The hills in Cyprus are quiet now. The old job of being a shepherd is ending. Only a few people do this hard work. George Kasapis is 66. He was a shepherd for a long time. Now he keeps goats for fun. His story tells us about this old way of life.
George stopped being a full-time shepherd. The job was too hard. He worked for many years. He said, "The job never stops." Now he has goats for himself. He bought ten young goats. They cost about 40 euros each. His goats are big now. He still has some problems. His arm hurts. He also sleeps very little.
In the village of Mathiatis, three shepherds still work. One is a real shepherd. Another has a few animals. The third does not talk. George thinks joining the European Union made it worse. He said, "Since we joined the EU, it is all gone." New rules are hard to follow.
Young people do not want this job. Many old farms are empty. George Kasapis uses his uncle's old place for his goats. It is a hobby now. The number of shepherds is getting smaller. This old job may soon be only in books.