Toni, the Little Woodcarver | Page 5

from you. Let me stay with
you; don't send me away, Mother."
"Oh, you good Toni," said his mother, "what wouldn't I give to be able
to keep you always with me! But that really cannot be. I know of no
way for you to be a wood-carver; some one would have to teach you,
and when you had learned, how should we sell the carvings? You
would have to know people and go about, or else your work wouldn't
bring any money. If only I could talk with some one, who could give
me good advice!"
"Don't you know any one, Mother, you can ask?" said Toni anxiously
and racked his brain to try to think of some one. His mother too began
to consider.
"I think I will go to the pastor, who has already given me advice," said
his mother, delighted to have found a way out of the difficulty.
Toni was quite happy and now was determined that early the next
morning they should go down to the church and then his mother could
go in to see the pastor and Toni would wait outside.
Everything was carried out on Sunday morning as they had planned.
His mother had put two of the little carved animals in her pocket to
show the pastor as examples of her boy's good ability. The pastor

received her very cordially, had her sit down beside him and enquired
with interest about her affairs, for he knew Elsbeth and how bravely she
had helped herself through all the hard times.
She told him now the whole story, how Toni from a very early age had
worked at the carving with so much interest and now wished for
nothing so much as to carry on this work, but how she knew of no way
for him to learn, nor how, later, the work could be sold. Finally she
showed him the two little animals as examples of Toni's skill.
The pastor replied to the mother that the plan would be very difficult to
carry out. Although the two little goats were not badly carved, yet in
order to perform the work right and to earn his bread by it, Toni would
have first to learn from a good carver, because making only little
animals or boxes would not amount to anything or bring in any money,
and he would only be wasting his time.
However, down in the village of Frutigen there was a very skillful,
well-known wood-carver, who made wonderful large works which
went far into the world, even to America. He carved whole groups of
animals on high rocks, chamois and eagles and whole mountains with
the herdsman and the cows. Elsbeth could talk with this carver. If Toni
studied with him he could help him to sell the finished work, for he had
ways open for it.
Elsbeth left the pastor with gratitude and new hope in her heart. In front
of the house Toni was waiting in great suspense. She had to tell him at
once everything the pastor had said, and when she finally related about
the wood-carver in Frutigen Toni suddenly stood still and said:
"Then come, Mother, let us go to the place at once."
However, his mother had not thought it over--she made many
objections, but Toni begged so earnestly, that she finally said:
"We must go home first and have something to eat, for it is very far
away; but we can do that quickly and then start off again right away."

So they hurried back to the house, took a little bread and milk and
started on their way again. They had several hours to travel, but Toni
was so busy with his plans and thoughts for the future, the time flew
like a dream and he looked up in great surprise, when his mother said:
"See, there is the church tower of Frutigen!"
They were soon standing in front of the wood-carver's house, and
learned from the children before the door, that their father was at home.
Inside in the large, wainscotted room, sat the wood-carver with his wife
at the table, looking at a large book of beautiful colored pictures of
animals which he would be able to make good use of in his handicraft.
When the two arrived he welcomed them and invited them to come and
be seated on the wooden bench, where he and his wife were sitting and
which ran along the wall around the entire room. Elsbeth accepted the
invitation and immediately began to tell the wood-carver why she had
come and what she so much desired of him.
Meanwhile Toni stood as if rooted to the floor and stared motionless at
a single spot. In front of him next the wall was a glass case, in