For those of you who have been following my grandfather’s early life, today’s extract is slightly happier. Here he is not yet 6 years old.

Schnellersruhe was a Czech colony, so I learned Czech and gradually forgot my German. It was situated in a mainly Romanian area and so I learnt some Romanian and Hungarian.
Opposite us lived the Mlezywa family. They had one daughter and three sons. The second son, Jan, was my best and closest friend. We were always together, helping each other with every job. Jan accompanied me on all my trips to the forest in Berzasca even when my uncle Ernest came from Makarska (Dalmatia) to visit with his wife and two adopted sons, Ernest and Martin (Glavina).
Even today I remember every detail. Every Sunday I would go with the Guhs – one or both – to Cozla or Berzasca to sell provisions (butter, cream).I would always take the opportunity to visit Armanka, whom I liked very much and called him Baba. Armanka had a son (Mejle) and a daughter. Although they were considerably older than me I would always play with them.
The forester Guhs, whom I called “Baesi,”, his wife “Tata”; and forester Armanka, whom I called “Baba”, were everything to me. Armanka and Józef Guhs were completely devoted to my father, and tried – in their own way – to provide me with the best possible upbringing and comfort. I should mention that Armanka and Guhs used to be poachers and were greatly feared by most people in the area. My father promoted them to be gamekeepers for the sake of peace.
And so, peace reigned and they became the best and most faithful of workers. As a gamekeeper, Guhs often had to officially patrol the forest. Whenever he could, he would take me with him and teach me how to shoot and catch trout in the Sirinca River.
It was on an occasion like this that he introduced me to the secrets of poaching. It was here where his nature as a poacher became clear. What I learnt at that time was to come in very handy in later years. I was just six years old when I
I caught my first hare. Hunting took place all year round with no regard to the season. The caught game was brought to the house and shared with good friends. I can remember many beautiful scenes. The wife tended the fields and meadows that were in her care.

Guhs was the biggest farmer in the area.

There was also a lot to do around the house. From my earliest years I was given chores to do and taught how to do them. The older I got, the more jobs I was given. In the beginning I had to feed the pigeons and the dogs, and later the poultry – chickens, ducks, geese. Eventually I was entrusted with the horses and the cattle. and then finally it was the pigs’ turn – 30 to 40 of them.
When Guhs was in the forest and his wife in the fields, I had to water the horses and the cattle. Most of the work was with the pigs, who wanted to eat non-stop. As soon as they saw me, they let out a mighty noise. Then there was nothing left to do but to go to the garden or the field to look for grass ora pumpkin and feed the pigs.

The poultry – geese, ducks, chickens – also wanted to eat. Even the pigeons flew towards me as soon as I appeared in the yard. In a word, there was enough for a child.to do. I had calluses on my palms and my hands often hurt, but I still found time to play with my friend Jan Mlezywa and to go bird nesting all over the place. For the length and breadth of the area there wasn’t a bird whose nest I didn’t know.
Jan was my closest friend and helper at work and my playmate.