Hungary to Teach Shepherds “Three R’s”

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 48, 27 February 1939, Page 3

Hungary to Teach Shepherds “Three R’s”

BUDAPEST—Hungary is taking a new view of its shepherds. It is starting training courses for those strong, silent men of the plains who wear huge woolly coats so that in the distance they look just like other sheep—only larger ones—and wearing quaint round black hats with the brims turned up all round. It used to bo thought that shepherds were born and not made. And the reputation of Hungary’s shepherds stood high. But in recent years many unqualified jobless man have drifted into shepherding, bringing some discredit to the calling. Altogether Hungary has about 1,000,000 sheep which need some 3,600 shepherds to look after them. It is said that in the last 10 years 100,000 animals have been lost through untrained shepherds. But the Hungarian Alinistry of Agriculture is determined to change that.

The first courses are being attended ,by about 3GO students —well, perhaps some persons might cavil at the word students if they looked in on the lectures, because many of those attending were past middle age. But at all events it shows that the “old hands” are ready to learn, and the idea is that they shall go back and teach the younger men what they have been learning. In which case those little gatherings squatting together in the bleak plains will soon be functioning as classes for education in general and instruction in shepherding in particular. Admittedly they nave much work ahead, for 44 per cent of the first batch of students were illiterate, but there is an enthusiasm growing engendered, no doubt, by the need to uphold the good name of the Hungarian shepherd. It is no longer going to be enough to ride daringly, display a fine, strong moustache, and play nice tunes on the “furulya,” or Reed pipe. Care of sheep and knowledge of the three R’s are to be needed, too. A shepherd in Hungary is entitled to wear romantic round hats and the “suba” coat of

sheepskin, but he is paid as little as 700 pengoes (about £3O) a year. Besides this he gets some food, such as wheat, lard, and salt, to the value of about 300 pengoes. He does not need much, it is said, living always in the plains and cooking his meals himself. But even this small sum has been reduced lately through the advent of the jobless.

“If you must know,” said Air Short, “I’m bankrupt.” “Did you settle anything on your wife?" I “No.” “Your daughter?” “No.” “You’re not bankrupt. You’re ruined.”