Obed the Farmer for the Fontanini 5" Scale Collection

Obed the Farmer for the Fontanini 5" Scale Collection.

COLLECTOR NOTE - Introduced in 2022.

 THE STORY OF OBED:

Obed shields his eyes from the sun's morning rays as he stands in his doorway and smells the earthy dampness in the air.  Rains have softened the sunbaked soil.  Time has come to plant his harvest.   He hoists a light wooden plow to his shoulder and walks out to his fields.  Once there, Obed gathers his oxen to pull the plow, and gently leads them to the open land.

The plow's iron tip bites the stony ground.  It does not turn the earth but only scratches it - digging straight lines.  Stumbling left and right, he struggles to stay upright and never looks behind - afraid his plow will wander off track.  Obed's once smooth ground is now ready for planting.  He fills his hand with seeds from the heavy bag slung over his shoulder and scatters them over the black dirt.  Birds swoop down to steal the tasty seeds before OBED has the chance to cover them up.   He then attaches long thin branches to his oxen and drags the branches to cover the seed so they can begin to sprout and grow tall.

Months pass and the rains fall.  The ripe barley grown from the tiny seeds - now sways in the sun.  Obed knows the time has come to harvest the barley.  Obed and his neighboring farmers begin the work.  Together they cut the stalks of barley, tie them together, and bring them to a barn.  Using pitchforks, they hurl the stalks of barley into the air so they heavy grains fall off the stalks unto the floor.  Obed's wife and daughters finish the work by sifting the grain to remove the dirt and pebbles leaving only the finest grains to eat.

After a long day in the hot sun, Obed straightens his back and stretches his tired muscles and looks over the fields that surround his village.   He smiles and thanks his neighbors for their help.  Obed looks upward, bows his head in prayer, and gives thanks to God for the sun, the rain, and the bountiful fields of grain He has provided for Obed's family.   Feeling the warmth of the sun on his face, Obed knows he is blessed with God's love.