No better idea of the variety of popular amusements can be given than to take the programme of one little commune that I had an opportunity of copying, entitled “Fêtes Communales de 1914”—this announcement being printed in French and Flemish. While many of the events were evidently organised by various societies the officials of the commune assumed responsibility for the proper conduct of the contests, and either provided the prizes or contributed a substantial sum toward them, the rest being raised by a fee exacted from each contestant which varied from one franc, thirty centimes for the smaller events to five francs for the more important ones. With one hundred contestants this would yield one hundred and thirty francs, to which the commune usually added fifty, making one hundred and eighty francs available in all. For the chief events the prizes aggregate 1,000 to 2,000 francs—quite a respectable sum for a commune of six thousand inhabitants. The difference between archery contests au berceau and à la perche has already been explained. The programme, much abbreviated, follows:
Sun., Apr. 19.—Archery contests, both au berceau and perche.
Sun., Apr. 26.—Archery contest, au berceau, and rifle contest (carbines).
Fri., May 1.—Fête du Travail (Labor Day) Archery contest and popular ball on a public square in the evening—dancing in the street, rain or shine.
Sun., May 10.—Rifle contest.
Thurs., May 21.—Archery contest.
Sun., May. 24.—Annual Fair with archery contests of both kinds, rifle contest and grand concert in evening with two bands.
Sun., May 31.—Kermesse, with archery contests of both kinds and a popular out-door ball in the evening.
Sun., June 7.—Bicycle Race—outdoor course around the village ten times, 25 kilometres.
Sun., June 14.—Archery contest au berceau and Tir du Roi (perche).