Wednesday, June 17, 2020

The Little Ghost (Otfried Preussler)


A little ghost lives in Eulenberg Castle, and he haunts the vicinity every evening from midnight to one o'clock in the morning (the rest of the time he sleeps; haunting is tiring business).  History doesn't recall, but it was he who chased the Swedes away from the town 325 years ago.

One day, the ghost finds himself waking a noon instead. Initially delighted, he explores the town and sees sunlight for the first time. But some people get scared, and when the Swedes seem to show up again, the ghost goes to town on them a second time. But all this gets tiring, and when he finds he can't break out of the new routine, he grows dejected and longs to return to his nighttime haunting. He befriends some children to help . . . is he doomed to be a 'day-ghost' forever?

A children's chapter book, this story is by the same author who did the Robber Hotzenplotz, which I loved. So I put a second book on my German reading list. I didn't like this one quite as much- it wasn't as funny or original- but it was mildly interesting.

Rating: B

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