UNCLE BORIS, WHO WAS GRANDMA LENA'S youngest brother, ran away from home at the age of fourteen and joined the Moscow Circus, first as a sweeper and eventually to become "Fire Eater of the Universe".
He was able to extinguish 55 flaming torches with his mouth in one minute. "No secret", he said. No "cold flame", and no substance in his mouth. Just a very high tolerance to pain. Even though he "placed himself in an altered state", he still was forever tending to blisters on his lips, tongue and throat.
He once brought a lawsuit against "The Great Flambino", for libel, when he was accused of lining his mouth with a secret substance that allowed him to endure keeping a lit torch in his mouth for 51 seconds. Uncle Boris was incensed when the judge dismissed the case after his demonstration, when he tried to "Shoot the Moon", putting out one torch while making the flame jump to another torch.
Unfortunately the flame jumped to the judges robe and quite a commotion ensued. A #5 Extinguisher was produced to douse the flames. It did. But the case was thrown out. Uncle Boris left the courtroom shouting that the "King of the Blow Out", didn't need an extinguisher.
Many years later, here in the U.S., I was lucky to have him perform at my Sweet Sixteen party. Not only did Uncle Boris ignite all the candles at once, but he helped me with my big "Blow Out".
Thanks again to Willow for providing this intriguing magpie prompt..and please do check out the other bloggers responses!
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