Bertha lives in the Black Forest. That name makes you think at once
of a dark and gloomy place. The woods on the hills are dark, to be
sure, but the valleys nestling between are bright and cheerful when
the sun shines down and pours its light upon them. Bertha's village
is in just such a valley. The church stands on the slope above the
little homes. It seems to say, "Look upward, my children, to the
blue heavens, and do not fear, even when the mists fill the valley
and the storm is raging over your heads."

All the people in the village seem happy and contented. They work
hard, and their pay is small, but there are no beggars among them.

Toys are made in almost every house. Every one in a family works on
the same kind of toy, just as it is in Bertha's home.

The people think: "It would be foolish to spend one's time in
learning new things. The longer a person works at making one kind of
toy, the faster he can make them, and he can earn more money."

One of Bertha's neighbours makes nothing but Noah's Arks. Another
makes toy tables, and still another dolls' chairs.

Bertha often visits a little friend who helps her father make
cuckoo-clocks. Did you ever see one of these curious clocks? As
each hour comes around, a little bird comes outside the case. Then
it flaps its wings and sings "cuckoo" in a soft, sweet voice as many
times as there are strokes to the hour. It is great fun to watch for
the little bird and hear its soft notes.