Der Struwwelpeter: Paulina Pyro

The Sad Story of Paulina Pyro


Paulina playing with matches (please increase window width, if necessary, to format lines properly)



Whenever Paulina's parents left her alone,
she really didn't mind; she had fun in the home,
She ran around the house and often yelled,
she frolicked and danced with nothing withheld
Sitting out on the table, as plain as day,
she saw a bright box of matches, ready to play
"These I must strike, so pretty and bright
and, just like mother, the fire I'll light."





Her two little cats, Minz and Maunz,
raised up their paws as if to pounce,
they mewed and whined and made loud cries,
"Father has forbidden! It's very unwise.
Put them down! Are you out of your mind?
Father will come home and spank your behind!"






Paulina ignored her little cats plight
and with a quick strike lit it up bright
it was so pretty as it flickered and danced
she watched it and smiled, completely entranced



Both of her cats, both Maunz and Minz
saw what she did and together they winced.
they cried out again, "You must be crazed!
Put it down! You'll burn in a blaze!"


Paulina burning up











The flames lept and grabbed on her skirt
the fire burned and started to hurt!
it burned her hand, it burned her hair
Oh! The pain! it burned her everywhere



Both Minz and Maunz screamed out for water
"Help! Help! the flames are getting hotter!"
They yelled and cried and stood by amazed
"Someone help, the whole kid's in a blaze!"












She burned all away, full and complete,
every last bit but the shoes on her feet.
her clothes, her skin and even her hair
just a pile of ash and smoke in the air.



Poor Minz and Maunz sat by and cried,
"The fire is out but Paulina has died
Meow Meow, oh, such disaster!
what has become of our happy master?
This can't be true, is this a bad dream?"
and their tears flowed away in a tiny little stream.









selmo 2 Last Modified by Lars on 7/25/95
text and copy © copyright 1995 by Lars Norpchen
send email to lars@phobe.com