Spring had come and work had begun in the fields. His mother thought it would be best to ask the proprietor1 of the Matten farm, if he had some light work for Toni; but every time she spoke2 about it he would say beseechingly3:
"Oh, Mother, don't do that; let me be a wood-carver!"
She would have had no objection to this, but knew no way to bring it about, and she had known the farmer up on the Matten farm ever since her husband had worked there, and ever since his death, from time to time he had sent her a little wood or meal.
She hoped that he would employ Toni at first for light tasks in the field, so that he would gradually learn to do the heavier work.
So on Saturday night after the day's work was ended and she sat down with Toni to their scanty4 supper, she said once more:
"Toni, now we must take a decided5 step; I think it is best for me to go up to the Matten farm to-morrow."
"Oh, Mother, don't do that!" said Toni quite beseechingly. "Don't go to the farmer! If you will only let me be a wood-carver, I will work so hard, that I will earn enough, and you will not have to do so much, and then I can stay at home with you. Besides you would be all alone, and I can't bear it, if I have to be always away 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 carvings6? 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 pastor8, 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 determined9 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 enquired10 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 carving7 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 gratitude11 and new hope in her heart. In front of the house Toni was waiting in great suspense
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CHAPTER FIRST AT HOME IN THE LITTLE STONE HUT
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CHAPTER THIRD UP IN THE MOUNTAINS
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