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Fifteen years in a childhood paradise


three minutes later there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," shouted Mr. Müller, this time even more annoyed. "Mr. Müller," Hermann from the senior class stuttered É "Raus!" Mr. Müller angrily interrupted, "Out you go"!

The lesson continued, but our attention was gone. Soon the bell went. Mr. Müller packed his things and walked out of the class room with the leather suitcase under his arm.

A couple of minutes later Hermann came back and asked for his suitcase.

"He's taken it with him," we said. He couldn't believe it. Then Karl shouted from the back of the class: "Look, there he goes. He's got the suitcase with him."

Still not believing, Hermann rushed to the window only to see his suitcase disappearing around the corner attached to Mr. Müllers arm.

"It's Ernst's fault. He tied it to the rope and let it down. They were teasing me, but I need it for the weekend."

"Sorry amigus (friend in latin), we can't help you." We packed our things and went home, forgetting the whole episode.

But meanwhile some mischievous students from the senior class were continuing their dark and cunning business. In the paper the following Saturday, an astute detective would have found the following advertisement under the 'for sale' column:


Well maintained LEATHER SUITCASE RM.15 Sunday morning

6 am. 18 Stein Str.


We had no idea of what was happening, but coming back to school the following Monday, everybody was talking about the suitcase affair, including the teachers.

At the first opportunity we asked our teacher in class: "Is it true? Did that ad really appear in the paper? And did anybody turn up?"

"In their tens! Masses of people. Just imagine, a leather suitcase in these hard times! Where could you buy anything like that, and so cheap! Even the police arrived to calm the people down, as it was still so early on Sunday morning."

Well, Hermann had his revenge, but unfortunately schools do not seem


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