Pour référence :
UFOAFRINEWS 11
THE CHILDREN OF ARIEL SCHOOL Case N° 96
Ruwa, Zimbabwe
Friday, September 16th, 1994, was a beautiful day. Clear and warm, with the sun bright in an intensely blue sky. By 10:00 a.m. it was becoming quite hot and when the children at And Primary School were let out for their mid-morning break, they ran out shouting and calling to one another in the sheer joy of being free for at least half an hour.
The teachers were all in the staff-room for the weekly teachers meeting and the only other adult on the school premises was Mrs Alyson Kirkman, a physiotherapist, who was voluntarily running the Tuckshop. Shortly after 10:00, a few of the children noticed something strange. Beyond their playground, which was dotted with several clumps of trees, the rest being mostly cleared ground, there was a bush area. The ground there belonged to the school and although attempts had been made to clear and level it, it really was still rough land: long grass with thorn and other indigenous bushes, trees growing in higgledy-piggledy fashion, and undergrowth thick and heavy enough to hide a child should he venture there.
Besides which, no-one knew what dangerous small animals, such as snakes, jackals, unidentified spiders, scorpions, etc. might be lurking in the grass.
Mrs Kirkman told me that when the children came running into the Tuckshop, talking excitedly about 'a small man running around with a band around his head and a one-piece suit’, she was totally sceptical. Perhaps, she said, they were trying to get her out of the Tuckshop where there were sweets, cakes and of course the Tuckshop money. She refused to leave the shop! Her child, Fifi (10), later told her that they had seen a small whitish object land about 100 metres from where she was. It glowed. It then came closer and had a sort of golden colour. Some of the children were hysterical.
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In the meantime, out of the 250 children at the school, more than 60 were now witnesses to an extraordinary event. As they watched, they saw about three or four objects coming into the rough bush area. The light from the objects was so bright, it was difficult to discern a shape, although several of the children saw disc-like objects coming in along the power lines and finally landing in the rough, among the trees. There was one large object and two or three smaller ones. They could also hear a whirring noise and see a bright white, silverish light coming from the objects. The children were all a little bit afraid, although they were also curious.
Guy G.(11), one of the more articulate reporters, said, ‘I was excited at first but then I saw one of the smaller boys crying and when I asked him why, he said he was afraid. Then I also became afraid.’
Tertia N. said the light was a golden, shiny object with a little light switching on and off. When she first saw it, it was like a pencil in the sky with a shiny light at the back. There were many descriptions, but Colin Mackie, the Headmaster, had the presence of mind to get all the children back into their classrooms, asking them to draw what they had seen. A fascinating array of drawings appeared and there were many differences in the craft Most of the older (12-year-old) boys saw legs like tines dug into the ground; but in some cases they were more unusual. In one picture the legs were like spiders’ legs, something which I had beard of several times in previous cases (See Megan Quezet Case, Mindalore, South Africa, in UFO AFRICAN ENCOUNTERS).
Where the drawings were most consistent were in the descriptions of the small entity the children had seen emerge from the craft.
He was approximately one metre tall, dressed in a shiny one-piece black suit similar to a wet suit. He had long black hair and a large head. One girl interviewed by the SATV, said he had arms and legs like a human being, but his head was larger than a normal head.
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Also, he had these big black, slanting eyes.
One older girl (12) said she could not see very well, but the nose was small, but the mouth was a small, straight line. However, the eyes were very big and slanting (this was indicated with her hands forming an elongated 0).
Guy G., illustrating the eyes, showed them low down on the cheeks, and slanting upwards, very large and dark. Guy, who was self-assured and the most articulate [of those interviewed], said be had just come out to the playground when he saw the children all swarming around at the bottom of the playground, so he ran down to see what was going on. He saw a craft in among the trees. He said it was striped black and green and pointed to his drawing of it. He then saw a small man (about one metre tall) get out and walk across the terrain parallel to the playground. He could see the lIttle man was dressed in a black, shiny suit (like a skin diving suit); that he had long black hair and his eyes, which seemed lower on the cheek than our eyes, were large and elongated. The mouth was just a slit ad the ears were hardly discernible.
The tragedy of Guy’s story is that when be went home, neither of his parents, though admitting that he did not normally tell lies, would believe his story.
