Sculptor

The story is told of a young and gifted sculptor who, during the early 1900s, left the cobblestone streets of Italy in search of opportunity in America. Spending his every penny to make the voyage, he arrived destitute and hungry. To make early ends meet he accepted work under the stewardship of a respected stoneworker. Day after day, he was assigned stones, which were two-foot square, and was directed to chisel very simple patterns. For example, on one stone he was directed to crave a straight line, on a second stone he etched a small circle. While the job provided means for shelter and nourishment, it was not before the sculpture found himself disgruntled. With his vast skills left untapped, he felt bored and unfulfilled. One evening, while searching solace in the cool of the night, he happened upon the construction site of a nearly completed building. The edifice seized his attention. The entire face of the building was a display of stonework beyond what he had ever before encountered. He marveled and deep inside dreamed of someday participating in such a work. "Someone," he thought,"is in the process of creating a masterpiece."

In awe, he determined to get a close-up view. Crossing traffic and slicing through a field, he scaled a chain-linked barrier to reach the destination. His heart stood as he examined the work of art.

To his amazement, the "masterpiece" consisted of no more than a series of meticulously arranged, two foot-square stones etched with simple patterns-straight lines and small circles. The creation was his own.