The Wooden Toy
My first Christmas while living in Germany, which comes to mind, was when I was perhaps 4 or 5 years old. The country had been devastated because of the war, things like toys were difficult to find. My father wanted us to have a nice Christmas. He knew a local lady in Uffenheim, who was quite skilled in gardening and working with wood. He had her make some wooden toys for my sister and myself. She made me a wooden truck and several animals mounted on wooden platforms with wheels that could be hooked together and pulled along. Oh, what happiness! Oh what joy! Oh what a Christmas! They were all a simple "wooden toy", but provided by a father that loved his son & daughter and brought the Christmas spirit of giving to the life of a little boy and girl.
Eric W. Firkowski
Houston, Texas, 26-10-03