On one of the numerous videos made of the children and their descriptions of the event, Guy said, 'Well, if they don’t believe me, there’s nothing I can do about that, but I will keep it all inside of me.'
What a frightening indictment of our society that when we are confronted by something we don’t understand, we don’t even attempt to open our minds to the event. We merely discard it, totally, because it is not within our immediate awareness.
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Barry D. told me he had seen the craft come into the school grounds along the electricity lines. For sometime now, researchers have been aware that these unidentified objects need to use our electricity and our water. I did ask if there was a dam near the school and was told there was one, but It was almost dry (Zimbabwe has been beset with drought problems for the past few years and Arid School, like many others, is in need of a better water supply).
Tertia M said she and some friends had watched the object land and then it just vanished.
Barry D. said be had seen three objects flying over, with flashing red lights. They disappeared, and reappeared almost immediately, but somewhere else. This happened about three times. Then they came and landed near some gum trees; Barry said the main one was about the size of his thumb nail held at arm’s length.
Some of the children saw a little man dressed in black appear on top of the large ‘craft’. He was thin and skinny with a scrawny neck and eyes that were large and slanting. Barry said they were like rugby balls.
When all this happened, a very, strong wind passed over them.
There is obviously a lot more to this incident than has been uncovered now and we will report further in UFO AFRINEWS N° 12.
This is an extremely interesting case as there are so many witnesses, and there is no doubt in my mind that what the children are saying is what they saw.
Even embellishments cannot alter the basis of what was seen that day in September 1994.
Remember, there’s lots more to discuss and we would appreciate your questions, comments and contributions.
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THE VISIT OF JOHN MACK, M.D. TO AFRICA
We had heard from John Mack that he was proposing to make a trip to Africa, investigating the possibility of abductions there. We had assured him that there were some cases, although not in the context of the 200 he had been dealing with, but we did have Phyllis and Diane in Johannesburg, Bruce and Irene in Harare, and several others in various places.
What we did not promise was the tremendous importance of the contact case of the Arid School children, so this was not only an added bonus, but an intriguing investigation exercise for John.
Dr John Mack is Professor of Psychiatry at Cambridge Hospital, the Medical School attached to Harvard University. He is also a writer: his most recent book being ABDUCTIONS, in which he lists and records 13 cases he has examined in depth with hypnotherapy. He won the Pulitzer prize for his biography of T.E. Lawrence (A PRINCE OF DISORDER) but when reading his book ABDUCTIONS, I realised he had a lot more publications to his credit as well, such as NIGHTMARES AND HUMAN CONFLICT, THE ALCHEMY OF SURVIVAL (with Rita Rogers), etc. etc.
Here then, is a man who is not only open-minded and prepared to listen, but an academic of some standing. And one who has risked his credibility with his colleagues to come out and say he believes the experiences of abductees are very real indeed.
When he arrived, it was a red-letter day for Zimbabwe, and earlier on, for South Africa too, where he had spoken and answered many questions on Radio 702 in Johannesburg. He had, far too briefly, been on AGENDA, a South African Television programme which followed the news, with Credo Mutwa (a famous African healer and Medicine Man, and an alleged contactee. He is also a writer, INDABA MY CHILDREN being one of his best known books).
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Fortunately, in Zimbabwe there was more media time and John appeared on two radio and one TV programme. The response was tremendous: we had not previously had someone of his calibre I and he was both refreshing and highly informative. On Wednesday, 30 November 1994, he gave a talk at a local Sports Club, and we drew over 300 people when we had thought we would be lucky to have 150+. The questions put to him by the audience were mostly intelligent and discerning; I think, had time allowed, we would have been there all night!
John then spent two days at Ariel School in Ruwa with the children, aged from six to 12\13. He also spoke to the Headmaster, Colin Mackie, the teachers and some of the parents. These were days filled with exciting revelations for him and his fellow researcher, Dominique Callimanopulos. John was able to get through to parents and teachers and convince them that even if they did not believe the children, it was counter-productive to accuse them of lying. Listen and think about what they were saying, he advised. A suggestion which should be adopted by most sceptics. His particular interest in child psychiatry was also of great use during, the questioning and many former hidden memories came to light, something John is sure to make public when he has had a chance to re-assess his interviewing.
