St. Nicholas Magazine for Boys and Girls, Vol. 5, October 1878, No. 12

In a sun‑drenched corner of the Bavarian Highlands lies Mittenwald, a village where the air hums with the scent of spruce and the clatter of strings. Twelve‑year‑old Stephan Reindel darts through cobbled streets, his green‑trimmed hat and brass horn announcing the daily roundup of hundreds of bell‑tipped goats. The lively chorus of bleating animals and the rhythm of his whip paint a vivid picture of youthful energy set against a landscape of soaring peaks and hanging instruments.

After shepherding his flock to the pine shade, Stephan returns home to find his mother labouring over varnished violins, a modest craft that sustains their family since his father’s death. Their conversation drifts between the hope of a future in the workshop and the reality of daily toil, when an unexpected knock at the door shatters the evening’s calm. The sudden entrance of an angry, stumbling neighbour hints at a mystery that will draw Stephan beyond his familiar mountain trails.