Strange Vintage Book

 

 

Der Struwwelpeter (1845) is a popular German children’s book by Heinrich Hoffmann. It comprises ten illustrated and rhymed stories, mostly about children. Each has a clear moral that demonstrates the disastrous consequences of misbehavior in an exaggerated way. The title of the first story provides the title of the whole book. Literally translated, Struwwel-Peter means Shaggy-Peter. One of the short stories contained within Der Struwwelpeter, “Die Geschichte vom Daumenlutscher” or “The Story of Little Suck-a-Thumb” is the loose basis for the song “scissor Man” by the British band XTC. The story involves a little boy whose punishment for sucking his thumbs is getting them cut off by the tailor. The song was more popularly covered by Primus. Many versions of this book are still available at Amazon.com.