For me particularly, it was a pleasure to speak to John and Dominique at such a high level. UFO investigators in places like Africa lead a rather lonely existence. I can count on my one hand those with whom I have a really stimulating rapport: parrying, thrusting, believing, disbelieving. Apart from my Asst. Editor, Maria Sullivan and investigator Gunter Hofer, there are few who are dedicated enough to quote cases, chapter and verse, time and place, the essential details of the whole subject.
When they left, on 7th December, John and Dominique left a void that is not easily fillable. But it was great while it lasted!
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UFOAFRINEWS N° 12 :
ARIEL SCHOOL REPORT (CONT.) Case N°96
(UFO AFRINEWS N° 11)
The Ariel School case developed much further when an interview with
the children was made by Dr John Mack. He spent two days speaking to
them and was able to elicit a great deal more information. I am sure
he will report this himself at a later date.
1 have also found out that some of the children actually saw a
‘cigar-like’ object on the Thursday, September 15th, 1994, the day
before the general sighting. One young boy said that as he was driving
from school with his mother - in broad daylight on the 15th September,
they saw an object ahead of them.
This sighting was verified by three little girls who were sitting in
the playground on the Thursday and observed the mysterious object,
‘like a cigarette in the sky’ very briefly, when it then disappeared.
Had it been after the Friday event, I would have been wary of the
report, as they could easily have been influenced by the big event.
This report is being investigated and will be reported on in a later
issue.
Fiona, aged 9, said that on the Friday she could see this strange
object, very bright, over in the bush and something dark on the
object. But she could not identify it as a ‘little man’; she says: ‘It
could have been a branch or something like that.’
I was impressed by the honesty of the children. When they weren’t
sure, they were hesitant; when they were sure, they spoke out quickly
and confidently.
It was a cross-section of Zimbabweans: black African children from
several tribes, coloured children (a cross-breeding of black and
white), Asian children (with parents born in Zimbabwe but whose
grandparents had come from India) and white children, mostly
Zimbabwean-born, but whose parents were either from South Africa or
Britain.
7
(page 8 : map of sightings)
The school is expensive and the standard of children is of a
reasonably high intellectual level. Most of the parents live in the
area but several come from Harare and do the long drive—approx 20
Km—every day.
Obviously there are cultural differences. When Guy G. asked two little
boys why they were crying, they both said the little man in black was
‘coming to eat’ them. They were obviously black children, as Western
parents no longer (certainly for several decades) threaten their
children with demons who come and eat you. But this is still part of
the African culture where ‘the Tokolosh could very well gobble
children up if they were naughty.’
On the other hand, the white children were mostly - although not all -
aware of UFOs. So where they drew pictures, it was often identified as
‘a UFO’ and the little men in black were labelled ‘aliens’.
In drawings from other ethnic groups the labelling was different: the
little men were called ‘unidentified persons’ and the craft or
whatever was called ‘the machine’, or ‘the object’.
Farai M., aged about 11, agreed with Guy’s description of the object
being striped with green, black and silver.
One of the boys told me that he thought at first that the little man
in black might have been Mrs Stevens’ gardener, but then he saw the
figure had long, straight black hair ‘not really like African hair’,
so he realised he had made a mistake!
Shortly after the event (certainly within 7 days), Gunter Hofer drove
out to Ariel School and, using a map of the area - see drawing - took
samples of the soil from several different areas. These were
subsequently analysed by the Chemistry & Soil Research Institute,
Department of Research and Specialist Services, free of charge, and
the readings simplified for us by Dr
1 See UFO AFRINEWS 11 for similarities of the ‘long black hair’ description.
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Keith Viewing, now retired from the University of Zimbabwe.
Unfortunately, although there were some anomalies, none were of
particular significance and Dr Viewing suggested that a better and
perhaps more relevant reading would be obtained from the Institute of
Mining Research at the University. So, this is our next step.
An important issue to consider is that the children pointed out two
landing areas, the first where the craft touched down at the third
electricity pole from their viewpoint and the second landing point,
where the little men emerged.
I have always maintained that one or two visits to any important UFO
case are not enough; it is an on-going exercise and although 10 months
have passed since the sighting, the event is still firmly etched in
the minds of the children. I am hoping to make this - because of
accessibility - an on-going exercise. I realise only too well that
even months or years after the event, factors of extreme significance
can come to light. And surely any evidence to solve this fascinating
mystery is worth its weight in gold?
During the interviews with the children, several significant,
statements were made. These are quoted here.
