The Caiplie Caveman
I was wandering from West Anstruther to East Anstruther and I decided to go by the stepping stones. The stepping stones have been there as long as I can remember and if you ask any of the auld folk oh the toon they shall tell you they were there when they were young. Anyway it cuts about five minutes off your walk and it brings you onto Castle Street beach which leads you onto Shore St Anstruther.
This day I was walking across the beach and a couple of local women were sitting on the beach where their children were playing. They asked what I was upto and any other news that I had so I ended up sitting down for a while.
The children were playing and I noticed that one of the bairns had a toy dinasaur. It turned out to be her favourite toy.
The mothers were chatting away about this and that . Every now and again I would add my tuppence worth.
After a while the coastal walk from Anstruther to Crail came up in the conversation and one of the women said that she had never walked that path. I butted in here with a mention of the Caiplie Caves. I told them that a caveman still lives there and if you are lucky one can get a glimpse of him.
The women were interested in going along for a look with the children and they asked if I would go with them.It was arranged for the following afternoon.
With the dinasaur and the caveman in mind I was very busy that evening!?
The next day we met and as a couple of the children were young we decided to drive to a farm which is nearer to the caves and then proceded on foot. Around five hundred yards from the caves there is a lovely grassy area and we stopped there for a packet of crisps and a drink of juice. While there I told them that we would go and sit in front of the caves amoungst some large boulders and that we would all have to be silent or the caveman would not come out.
After our refreshment we wound our way through the gorse bushes until we came to the caves and settled down amoungst the boulders. The children all kept there stare on the cave with the very rare glimpse round at their mothers. After a while one of the children whispered ' I thought I heard something' and then a few moments later another child whispered ' I thought I saw something move' then lo and behold the caveman appeared.
The caveman came out in a long slow striding walk, stopped for a few seconds and glanced at the sky and around him. He seemed to be carrying a toilet style bag!
The caveman walked down to the rocks and stopped at a large rock that had a natural basin shaped in it. (we locals know this as the 'witches basin') True enough it was a toilet bag. We were just close enough to make out the larger objects that he used. Do not know what the tooth brush was made from but he shaved by using a 'razor shell', washed his face with a natural sponge and tidied his hair with the aid of a fish bone comb.
He then wandered back into the cave and for a short while we heard 'cave rock style' music. Then total silence. WE WERE ALL SHELL SHOCKED!
We waited for a while and then realised that he more than likely would not reappear so we headed off back the way we had came.
We stopped at the same grassy area for another drink of juice and while there we all spoke of our caveman experience. When suddenly a deep throated voice echoed overhead asking us in a kind manner not to mention this to anyone as cavemen do not like too many visitors. The voice told us that the caveman was aware of us but knew by our manner that we were no threat but he said that was not the case with all of modern day humans.
Then there was an eerie silence!
We then headed for home. Now when we meet we never mention the caveman but just nod and wink. I have been back many times but I have never seen the caveman again but I know that he exists.
THE END
(Roy McIntosh - August 2007)
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