Identifier: humourofgermany00mlrich (find matches)
Title: The humour of Germany;
Year: 1909 (1900s)
Authors: Müller-Casenov, Hans Brock, C. E. (Charles Edmund), 1870-1938
Subjects: German wit and humor
Publisher: London, The Walter Scott publishing co., ltd New York, C. Scribner's sons
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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lay a world of rare wonder in these old pamphlets, and spirits of all kinds arose out of them, smiling, grinning, threatening, and leading the young soul through various horrors and delights. A still greater impression, however, did the book of books, the Bible, make upon the boy. With shuddering rapture did Hans sit at the feet of his cousin, and dive into the mysteries of chaos; the earth was void and empty, until the light came dividing the darkness and the water under the land from the water over the land. When sun, moon, and stars began their dance, and signs, times, days, and years appeared, then he breathed anew; and when the earth brought forth grass, and leaves, and fruit trees, and when the water, and the air, and the earth began to be peopled with moving and living animals, then he clapped his little hands, and felt ground under him once more. But his days did not pass only with reading and listening to stories. As soon as Hans Unwirrsch did not throw his THE EARLY DAYS OF A GENIUS. 415
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WITH SHUDDERING RAPTURE DID HANS SIT AT THE FEET OF HIS COUSIN. 416 GERMAN HUMOUR. hands about aimlessly any more, or put them into his mouth, his mother and cousin made haste to introduce him to the great principle of labour. Cousin Schlotterbeck was an ingenious woman, who managed to earn an extra penny by dressing dolls for a large factory, an occupation which was interesting enough for a child, and in which Hans liked to be helpful. Ladies, and gentlemen, peasants and shepherds, and many other little personages of various social positions and ages, arose under the skilful fingers of his cousin, who worked away bravely with glue and with her needle, with bright bits of cloth and gilt paper, of which she gave a proper share to each, in exact proportion to the price. It was a philosophical occupation, which left one free to harbour a great many ideas, and Hans Unwirrsch took kindly to it, although, of course, his childish pleasure in the toys was soon lost. He who has grown up in a shop of Jack-in-

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