A Campfire Story

Henk van Oort, the Netherlands

Henk van Oort trained as a primary teacher before taking a Masters Degree in English from the University of Amsterdam. His forty years of teaching in regular and in Waldorf education comprises work as a general teacher, teacher of English and headmaster. At the present he runs introductory courses in anthroposophy for teachers and parents. He also teaches as a teacher trainer on international summer courses at Pilgrims, Canterbury, England. He is the author of “Challenging Children, One Hundred Activities for the English Lesson in Primary Education”, published by DELTA, England. His “Anthroposophy, a Concise Introduction” has recently been published by the Rudolf Steiner Press, England.

Email: vanoort-breman@quicknet.nl

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Background
The Carpenter

Background

On the last Saturday of each month about fifteen men come together on a beautiful spot in the middle of a nature reserve in my village. I have been one of these men for two years now. We start about six, we prepare a meal, we make music and when it gets dark we light a campfire. Sitting around it we start a discussion on an interesting topic. Over the years these meetings have become very important to me. In the background they play a role in my work as a teacher. The whole setting of these meetings guarantees a very special atmosphere. In a safe environment deeper layers of our souls are allowed to come to light and mutual respect is everywhere. A real exchange of meaningful thoughts takes place.

Usually we decide on a subject to be discussed. But last month it was suggested by one participant to have no subject at all. There were many objections but he was adamant about this. His proposal was accepted in the end.

On that particular night everyone was more involved in the discussion than on other nights. Some said that real inspiration could only become manifest when there were no pre-conceived plans at all, as was the case that night. ‘Don’t think, just wait and see what happens’, was their motto. Others, on the contrary, said that only well thought-out plans can be the solid basis for any activity. At that point my brain started running in a higher gear. I got really interested. I noticed a polarity that should not be there. It is not either the one or the other. After all, too much thought will kill real inspiration and too much inspiration will end in thoughtless chaos. I chipped in and compared thoughts with tools that can help to understand the world. All my thoughts, my concepts, my ever changing worldview, are in my tool box. As a teacher I cannot do without this tool box, not a single day. And this word ‘toolbox’, that metaphor, did the trick. It was used a couple of times also by the others.

When I woke up the next morning I started writing an allegory and I called it ‘The Carpenter’. Pictures speak louder than words, I hope, please read on.

The Carpenter

Once upon a time there was a carpenter by the name of Felix. He was a good carpenter and he produced beautiful work. Nevertheless he was dissatisfied with his achievements. He decided to close his workshop and start travelling through his country to meet fellow carpenters. He thought it very likely that he could learn something from them. He took his small tool box in his hand and he left for the big unknown.

In every village he asked for the carpenter’s workshop. He talked with the carpenters he met. He watched them as they used their tools. He discussed furniture designs and assignments from their clients.

Many a time Felix discovered a new kind of tool in the workshops he visited. He bought the new tools whenever he could. He put them in his tool box which got pretty full in this way. In fact his tool box got too heavy to carry. In one of the villages Felix went to a blacksmith and asked for a small cart to be made to put his tool box on. Now he could easily draw this cart behind him.

When Felix had eventually returned to his own village he went up to his house and neatly arranged all the newly acquired tools in his workshop. That took two days.

Felix was famous for his fresh ideas and beautiful designs. Especially his richly carved cupboards were highly sought after. When people asked Felix how he managed to come up with new designs every time, he answered: ‘I am a careful observer whenever I dream’.

One morning Felix woke up with the image of a remarkably beautiful cupboard on the retina of his inward eye. He immediately started to work on it. With the help of all these new tools he managed to finish the cupboard after three days. The only thing that was still to be done was a minute but elaborate carving on the top. The carving he had so clearly seen in his dream. Unfortunately Felix did not manage to carry out this carving with the available tools. Then he remembered an old carpenter he had met on his travels. Felix decided to go and visit this old carpenter and ask him for advice.

After two days Felix arrived at his workshop which appeared to be closed. Felix knocked but the door remained closed. Then an old woman appeared round the corner. ‘I am looking for the old carpenter’, Felix said. ‘Oh’, the woman answered, ‘he died three weeks ago and the workshop has been closed ever since.’ Felix was scared out of his wits. After a moment he said: ‘I had in mind to ask him after a certain tool I saw him working with when I visited him. But that is impossible now.’ ‘But you may go in if you like and just have a look’, the woman said while opening the door. Felix went in, walked to the bench and immediately saw the remarkable gouge he remembered. He also saw that a tiny little card had been tied to the gouge with a piece of string. Felix picked up the gouge and read the card: ‘To Felix’, it said. Felix was speechless.

Back home Felix finished the last carving job with this magnificent tool. He gave the wood a final touch of beeswax and there it was: the splendid cupboard exactly as he had seen it in his dream. He did not sell it. The cupboard had become too precious to him. Too much akin to his own frame of mind. He placed it in his shop window for everyone to see and it became a source of inspiration.

From this moment on Felix got famous throughout the country. Young carpenters came to him to learn the carving skills. And they all soon understood that real craftsmanship depends on an array of sophisticated tools, real inspiration and a strong will to achieve the best.