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The National Geographic Magazine 



PEASANT BOYS : CROATIA 



Ogulin is another point of inter- 

 est. The little cottages here have all the 

 charm of a cotter's life in Scotland. 



It is cold, very cold, however, at Ogu- 

 lin, in seasons when the bora, the cold 

 northeast wind, blows, and so they have 

 thatched the roofs thickly, and on the 

 shingles the moss grows soft. 



Quaint, old-fashioned gardens there 

 are, too. 



You remember the gay-colored balls 

 of glass we used to see on our Christmas 

 trees. In Croatia they mount these on 

 poles, and then set them to the right and 

 left of the walk. Here and there, too, 

 among the flowers there are others of 

 these balls. 



Summer afternoons at four every one 

 repairs to the garden. The men and the 

 young girls come back :rom the fields, 

 for here every one lives in town, working 

 the fields outside. The mother will have 

 the coffee brewed, and so they indulge 



in a bit of luncheon. The old grand- 

 father pulls out a pipe curved of stem 

 and with heavy porcelain bowl. The 

 girls "take a hand" at the sampler and 

 sew for an hour or so ; then away to 

 their several duties. 



In the life of the Croat the patient ox 

 very largely supplants the horse. Things 

 are primitive, and so one has the town 

 swimming-hole, where the youngsters, 

 bathe and the women come to wash their 

 linen. 



At Somobor there is another phase of 

 life. Somobor stands among the vine- 

 yards ~ ' :r: they raise the grapes for the 

 wine, in many parts of Croatia a glass 

 of wine is far cheaper than drinking 

 water. Drinking water, even in the city 

 hotels, is served only when asked for. 



Incidental to the grape industry, they 

 have opened here a "grape cure." To 

 this come those afflicted with a variety 

 of ills. Then for your complaint you are 



