An Artists Daughter

A man was working in his work shed a past time he loved to do was stone masonry but there was hardly and cause for that kind of work any longer except for small yard sculptures and that didn't pay very well for all the time it took to create the image from inside the stone. He had been laid off from work at exactly the wrong time he and his wife had borrowed all the money they dared to borrow and now his little girls birthday was just two days away and he didn't have anything to give her except a cookout for that day but she was turning seven and she was wanting gifts. Just then as he was thinking about this the little girl walked in behind him her big blue eyes shining bright up at him and she said, "Daddy I know what I want for my birthday." The father was expecting toys galore but found he was in for a surprise to say the least. "I want a stone doll daddy one you make made of Alice." The father wondered why she was doing this for her birthday but he agreed and set to work, he found the right size and chiseled it down to reveal the little girl that had been hiding all the while riding a bicycle he hadn't painted it because that would leave something for he and his daughter to do together. On the day of her birthday and he revealed the sculpture the little girl looked up at him and said "Good now come with me daddy, and bring stone Alice." She took him by the hand and walked over to her best friends father who was a renowned artist and showed off her daddies work. "What do you think Mr. Smith." Mr. Smith was going to just pass it off as half done work and that would be that but when he examined it he realized it was much more than that, this was a commercial piece that could be sold to private collectors. "You made this sir?" The father was puzzled thinking that Mr. Smith was going to be immature about his daughters birthday gift but he answered in a defensive tone. "Yes I made this for my daughter." Mr. Smith said calmly "Well sir if you would like I would like to introduce you to my work publisher he may be able to contact you with different private collectors around the world you do exquisite work with you hands." The father not understanding where this could go because he had tried publishers before but they turned him down many times over because he didn't have a college degree in art. "Well if you want to try I'll let you but don't get excited, I have another piece outside in my shed I'll let you have to show." The father went outside got a small piece handed it to Mr. Smith and he thought that was that, the next week a knocking came on the front of his work shed it was his wife and another man. "Frank this man came to see you about your sculptures he wants to talk to you." Frank put down his hammer and chisel and walked outside of his shed. "What can I do for you." Said Frank to the man. The man said, "My name is Albert Stein and I have received a piece of work from Robert Smith and he said that you created this." He held up the small piece that he gave Mr. Smith to show the publisher. Frank answered "Yes that's one of my smaller pieces not very hard to make." Albert reached into his briefcase and pulled out a contract. "Sir if you sign here we can start publishing your work in museums around the country and every time you sale a piece I will expect a ten percent finders fee." Frank was perplexed "What do you mean what are you telling me?" Albert was confused as well "I do hope you wish to sell some of your work because the world is without a master of the chisel and hammer these are hand crafted pieces of work are they not there are but maybe two or three who work this way and you are one of the three please say you will let me produce the shows, this piece here could go for as little as five hundred and a larger one the number would be much higher than that." Frank was stunned he was speechless but he mustered himself together and said "You mean you want me to sell my work become a published artist?" Albert was understanding the man was in shock so he smiled and held his hand out for a hand shake, "This contract will have to be signed and you'll have to let me do my work but yes I want to publish your sculptures and make some money in the process, you have nothing against money right." He said the last part laughing. Frank read the contract from beginning to end and agreed with all it had to say and signed his name, "Well Mr. Stein let's make some money." The little girl had watched all that happened and watched Albert leave with a bounce in his step, and when he was gone she walked over to her father and gave him a hug, "See daddy I met Mr. Stein a few weeks ago when I was playing at Misty's and I told him and Mr. Smith about your sculptures Mr. Smith didn't believe me but Mr. Stein said to have you make a piece and bring it to him but Mr. Smith didn't want to do it, but I knew when he saw just one thing you made he would have to." Frank knew it was his little girl who made the meeting happen she had worked like a manager and instrumental in her ways of doing it making sure that she had the attention of Mr. Stein being friend an artists little girl so she could make her move at the right time and getting him to make something for her birthday all the while scheming to show the artist the finished work. "Your a very smart little girl you know that and I love you very much. "I know Daddy now I want one more thing I want my birthday gift to sit outside in front of the house so all will know a great artist lives here,

MY DADDY."