The Woodcutter of Gutech

The Woodcutter of Gutech, by
W.H.G. Kingston

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Woodcutter of Gutech, by
W.H.G. Kingston This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no
cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give
it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License
included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
Title: The Woodcutter of Gutech
Author: W.H.G. Kingston
Release Date: May 15, 2007 [EBook #21486]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE
WOODCUTTER OF GUTECH ***

Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England

The Woodcutter of Gutech, by W.H.G. Kingston.
_________________________________________________________
______________

A very short book, and a fairly early one of the author's. The subject
matter is the early days of the Reformation, and the time at which the
Roman Church was trying to prevent ordinary people from reading the
Bible in general, and the Gospels in particular. The Woodcutter with
his son and his donkey are working in the forest, one evening, when a
man asks them for directions to get out of the forest. They offer him a
bed for the night, so he comes to their home, where he produces his
wares, which consist of Bibles, and he explains them to the enthralled
family.
Although it is short this book makes a nice little audiobook.
_________________________________________________________
______________
THE WOODCUTTER OF GUTECH, BY W.H.G. KINGSTON.
CHAPTER ONE.
A traveller was making his way through the Black Forest in Germany.
A pack was on his back, of a size which required a stout man to carry it,
and a thick staff was in his hand. He had got out of his path by
attempting to make a short cut, and in so doing had lost his way, and
had been since wandering he knew not where. Yet he was stout of heart,
as of limb, and a night spent in the depths of the forest would have
concerned him but little had he not set a value upon time. "I have lost
so much in my days of ignorance and folly," he kept saying, "that I
must make up by vigilance what has been thus misspent. I wish that I
had known better. However, I am now ready to spend all, and be spent
in the work of the Good Master I serve."
The ground was uneven, his load heavy, and the weather warm. Still he
trudged bravely on, consoling himself by giving forth, in rich full tones,
a hymn of Hans Sachs of Nuremburg, the favourite poet of Protestant
Germany in those days.
Thus he went on climbing up the steep side of the hill, out of which
dark rocks and tall trees protruded in great confusion. At last he got

into what looked like a path. "All right now," he said to himself; "this
must lead somewhere, and I have still an hour of daylight to find my
way out of the forest. When I get to the top of this hill I shall probably
be better able to judge what direction to take." He trudged on as before,
now and then stopping to take breath, and then once more going on
bravely. At length the sound of a woodman's axe caught his ear.
"All right," said he. "I should not have allowed my heart to doubt about
the matter. The Good One who has protected me hitherto will still
continue to be my Guide and Friend."
He stopped to listen from which direction the sounds came. The loud
crash of a falling tree enabled him better to judge, and by the light of
the sinking sun, which found its way through the branches of the tall
trees, he made directly towards the spot. He soon caught sight of an old
man, stripped to his shirt and trousers, who with his gleaming axe was
hewing the branches of the tree he had just felled. Not far off stood a
young boy with a couple of donkeys, which he was beginning to load
with fagots, near a pile of which they stood.
"Friend woodman," said the traveller, as he got up to him, and the old
man stood for a moment leaning on his axe, with an inquiring glance in
his eye. "Friend woodman, I have lost my way; can you help me to find
it?"
"Not to-night, friend traveller," answered the woodman. "If I was to
attempt to put you on your way, you would lose it again in five minutes.
This is no easy country for a man ignorant of it to pass through without
a guide, and neither I nor little Karl there have time just now to
accompany you. But you look like an honest man, and if you will come
with me to