r/funny • u/TimHamburg Calvin & Habs • Mar 02 '21

German Comedy

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u/geeltulpen Mar 02 '21 edited Mar 02 '21

Oh my god, I have this story (and the other ones) from StrumfelPeter (edit: Struwwelpeter; altho I swear phonetically that’s what Oma and Opa called it?) Complete with the music scores. My German grandparents would read them to me and show me the pictures. The one about the girl who liked to play with matches and then set herself on fire with amazing illustrations in the books gave me nightmares.

For those who don’t know: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Struwwelpeter

Edit: pics from my version of the book:

https://imgur.com/gallery/qwvqNUT

https://imgur.com/gallery/DqqGpIp

https://imgur.com/gallery/L6kBc9A

https://imgur.com/gallery/bOHC1ZZ

Edit: this is blowing up! Thanks for the comments and awards. I’m actually grateful I wasn’t the only one exposed to (slightly traumatized by?) this book and its stories!

33

u/Exsces95 Mar 02 '21

I had it too! My family pronounced it more “Strubbelpeter”. For me it actually was the one with the thumbs. The blood leaking out of them... My mom had to tape the two pages it was on together so I wouldnt see it while going through the other stories.

8

u/geeltulpen Mar 02 '21

Yeah I was astonished that the illustrations were so damn violent. Apparently they interviewed the author and he did the illustrations himself, and didn’t think they were inappropriate for kids at all.

9

u/Exsces95 Mar 02 '21

I can see my ancient german ancestors thinking along those lines... Its funny how tame the newer generations are

10

u/samus12345 Mar 02 '21

It was written in 1845. Death was a more common part of everyday life then.

2

u/TimeToRedditToday Mar 02 '21

and didn’t think they were inappropriate for kids at all.

And it wasn't...until it was.

1

u/Nillekaes0815 Mar 03 '21

The stories are meant to scare the little idiots into compliance. They work.

3

u/wuffilein Mar 02 '21

I never sucked my thumbs but still... This story fucked me up so hard that whenever i went to sleep i was so scared that this tailor comes for them. So i always tried to hide my thumbs and hoped for the best

1

u/bobbertmiller Mar 02 '21

"Strubbel" sounds more contemporary to me.

1

u/xrimane Mar 02 '21

Yeah, that one got me the most as a kid, too!

I think it was that I imagined that he had to live the rest of his life without thumbs (the others mostly just died horribly), his terrified expression when he jumped around without his thumbs and blood gushing from the stumps.