I received this book of German stories when I was 4 years old. It’s called Der Struwwelpeter (which basically translates to Shock Headed Peter). It contains morality fables for kids. Frighteningly bizarre ones. I think my favorite was always Die Geschichte vom Daumenlutscher (The Story of the Little Thumb Sucker). It basically tells the tale of a boy who sucks his thumbs when his mother is away and then a terrifying tailor swoops in and cuts off his thumbs. The translation is more literal than rhyming to try and recapture the full impact this had on me as a child.

“Konrad!” the mother spoke,
“I’m going out and you will stay here.
Be a good boy
Until I come back home
And above all, Konrad, hear!
Suck your thumb no more;
Because the Tailor with the Scissors
Will come along like the wind,
And your thumbs he’ll cut
Off, as if they were paper.”

Away now the mother goes and
SHWOOP! the thumbs into the mouth.

BANG! There the Door swings open,
And in here so fast he runs
The Tailor jumps into the room
To the thumb sucker boy.

Pain! Now it goes open and close
with the Scissors the thumbs off,
with the large sharp Scissors!
OWWWW! There shreiks Konrad much.
As the mother comes to house,
Konrad looks sad.
Without thumbs he stands there,
All alone in shame.

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