Magazine

Photo: CTK Early risers witnessed a strange sight on Prague's Wenceslas Square this week. A young man decided to join the country's patron saint - saint Wenceslas -on his horse at the top end of Wenceslas Square. He managed to scramble up the statue and mount the horse - sitting in front of Wenceslas and waving to passers by. His face, hands and feet were painted blue and he was wearing a Scottish kilt. The sight of a fire engine arriving and firemen running up a ladder to bring the man down caused as much interest as the sight of him on the statue. The police investigating the incident said he was a well-known exhibitionist. When he was being questioned he told the police his next feat would be to run into Parliament naked with his body sprayed with gold paint.

Sweden's state broadcaster, SVT, mistakenly showed a Czech pornographic film in the background of a news broadcast. Viewers watching a five-minute bulletin at midnight last Saturday were treated to explicit scenes from a Czech blue movie on a TV screen behind the newsreader. A producer spotted the sex scenes, ran into the control room and turned off the monitor. The monitor on the wall of a control room visible behind the studio normally shows other news channels during broadcasts. The stations news director said staff who had earlier watched a sports event on the cable channel, which often shows X-rated films after midnight, had forgotten to switch it back. He said there had been no complaints from viewers about the mishap, but "enormous interest from the media". Swedish newspapers allegedly poked fun at the programme, changing its name from Rapport to "Rapporn".

Photo: Richard Benes Drivers in the west Bohemian town of Plzen have been warned to drive with extra caution through the centre of town because there are a number of fat and smelly ducks on the lose. The ducks which are believed to have dropped off a van transporting them from a farm to a slaughter-house have stopped traffic on several occasions during the past few days as they waddled across a busy road. One was hit by a car and taken to a nearby animal shelter where the vet identified it as a duck from one of the big poultry farms in the vicinity- "it's fat and smelly - small farmers keep their birds in better condition" he said. Smelly or not - the ducks have managed quite a feat - they are alive and free -as long as they keep off Plzen's busy roads.

People in the town of Zahradky - aptly named gardens - held a huge picnic on the grounds of the Zahradky chateau last weekend. They grilled 630 veggie burgers, drank gallons of beer and danced to live music. The burgers were gone in 9 minutes and 58 seconds flat- another bizarre record that has made the Czech Book of Records and Curiosities.

Photo: www.pribram-muzeum.cz The miners museum in Pribram, southern Bohemia has just acquired an ancient fire-engine that it is immensely proud of. The fire-engine is the oldest functional model of its kind on show in the Czech Republic. It dates back to 1885 and was painted in yellow and black - the colours of the Austro-Hungarian Empire to which the Czech lands belonged at the time. The fire engine -or rather the mobile water pump - was used in the days of Emperor Ferdinand and then gathered dust for years in someone's barn. Fireman Zdenek Tuma saved it in the 1970s when it would have ended up in a dump yard and did his best to maintain it over the years. He has now donated it to the Pribram miners museum - where it is the most precious and admired piece on display.

Meeting one's future in laws can be a challenge. A young man invited to meet his girlfriend's parents is now in custody wondering what the future will bring. A marriage to his beloved is highly unlikely - the meeting with his prospective father in law went very badly. While the women were in the house preparing refreshment the men got into a fight in the backyard. Although it is not quite clear what happened - some neighbours who witnessed the incident said the old man wanted to run the suitor from the premises and physically attacked him. In the end the young man brought out a gun and shot his prospective father in law in the genitals. The latter is in hospital - the former in custody having been charged with causing grievous bodily harm.

Photo: www.eroticcity.cz Body-conscious Czech young men have discovered push-up underpants! Yes - I know exactly what you are thinking - and the answer is they push up whatever you need - the back or the front depending on where you need some extra support. Colleagues in the office roared with laughter when I read that one out to them from the wires - and no one believed it. Amazingly, it's true - the support pants - or maybe one should call them "wonderpants" - are on the market for the price of 1,200 crowns! Hey - it's a free world - and with gender equality - who are we to protest?

Photo: Klaus-Dieter Schulz Passengers on the Plzen-Cheb express train got a bad scare this week when they realized they were sharing their carriage with a King Ratsnake. Also known as the Stinking Goddess this species is impressive both in size and colouring - ranging from one and a half to two meters - or approximately four to six feet. Although it is basically harmless, this breed can be very aggressive and the common name Stinking Goddess refers to its highly developed post-anal glands which - when the snake is in danger - are emptied emitting a very strong repulsive odour. This particular snake was being transported in a container from one breeder to another but managed to escape from the cargo car and decided to investigate. Its unexpected appearance in the next carriage threw passengers into a panic but one of them was brave enough to catch it and the by-then very smelly Goddess was taken off the train at the next stop. Which only goes to show that Czech railway's passengers are ready to deal with any emergency "on the road".