BULLS AND BOYS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20917, 6 January 1930, Page 13

BULLS AND BOYS.

SPAIN TRAINS TOREADORS. A CORRIDA IN MINIATURE. CROWD MAD WITH EXCITEMENT. Hundreds of boys are being trained in a little village near San Sebastian to become toreadors. Many will fail—but some will one day become the national idols of Spain. The market square serves as the arena, and these ambitious youths face the bull armed with nothing more than an old, discoloured shawl. There are many similar village schools ” in Spain, but this one near San Sebastian boasts that it has produced, a record number of the finest toreadors. The young bulls, not more than three feet high, are brought into the village from the countryside on the previous night. Hound the square a rough temporary enclosure of wood is built, and early on Sunday morning everything is ready. Soon after Mass the great bell of the village rings out to inform the crowd that the match between bulls and boys will start. Immediately windows, verandas and balconies become filled to danger with nti excited, chattering throng. The roofs are black with all sorts of people taking as keen an interest in the ? am e any of the Cup-final enthusiasts in Britain. At these, points of vantage the women are in the majority. All homes are deserted in order to witness this corrida in miniature from which will perhaps emerge a real toreador, a new national hero to bo loved by all the women of Spain. In the centre of the enclosure stand about 20 or 30 young fellows, the wouldbe toreadors. Their average age is between 16 and 19.

The corrida starts. The would-be toreador and his assistants salute the balconies and the crowd with a grand gesture of. future triumph. They wear no special costume, their clothes being the dark blue trousers and white shirts of their every-day labour. The judge of the play is the public, and how lustily and vociferously it takes to its duties! Against the toreador who has not been quick in avoiding an attack, or whose foot has wavered against the approach of the animal, what a shout of indignation! What a roar of applause and an endless cry of v joy salutes the boy who is able to withstand, fearless, the advance •if , IO . US atnm al, and who is able, with the help of the discoloured shawl, to avoid it» nornfl by quickly jumping aside. Step by step the crowd follow the game! They wave, they shout, they scream—it is an intoxicating madness! Suddently 1000 deafening voices are raised in one prolonged shriek; from every balcony one can see little hands brandishing handkerchiefs, parasols, fans; thousands of arms salute, thousands of kisses are thrown into the air; even the great bell or the village joins in the news.

It is the signal that the boy has conquered the bull, and that if he had been armed with the famed stiletto the animal would even now be at his feet If the corrida were not a school, blood would now be flowing in the arena, the poor animal would lie on the ground, instead of going back with heavy and weary head to the little temporary stable Jose Martinez is the conqueror of the day. ills name is on all Ji ps He is acclaimed, applauded, kissed, torn from one to jiDtaef, He smiles with modesty, while his eyes turn instinctively to a balcony at the bottom corner of the square where a young woman is frantically wavJ n S two little and enthusiastic white hands.

It is his sweetheart, aglow with the triumphant thought that Martinez will one day be a real toreador—for certain it is that the news of his victory will soon come to the ear of some retired champion, who will act as his manager, and who will ensure him his first engagement m a real arena

The dream of Martinez will be a reality now.