Korniss Péter - Erdős Virág: Courtyards - Our Budapest (Budapest, 1993)

Thursday last in the afternoon two persons, presumably of foreign nationality, penetrated, under circumstances hitherto not clarified, into the yard of a Buda tenement house. According to the evidence given by the tenants present, one of them wore a thick beard of strong red hue and of unusual length, as well as a strange headgear that gave the impression of a tom oak wreath, while he held a stave resembling a crooked arrow which - as several witnesses agreed - seemed to emit small red sparks. His companion of rather short stature, stripped to the waist, carried under his arms a pair of transparent things provided with shining belts and huge buckles, similar to swan wings. As their request, pronounced with a strikingly foreign accent, concerning a few days’ lodging and food and - as certain witnesses stated - some cash, was firmly turned down, they left the scene, accompanied by powerful light and sound effects, through the roof, causing minor damage to the roof structure.

Certain experts, not identified by name, are inclined to see some sort of connection of a hitherto unexplored nature between the said incident and certain extraordinary events that happened soon hereafter. Among others, the night following the day of the strange visit, the cat of Mrs. Isabelle H., a respectable widow and spokeswoman of the tenants’ community, gave birth to three viable polecat cubs.

Police have started a thorough investigation to clear up the unusual phenomena, though the sulphuric rainfalls following the events have considerably encumbered the ascertaining of the traces. In their endeavours to identify the above mentioned mysterious persons the police require the active collaboration of private individuals.

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