NATURE'S PRACTICAL JOKES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 24, 14 November 1944, Page 6

NATURE'S PRACTICAL JOKES

Lightning is one of Nature's practical jokers and there is no limit to the curious tricks that it will play. During a thunders to rin woman raised her arm to close a window. There was a blinding Hash of light, and although no serious injury resulted to the. woman ; her gold bracelet disappeared! Some lime ago, in Natal (South Africa), a man was discovered tied in knot's by lightning. One of his legs was intertwined with his arms, while the other leg was twisted round his neck. The man recovered and his limbs straightened out. In Norwich (England) lightning cut half an inch oil' the rim of an inverted tumbler, on a table and lei I the tumbler sitting as it was. It was done so neatly that the glass might have been cut by a diamond. The electricity also set the hands on the dial of the clock four hours in advance of the true time without stopping the, clock. Perhaps the most comical part ever played by lightning was that of cook. A much-laden apple tree was truck by lightning during the night. Next morning, when the owner inspected the tre.e, he found that a large number of the apples had been cooked to a turn, and were all ready for breakfast!