Saturday, August 18, 2007

Little People, Imps, Reported in Merlo (Argentina) Tree


Translated from Spanish:

Residents of Merlo claim having seen imps near a hundred year old eucalyptus tree

The Municipality trimmed the tree because its large branches were jeopardizing motorists traveling along Avenida del Inca. After work, some residents reportedly saw “little men coming out [of the tree] in single file from that location.”

The landscapes described by the prolific South African (sic) writer John Ronald Reuel Tolkien – author of The Lord of the Rings – as the habitat of imps, elves, trolls and fairies that appear in his works do not vary all that much. These creatures enjoy living in forests, trees, small rivers and clean environments. They tend to dwell within trees or openings in the surface.

Described thus, an infinite number of similar landscapes can be described in a number of points throughout the country, and Merlo is no exception, even though humans may be accused of making these places fewer and fewer.

Days ago, the Municipality of Merlo, at the request of local residents, trimmed a hundred-year old eucalyptus that is next to the Leopoldo Lugones Library in Piedra Blanca, on a tight curve by Avenida de los Incas. The large branches obscured visibility for motorists and jeopardized light and telephone wires on windy days.

While the trimming operations took place on the avenue, adjacent to a stream, traffic was interrupted and once restored, locals driving through the area, lighting it with their car headlights, claimed to have seen the strange figures. They reportedly saw “some little men coming out of the amputated tree and walking single file toward the library. Most witnesses did not offer details, but one woman described their clothing as having a brownish hue,” said Cecillia de Gabrele, an employee at the library who fielded several phone calls at her workplace from locals who sought confirmation for what they had seen nearby. However, neither the employee nor her coworkers noticed anything unusual.

Cecilia added that for many years there have been stories of “imp” sightings for many years in that district. “Thats where Aguaribay Street begins, which has abundant native flora, and many claim having seen tiny beings between the branches and shadows.”

Once the trimming operation was over in what some believe may have been the dwelling of these little people, the landscape “was devastating”, according to De Gabriele. The eucalyptus has a reddish wood and after being trimmed, this shade became visible. Faced with the bizarre scene, some have gone as far as to suggest that “the strong coloring gave the impression that the tree was bleeding.”