A little Swiss boy

by Johanna Spyri

Vinzi had kept his promise to cut beautiful pipes for Jos and Faz, and there had been such a frenzy of practising that pipe-playing had come to be their sole entertainment.

They both realized that Vinzi played far better than they, and to learn just how he did it was their highest ambition. The piping began as soon as they reached the pasture in the morning, and continued uninterruptedly as long as the cows grazed peacefully. Jos and Faz were leaders among the herd boys round about, and when they did not appear on the other pastures, little by little the others sought them on their own, and soon the passion for music spread.

After the pipes had been whining and screeching against one another, the players begged Vinzi to play so they could see how he did it. He was pleased to play as long as they desired and they crowded close around him to watch the action of his fingers. It seemed the melodies flowed forth of themselves; all Vinzi did was to let his fingers skip lightly over the holes. It looked so simple, each boy thought now he could do it himself and wanted to be the first to play. When the expected success did not come, he would declare that if he had his own pipe and could practise long enough, things would be different; but who could do much when he could only keep the precious instrument for a few minutes; when there were always ten more eager to use it?

Hence one boy after another came to ask: "Vinzi, what will you take to cut me a good pipe too?"

And Vinzi always replied readily: "You don't need to give me anything, but you must wait a while for your pipe, as I have already promised to make several others."

His Cousin Lorenz was delighted to hear his boys talking in the evenings about how all the herders, even those as far up as the hospice, came down to their pasture to hear the pipe-playing, and that they wanted to learn as well as to listen.

Vinzi was cutting so many pipes that there were two or three on each pasture, but there were so many boys that these did not suffice; each could only play a few notes before another boy wanted to see what he could do. It took long practise and much patience to produce a correct note, and to play a real tune was beyond the ability of most of them. Thus it came about that the supreme wish of each boy herder was to own a pipe which Vinzi had carved, for the pipes the others made did not produce true tones.

Among the group of herders were ten or twelve who were called the Tower Boys. Vinzi was never sure how many of them there were, because only a few of them could come to the Lesa pasture at a time; as on the other pastures, some must always stay to watch the cattle. At first Vinzi thought the Tower Boys were all brothers, but then he found out that they were cousins and belonged to three households. Already he had made pipes for two of them for they had been especially eager to own the instruments.

Then Black Vereli, so called on account of his black curly hair and dark skin, begged so earnestly for a pipe, that Vinzi was unable to refuse and gave him one which was already finished, though many of the boys cried jealously, "The Tower Boys already have two!"

Black Vereli ran off with his prize with many thanks and shouts of joy.