The Nürnberg Stove

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

20997

Title

The Nürnberg Stove

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

In a snowbound Austrian town, young August Strehla clings to his beloved Nuremberg stove as it is sold and transported across Europe. Trapped inside the porcelain tower, he embarks on a perilous journey through winter landscapes, facing hunger and fear, only to be discovered by a benevolent king who restores his family's fortune and secures his future as an artist.

Summary up to 500 words

Set in the picturesque Austrian town of Hall, Ouida's *The Nuremberg Stove* tells the poignant tale of nine-year-old August Strehla and his family's cherished possession: a magnificent 1532 Nuremberg stove crafted by the legendary potter Augustin Hirschvogel. The stove, a masterpiece of enamelled faience adorned with heraldic figures and moralizing mottoes, serves as the heart of the impoverished Strehla household, providing warmth and comfort to the ten children and their weary father. However, financial desperation forces Karl Strehla to sell the heirloom to Munich dealers for two hundred florins to pay debts. Refusing to let the beloved object leave his home, August makes the desperate decision to crawl inside the stove before it is loaded onto a goods train. The narrative follows August's harrowing journey through the dark, freezing landscape of Tyrol and Bavaria. Trapped in the stove's interior, he endures hunger, thirst, and the terrifying noise of the railway, surviving only on a small loaf of bread, sausage, and eventually, snow eaten from a window ledge in a bric-à-brac shop. His faith in Hirschvogel and his family sustains him through the ordeal. Upon arrival in Munich, the stove is purchased by a wealthy dealer and transported to the royal castle of Berg. There, August is discovered by the young King, who is captivated by the boy's devotion and the stove's unparalleled beauty. The King intervenes after learning that the dealers had overcharged the Strehla family, ordering them to return the ill-gotten gains of two thousand ducats. Moved by August's plight and his dream of becoming an artist like Hirschvogel, the King offers the boy a place at court, promising to fund his artistic education. The story concludes with August thriving as a scholar and artist, forever grateful for the miraculous winter journey that saved his family's honor and secured his future. The tale blends historical detail with romantic sentiment, celebrating the power of art, the resilience of the human spirit, and the transformative nature of kindness.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Fiction
• Travel