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 which
could be seen two high rocks, carved out of wood. On one was standing a
chamois with her little ones. They had such dainty, slender legs, and
their fine heads sat so naturally on their necks that it seemed as if they
were all alive and not at all made of wood. On the other rock stood a
hunter, his gun hanging by his side, and his hat, with even a feather in
it, sat on his head, all so finely carved, that one would think it must be
a real hat and a real little feather, and yet all was of wood.

Next the hunter stood his dog, and it seemed as if he would even wag his
tail. Toni was like one enchanted and hardly breathed.

When his mother finished speaking, the wood-carver said it seemed to him
as if she thought the affair would half go of itself, but it was not so.

If a thing was to be done right, it cost much time and patience to learn.
He was not averse to taking the boy, for it seemed to him that he had a
desire to learn; but she would have to pay for his board for a couple of