Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1898-09-07
Queer Boy, of Zu1uland.


At the same time that our boys arr
started for the school, often feeling
very much injured because the day
is bright and they would rather play
football, the Zulu boy, without any
breakfast, is sent out into his fathers
field, where the crops are growing.
The work assigned to him there does
not in the least resemble any chores
that boy might find to do here, fol
It consists In chasing away the mon
keys and balloons which come out OF
the forest and prowl about with de.
signs on the ripening pumpkins and
other fruits. This is lively work, fol
monkeys are notably quick in thell
movements, and unless the youngsters
are on the alert the monkeys pounct
upon their booty and carry It away
under the boys noses.
At other times of the year 1t is not
the balloons but the birds that must
be kept from the ripening grain. After
a morning Of such lively exercise the
boys are ravenous for their noon meal
the first food that Is given them during
the day, for they only eat twice IL
twenty-four hours and not so much as
an afternoon tea between times.
The whole aim Of Zulu boys train.
ing is to make him dauntless and vic.
torious warrior. This being the case,
the most important Of their games is
one in which they learn to throw sharp
ened sticks with skill. It is played as
follows: One of their number ascends
a small hill while the others, with theiI
sticks In their hands, range themselves
in q row down the side. The lad at the
top then throws past the boys with all
his force the huge, soft bulb of large
African lily. This bulb is O foot in
diameter, and as 1t goes by the first
boy he filings his stick at 1t. II he fails
to pierce 1t the next boy, quick as light
ming, throws, too, and If he fails, the
next one tries 1t, and so on until one Of
them sends his stick into the heart Of
the bulb, and as reward he is allowed
to go higher in the line, displacing the
boy above him.
Though they consider it a great hard
ship to be obliged to chase the birds
from their fathers crops, the boys VIII
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 kill them. II
a Zulu boy were told to put salt on a
birds tail he would not find 1t such a
very difficult feat.
When the young Zulu has become
tired or heated from other sports he
runs to the nearest river, into which
he dives. 1t is not necessary for him
to stop to take off his clothes, because
he never wears any, and at such q
time he must find it very convenient
Zulu boys have been In the water so
much from their very infancy that
1t as the fish themselves. Many of
their strokes in swimming differ great
ly from ours. and they are able to make
headway against the swiftest and
strongest river currents. This is very
necessary, because the South African
rivers all flow swiftly and there are
few opportunities for saltwater bath
ing.
They are especially proud Of the
length of time that they are able to re-
main underneath the water. and they
learn to swim with the shoulders. they
do not use their arms at all, but simply
call into play the powerful muscles
of their little backs.-Chicago Inter
Ocean.