The children rambled about the farm and outbuildings. The farm-house was very long and deep and low, with a long, slanting roof. The front door was of heavy timbers upon which was a design of St. Martin outlined in nails, the work of the farmer, while small crosses at either side of the door were considered sufficient protection from the evil spirits who might wish to attack the family within.
The interior of the farm-house was very simple; a large vestibule called the Laube or bower served as a means of communication between the different parts of the house; the sleeping-rooms were ranged on one side, while the dining and living-room occupied the other, with the kitchen just beyond.
The Gesindestube, or living-room, was very plain, with its bare floors and darkened walls; a tile stove in one corner, benches about the walls and chests, some plain, some elaborately decorated and carved, occupied whatever space was left. Here were kept the household linens and the wardrobes for the family, as no Austrian peasant home is built with closets as we have in America.
That evening, Herr Runkel said to Ferdinand:
"To-morrow, my boy, we work. Would you like to help?"
"Oh, it would be jolly," replied the lad. After a moment's hesitation, he added: "What kind of work? Hoeing potatoes or weeding the garden?"
These two tasks were the only ones the lad was familiar with upon his uncle's farm in Tyrol.
The farmer laughed. "No, we won't do that," he said. "We'll leave that to the servants; but we'll make shoes."
"Make shoes!" exclaimed the child, incredulously. "Really make them yourself? I've never made shoes," he added, doubting whether he might be allowed now to assist.