, were fully filled. They walked side by side and, having drunk many cups, dreamed of... saucers, under a sky filled with stars."
"One of them, perhaps more alert than the others, did not fall asleep on his handlebars, but scrutinized the plain, on both sides of the road."
"Suddenly he stopped short, and had his two comrades stop; there, on the right, at some distance from the road, an object posed on the damp ground, shone under the pale gleam of the moon."
"Could it be a saucer? Our three friends held their breath, somewhat frightened! An owl flew around, and it still chills them: ice cold sweat ran down their spines..."
"What to do? However, one had to decide, one of them, courageously, put his bike on the grass, and, furtively, moved forward."
"As he approached the "craft", his ears were buzzing: the sound of the engine, perhaps? On all fours, he came closer, crawling..."
"His friends were waiting, worried..."
"And suddenly, in the starry night, a big laugh broke out."
"The secret of the "saucer" was clarified: the three chaps had seen, in the field... a plow, whose share shone with all its lights, under the mocking eye of the moon."
"Our three friends, still emotional, returned to Montdidier as quickly as possible, seeing saucers everywhere: on the lit clock of the Town Hall; near the station where a locomotive driver filled the hearth of his machine which projected flickering lights in the sky."
"And if you meet these three fellows in the street, don't talk to them about "saucers". They would be sick of it."
[Ref. jds1:] NEWSPAPER "JOURNAL DU SANTERRE":
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Everyone knows that we like very fresh champagne in the region; the three lads who came back the other evening from M... and returned to Montdidier, as best as they could on their bikes, were fully filled. They walked side by side and, having drunk many cups, dreamed of... saucers, under a sky filled with stars.
One of them, perhaps more alert than the others, did not fall asleep on his handlebars, but scrutinized the plain, on both sides of the road.
Suddenly he stopped short, and had his two comrades stop; there, on the right, at some distance from the road, an object posed on the damp ground, shone under the pale gleam of the moon.
Could it be a saucer? Our three friends held their breath, somewhat frightened! An owl flew around, and it still chills them: ice cold sweat ran down their spines...
What to do? However, one had to decide, one of them, courageously, put his bike on the grass, and, furtively, moved forward.
As he approached the "craft", his ears were buzzing: the sound of the engine, perhaps? On all fours, he came closer, crawling...
His friends were waiting, worried...
And suddenly, in the starry night, a big laugh broke out.
The secret of the "saucer" was clarified: the three chaps had seen, in the field... a plow, whose share shone with all its lights, under the mocking eye of the moon.
Our three friends, still emotional, returned to Montdidier as quickly as possible, seeing saucers everywhere: on the lit clock of the Town Hall; near the station where a locomotive driver filled the hearth of his machine which projected flickering lights in the sky.
And if you meet these three fellows in the street, don't talk to them about "saucers". They would be sick of it.
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Negative case, misinterpretation, or more likely: an invention of the newspaper.
(These keywords are only to help queries and are not implying anything.)
Montdidier, Somme, plow, ploughshare, alcohol, multiple, negative case, misinterpretation, night, journalistic invention
[----] indicates sources that are not yet available to me.
| Version: | Created/Changed by: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | March 11, 2020 | First published. |
