The True Story of Michel & fact file

The True Story of Michel & Fact File

By Sverre Knustad (sverre.knustad@nl.telia.no)

Dear Tillers and Michel !!

Michel claims that he was born on December 14th. 1949. Listen up! Thatīs not true. He was born on Dec. 14th. - some centuries ago. He grew up in a small village in Central Europe, I think it was in France. He had a good childhood. The woods was his playground, somehow he thought of wizards, elves and unicorns. (And he had a little sleep sleep there.)

One day, Michel sat in the shadow of a huge tree in the wood and played on his lute. He was 18, a jester and a minstrel - sort of. Out of the blue, with the sound of thunder came a strange vehicle, silver-coloured, without wheels. Upon it sat an old man with sad eyes. "Whereīs your horses?" said Michel when he had got hold of himself. He thought it was a wagon.
"Iīve been at all ages, Iīve seen too much. Give me your tree and lute and river-streams and peace and Iīll give you my Time-machine".
Michel picked up the lute he had dropped, pondered for a minute, and gave it to the man.

To make a long story short: One silent, misty morning Michel started on his journey. Adventures was ahead.

Remember Tillers, when Michel claims that he reads 100 books in a good year and 50 books in a bad year, we know thatīs not true. Thatīs just a constructed explanation to how he got his knowledge and wisdom. The truth is this: He travelled back and forth in Time, through the centuries. He visited every "wise man of the village" he could find. Can you imagine how many philosophers he has met. In their dusty chambers Michel sat and listened, without talking (can you imagine that!!!). Silently he absorbed every word. Candle-lights, cobwebs, smell of dusty hand-written books with leather-sleeves, theories, this was Michelīs tiny world when he settled down for a day or two.

Once upon a time a man tried to write a book. He sat in his room, in the lamp-light, nothing happened, only his hand throwing a shadow on the blank sheets of paper. His head was empty.
A blast outside the house made him run to the window and in the dimmed light of the setting sun he saw a strange vehicle standing on the lawn. Upon it sat our Michel Mouse. The writer experienced this sight for a few seconds and it all disappeared with a new blast. The man ran to his sheets of paper and wrote frantically for days. His name was H.G. Wells and he called the book "The Time Machine".

Michel stopped his journeys in the early 60īs (our time) because he heard The Beatles. He coulnīt travel away from this music.
Then he heard The Doors, Hendrix and Cream.
In 68 Michel heard two strange people performing strange songs about unicorns, elves and wizards. He remembered his childhood and loved this music instantly.
Marc Bolan and Steve Peregrin Took changed his life. He loved this music and forgot his own lute-playing.
He experienced the early 70īs, the highlights of T.Rex and the tragic death of Marc Bolan. Michel was really mourning.
(And he thought: "Iīm glad there is no such vehicles in my time").

The Time-machine is now hidden somewhere in the Canadian woods.

(Simes has been observed in the area with a spade and a torch looking for it).

Michel has now two options.
He can travel back to his own time because heīs missing his relatives and heīs missing the local "flute and lute - orchestra". Tillers, did you ever wonder why the Beltane CD has that "baroque-style"?)

If Michel goes back this will happen: He will sit in his house in the evenings, singing and humming songs about Unicorns, White Swans, Futuristic Dragon and Dandy in the Underworld.
He will be playing on a guitar from our time, can you imagine the local lute players - they will stand and stare in awe!!
Rumours will spread and lovers on their evening walk will go to his house. After a few days, the citizens will gather outside his windows. The evening walk will become Beltane Walk.
More rumours, and people will come from neighbour-counties to Michelīs house to hear these fantastic songs.
Soon Michel have his followers, a huge movement will arise. The Pope will be worried, "Is this a religion?"
The Spanish Inquisition will raise its head and spread its claws and Michel will have to flee!

The other option is to stay where he is now, with his family, and linked to the Tillers with love and true friendship.
If Michel is silent for awhile, maybe, maybe he is having a jam session with some lute-players down the centuries.

Michel, thank you for staying here with us!
Thank you for being our friend!
You are special.


FACT FILE

NAME: Michel Laverdiere
ALIAS: Michel Mouse
AGE: 7 X 7
SEX: Once in a while...
OCCUPATION: Sound Dreamer
FAVOURITE FOOD: Indian vegetarian cuisine
FAVOURITE COLOUR: Gold & black
FAVOURITE TV SHOW: Renting a movie
FAVOURITE RODENT: Mouse
PREJUDICES: Rap music
MOST HATED PET: Noisy Neighbours
POLITICAL AFFILIATION: B.L.F (Beltane Liberation Front)
FAVOURITE ACTOR: Eric Idle
FAVOURITE SURGICAL APPLIANCE: Nail clipper
HOBBY: Reading and writing
FAVOURITE AUTHORS: Erle Stanley Gardner / Isaac Azimov
FIRST BREAK IN SHOW BUSINESS: Writing French Pop Songs and winning a PRO Award in 1984.
WHERE CAN I GET MY JEANS FIXED?: Ask my wife...
FAVOURITE STIMULANT: Can't answer, my wife is reading...
THINK OF A NUMBER: 7
DOUBLE IT: 49
CRIMINAL CONVICTIONS: None - I'm perfect...
AVERAGE INCOME: Not enough to produce all I would like to.
FAVOURITE DISEASE: A little fever...
TURN YOUR HEAD: French wine...
FAVOURITE MUSICIANS: Alice Coltrane, Marc Bolan, Tim Buckley
SIZE OF SHOES: 9 1/2
WHAT DID YOU HAVE FOR BREAKFAST?: Peanut butter toasts
FAVOURITE MAGAZINE: Gramophone
FAVOURITE BOOKS: "Warlock of Love" "Bhagavad-Gita"
WHO DO YOU LOVE? : Maria Callas
IS SOMETHING HAPPENING?: Indeed...
DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS?: Of course...
THE PERSON YOU MOST LIKE TO FORGET BUT CAN'T: Jean Chretien - Canada's Prime Minister
DO YOU DRIVE?: yes
DO YOU DRINK?: A little wine...
FAVOURITE RECORD: Unicorn
FAVOURITE MOVIE: "A Hard Day's Night"
HOW DOES IT FEEL?: To Be One Of The Beautiful People?
YEAH, HOW DOES IT FEEL?: To Be On Your Own? Like A Complete Unknown? Like A Rolling Stone?
MAJOR VICE: Coca-Cola
AMBITION: To retire to write books...
WORST FEAR: Computer crash and not being able to get back on the TILL DAWN list.
FAVOURITE ETHNIC GROUP: Indians (India)
FAVOURITE PAINTER: John William Waterhouse
FAVOURITE CITY: London and Montreal
LEAST FAVOURITE CITIES: Paris
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE IF YOU WEREN'T WHAT YOU ARE: Marc Bolan in 1969-70
FAVOURITE COMIC BOOK: Peanuts
DO YOU OWN YOURSELF?: My wife does...