One young girl said that when she first looked, she saw three figures:
one in red, one in white and one in black. The one in black was
sitting on the ‘spaceship’. This was the first time the word
‘spaceship’ had been used. She admitted that she had presumed that
what she saw was a UFO.
Guy G: said that the objects were disc-shaped and were glinting among
the trees before landing. He pointed out the landing place as at the
third pole from the school grounds and the objects had come in along
the electricity wires towards this area.
Of the little man, Guy said: ‘He was quite lightish in colour, not
black. His clothes were black. But there was no noise. And they
disappeared into the valley down there’ (Below the landing site).
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Oriana: ‘I saw this black stick, a very thin, long thing on top of the
silver thing.’
Colin Mackie, Headmaster: ‘I feel sure the children saw something. I
don’t believe or disbelieve, but they definitely saw SOMETHING. I
agree that it could be something natural with which we are not
familiar, but it was certainly seen by the children.’
Nathaniel said he saw ‘a ship’ land on the ground. It had an elongated
hull with a platform around the side, and a small man in black was
running around. He was about one-metre-plus tall.
Luke N.: ‘I saw the little man. He had long black hair and was all in
black. He looked like a shadow of something.’
Trevor: I was walking towards the school as the bell had rung, and I
saw flashes of light from the corner of my eye.’
Daniel M.: ‘I saw this silver thing among the trees, with one thing
sitting on the side and another on top. Then they were running back
and forth. It looked like a real person but it was quite plump. 2 At
first I thought it was someone from the compound (labourers’ quarters)
playing around, but his hair was not like the usual African hair -
very curly and close to the head - it was almost like a hippy’s hair,
long and black.’
Emily B.: ‘I saw the little men with longish black hair and big black
eyes. They turned round and stared at me and went back into a kind of
ship. There was only one ship and some little ones scattered around
it. I could see their big eyes and long hair. I definitely saw them!
Charity S.: ‘I saw this silver thing and a person in black alongside
it. It looked like a saucer.’ When asked by Tim Leach of the BBC if
she had heard of UFOs, Charity replied: ‘I’ve not heard of UFOs
before.’
2 Only mention of the little figure being ‘plump’.
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(page 12 : drawings)
Emma C.: ‘I saw the objects disappear. They went up about a metre and
then they disappeared. The little men were wearing clothes which were
very, very shiny black. Like a diving suit and tight-fitting. I saw a
glimpse of his face; his eyes were big. I thought they were aliens
from another planet.’
Lisa P.: ‘I saw this silver thing lying on its side. A man dressed in
black came out. He had big eyes. I thought it was an alien and then I
thought it was the gardener.’
Figure 5: Drawing from Ariel School - No facial features, but two figures seen.
Earlier that day, Mrs Stevens, whose farm is close to the school, said
that she had got up to go to the bathroom, in the early hours, when
she saw a huge orange glow from her window, over her chicken house. It
was like a big round ball. She had never seen anything like it before
and rushed to call her husband but when he came, it had gone!
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How does one assess a sighting like this? Were the children highly
imaginative or were they dreaming? Is the whole UFO experience a
mental aberration with which we are not familiar? Were the children -
as has been suggested by one friend - in a state of hysteria, as has
happened recently in sonic girls’ schools in Zimbabwe? But in checking
out the latter, the hysterical girls were at the age of puberty
(14/15/16 year olds) and were only girls. Here, as many - if not more
- boys were involved and the ages of the witnesses ranged from 7 to
12 years.
None of this proves anything, one way or another, but one cannot help
feeling that a statement is being made. What it is, well, as John Mack
says, that’s the question!
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Accueil
Là
pu là!
) il s'agit de bride d'observation (étoile, étoile filante, projecteurs et j'en passe) sur une période de cinq heures avec un personnage central influant, d'autres pas très frais lors de cette soirée et un monsieur qui a fait une bonne blague (disons cela comme ça ! 
) en direction de l'abbaye de Taizeé. Là dessus voilà un enquêteur particulièrement connu et reconnu qui effectue une enquête et fais son rapport. Il rassemble le tout et Taizé est crée ! 
), les aficionados n'accepterons jamais de reconnaître qu'ils se sont trompés, que une partie de leur croyance dans ce phénomène est basé sur des FAUX ! (volontaire ou pas).