Moral Emblems

A quiet Swiss chalet crowns a snow‑clad ridge, and through a child’s eyes the scene becomes a stage for both wonder and lean survival. In this modest volume, poems and woodcut illustrations intertwine, offering snapshots of toboggan rides, icicle‑laden firs, and the stark contrast between the village’s hushed health cures and the household’s whispered anxieties. The language is simple yet vivid, capturing the delicate balance of youthful joy against the cold, star‑strewn nights that dominate the Alpine landscape.

The young narrator, living with his stepfather—an impoverished writer—and his mother, learns early the weight of money and the pull of ambition. He fashions his own miniature printing press, produces programmes, lottery tickets, and even a tiny book of illustrated verses, discovering how a single pamphlet can out‑earn countless errands. The first act settles on his resourceful attempts to turn creativity into cash, hinting at the larger moral questions that will surface as his craft matures.