Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-04-23
ZULU BOYS.
How They Are Trained in Work and
Play for the Future.

Play for the Future.
From the Cincinnati Commercial Tribune
Mr.. John l.. DObe, the young native Zulu
missionary. who is at present studying in
this country, says that the life of the Zulu
boy is not all play. At the same time that
our boys are starting out for school, often
feeling very much injured because the day
is bright and they would rather play foot
ball, the Zulu boy, without any breakfast,
is sent out into his fathers field, where tn J,
crops are growing.
The work assigned him there does not in
the least resemble any chores that a boy
might find to do here, for it consists in
chasing away the monkeys and balloons
which come out of the forest and prowl
about with designs on the ripening pump
kin and other fruits. This is lively work.
for monkeys are notably quick in their
movements, and unless the youngsters are
on the alert thu monkeys founce upon their
booty and carry 1t away under the boys
noses.
At other times of the year 1t is not the
baboOns, but the birds that must be kept
from the ripening grain After q morning
of such lively exercise the boys are raven
Gus for their noon meal, the first food that
is given them during the day, for they only
cat twice in twenty-four hours, with not so
much as an afternoon tea between times
is to make him a dauntless and victorious
warrior. This being the case. the most i'm
rortant of their games is one in which thew
learn TO throw sharpened sticks with skill
1t is played as follows: One of their num-
her ascends a small hill, while tn, Others.
with their sticks in their hands, range
themselves in a row down the side The
Lad at the top then throws past the boys
with all his force the huge. soft bulb Of a
large African lily. This bulb is a foot In
diameter. and 1t goes by the first bow
he filings his stick at it. If he fails to p,erc e
1t the next boy, quick as lightning. throws,
too. and If he fails, the next one tries it,
and so on until one Of them sends his stick
into the heart Of the bulb, and as a reward
he ia allowed to go higher in the line, dis
placing the boy above him.
Though they consider it great hardship
to be obliged to chase the birds from their
fathers crops, the boys will follow birds all
day for fun. The boys pursue them from
bush to bush and from tree to tree, until
they actually tire their game out, when
they knock the birds on the head and XIII
them. If a Zulu boy was told to put salt
on birds tail he would not find 1t such a
very difficult feat
When the young Zulu has becoms tired or
heated from other sports he runs to the
nearest river into which he dives. It is NOT
necessary for him to stop to take off his
clothes. because HI never wears any and
at such time he must find 1t very conve-
nient. Zulu boys have been in the water an
much from their infancy that they seem
almost as much at home in 1t as the fish
themselves. Many Of their strokes in swim
ming differ greatly from ours, and with
them they are able to make headway
against the swiftest and strongest river
currents This Is very necessary, because
the South African rivsrs all now swiftly
and there are few opportunities for still
water baphfng.
They are especially proud Of the length
Of time they are able to remain undern cath
the water. and they learn to swim for a
long distance without coming to the sur
face. But perhaps their most wonderful
to swim with thar shoulders. They do not
use their arms at all. but simply call into
play the powerful muscles Of their little
backs.