Toni, the Little Woodcarver

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Toni, the Little Woodcarver

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Title: Toni, the Little Woodcarver
Author: Johanna Spyri
Release Date: November 23, 2004 [eBook #14128]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)
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TONI, THE LITTLE WOOD-CARVER
by
JOHANNA SPYRI
Author of Heidi Translated by Helen B. Dole
1920
New York Thomas Y. Crowell Company Publishers

[Illustration: Toni the Little Woodcarver.]

+----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | JOHANNA SPYRI'S ALPINE STORIES | | | | | | GRITLI'S CHILDREN. Complete Edition. Translated by LOUISE BROOKS. | | Illustrated in color. 8vo. | | | | HEIDI. Complete Edition. Translated by HELENE S. WHITE. 16 full-page | | illustrations in color. 8vo. | | | | LITTLE ALPINE MUSICIAN. Translated by HELEN B. DOLE. Illustrated in | | color. 8vo. | | | | RICO AND WISELI. Complete Edition. Translated by LOUISE BROOKS. | | Illustrated in color. 8vo. | | | | UNCLE TITUS. Translated by LOUISE BROOKS. Illustrated in color. 8vo. | | | | VERONICA. Translated by LOUISE BROOKS. Illustrated in color. 8vo. | | | | JO, THE LITTLE MACHINIST. Translated by HELEN B. DOLE. Illustrated | | in color. 8vo. | | | | LITTLE CURLY HEAD. Translated by HELEN B. DOLE. Illustrated in color | | 8vo. | | | | LITTLE MISS GRASSHOPPER. Translated by HELEN B. DOLE. Illustrated in | | color by CHARLES COPELAND. 8vo. | | | | MONI, THE GOAT BOY. Translated by HELEN B. DOLE. Illustrated in | | color by CHARLES COPELAND. 8vo. | | | | TRINI, THE LITTLE STRAWBERRY GIRL. Translated by HELEN B. DOLE. | | Illustrated in color. 8vo. | | | | TONI, THE LITTLE WOOD CARVER. Translated by HELEN B. DOLE. | | Illustrated in color. 8vo. | | | | TISS, A LITTLE ALPINE WAIF. Translated by HELEN B. DOLE. Illustrated | | in color. 8vo. | | | | THE ROSE CHILD. Translated by HELEN B. DOLE. Illustrated in color. | | 8vo. | | | | WHAT SAMI SINGS WITH THE BIRDS. Translated by HELEN B. DOLE. | | Illustrated in color. 8vo. | | | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+

[Illustration: In front of him next to the wall, stood a glass case.]

CONTENTS
AT HOME IN THE LITTLE STONE HUT
A HARD SENTENCE
UP IN THE MOUNTAINS
IN THE SANITARIUM
CHAPTER FIRST
AT HOME IN THE LITTLE STONE HUT
High up in the Bernese Oberland, quite a distance above the meadow-encircled hamlet of Kandergrund, stands a little lonely hut, under the shadow of an old fir-tree. Not far away rushes down from the wooded heights of rock the Wild brook, which in times of heavy rains, has carried away so many rocks and bowlders that when the storms are ended a ragged mass of stones is left, through which flows a swift, clear stream of water. Therefore the little dwelling near by this brook is called the stone hut.
Here lived the honest day-laborer Toni, who conducted himself well in every farm-house, where he went to work, for he was quiet and industrious, punctual at his tasks, and reliable in every way.
In his hut at home he had a young wife and a little boy, who was a joy to both of them. Near the hut in the little shed was the goat, the milk of which supplied food for the mother and child, while the father received his board through the week on the farms where he worked from morning until night. Only on Sunday was he at home with his wife and little Toni. The wife Elsbeth, kept her little house in good order; it was narrow and tiny, but it always looked so clean and cheerful that every one liked to come into the sunny room, and the father, Toni, was never so happy as when he was at home in the stone hut with his little boy on his knee.
For five years the family lived in harmony and undisturbed peace. Although they had no abundance and little worldly goods, they were happy and content. The husband earned enough, so they did not suffer want, and they desired nothing beyond their simple manner of life, for they loved each other and their greatest delight was little Toni.
The little boy grew strong and healthy and with his merry ways delighted his father's heart, when he remained at home