The chance discovery of the field notebooks of the Himalayan explorer Wilhelm Froschfeld (died 1887) led the author to a Nangali legend about a wooden idol with silver eyes that weeped at dramatic moments. The author suggests a scientific explanation based on the way in which wood interacts with water vapour in the air. Transport of the statue in a box created a microclimate that led to condensation when the statue was unpacked. Drawings, graph, diagram.