The Aged Scholar, Mitshering

The unannounced appearance of the Aged Scholar, Mitshering, heralds a more light-hearted act. Dressed in a long, yellow tunic of Chinese brocade and a skin-coloured mask, he is an expert parodist, limping slowly down the stairs supported by a cane. To the delight of the Sherpa audience he slips and stumbles clumsily, but the laughter turns to shrieks of mock horror as the old man approaches the crowd. The locals scatter in all directions to escape... and the reason soon becomes apparent, as an unsuspecting westerner is chosen by Mitshering to be his Assistant.

No words are spoken by the Aged Scholar as he instructs his victim in the preparation of torma. The crowd ripples with merriment as the Assistant is made the butt of Sherpa humour, though on this occasion he turns the tables, mimicking the Scholar amidst peals of laughter. Mitshering waves his arms in mock annoyance, before throwing torma and water at the crowd and slowly ascending the stone staircase into the gompa.