Max & Moritz: Germany's most famous children's book turns 150
Germany's most famous children's book, featuring Max and Moritz, turns 150. The boys killed chicken, stole, and blew things up. That didn't stop them from becoming classics and part of everyday German culture.
First trick: Killing the widow's chicken
The 1865 classic "Max and Moritz (A Story of Seven Boyish Pranks)" by Wilhelm Busch is part of everyday culture in German-speaking regions. In these dark tales told entirely in rhymes, a terrible duo of young boys are involved in evil pranks. Their first famous trick is even murderous: They tie crusts of bread together so that the widow's chickens get entangled in the strings - and die.
Second trick: Stealing the roast chicken
The sad widow then thinks: Well, I should at least roast the chicken and eat them. As they sizzle on the stove, she runs to the cellar to fetch sauerkraut. Meanwhile, the boys sneak onto the roof and steal the chicken through the chimney with a fishing rod. The widow thinks her dog is the culprit and beats him with a wooden spoon, while Max and Moritz hide and devour the goods.
Third trick: Getting the tailor wet
The victims of the two boys are innocent citizens such as Böck, the well-liked tailor. He mends everybody's clothes and is always friendly, but Max and Moritz play a trick on him anyway. They saw through the planks of the bridge right by Böck's house and then get him to run over it. The bridge breaks and the tailor falls into the stream. Luckily, two geese are there to save him from drowning.
Fourth trick: A blast at the teacher's house
Max and Moritz go to the house of their teacher, Lämpel, and secretly fill his pipe with gunpowder. When he lights it, his whole house is blown away - but the teacher survives. His skin is blackened and his hair is burned away. That prank would probably fall in the category "attempted homicide" today and result in a trip to juvenile prison.
Fifth trick: Bugs for Uncle Fritz
The two pranksters decide to show their spoiled Uncle Fritz the meaning of "uncomfortable." They collect a whole bag full of beetles and spread them in his bed. The bugs crawl all over Uncle Fritz, and the horrified man kills them all with a shoe. This joke is relatively harmless - especially considering that this species of beetles, the May bugs, was once a major pest in Europe.
Sixth trick: Two strange breads
Max and Moritz break into a bakery and fall into a basin of dough. When the baker finds them, he kneads them both into the dough and bakes them. The boys actually survive, and escape by eating off their own crusts. But it's the last time they'll be so lucky.
Seventh trick: Last station, the mill
The mischievous kids cut out holes in the grain sacks of a farmer. The farmer catches the culprits and brings them to the mill. There, the miller grinds them and feeds the bits to his ducks. For some reason, no one in the village expresses a word of regret. Even Uncle Fritz says, "See what comes of stupid jokes!" Note: Don't try these tricks at home - no matter how old you are!