An interesting scene

"Three blind men, each one as old and bent as a caricature of Father Time, move slowly up the street where foreigners' hotels are concentrated. Each one holds a corner of an undyed cotton sheet. A small, sighted boy, about 6, holds the front corner in one hand, pulling them along; in the other hand, the boy holds up a kerosene lantern. The old men are singing an unearthly melody, words I don't understand. Passers-by toss coins into the cloth."