The Crown Snatchers
Cover of first edition (softcover)
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| Author | F. K. Waechter and Bernd Eilert |
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| Original title | Die Kronenklauer |
| Translator | Edite Kroll |
| Illustrator | F. K. Waechter |
| Country | Germany |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's literature |
| Publisher | Pantheon Books |
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Publication date
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1972 |
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Published in English
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1974 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 162 |
| OCLC | 1053983 |
| LC Class | PZ8.W133 Cr3 |
The Crown Snatchers is a self-described "superstorybook" written by German authors F. K. Waechter and Bernd Eilert. It is the English translation of Die Kronenklauer, which was first published in 1972, by Rowohlt Verlag in Germany. Two years later, Pantheon Books and Random House of Canada, Ltd. published the English translation in the United States and Canada, respectively.
The book follows the adventures of three young children – Robert, Joanna, and Moritz – who run afoul of the local tyrant, King Fatback. He imprisons them and subjects them to a strict regimen of brainwashing. However, the children soon learn that all is not as it seems in the castle. They and a like-minded friend devise a plan to bring just rule to the land.
The story begins by introducing itself as a made-up story. It introduces the three children as the principal characters and considers a number of settings before deciding on a meadow. It turns out that the meadow lies within a small kingdom inhabited by the three children and a variety of anthropomorphic animals. We find Robert, Joanna, and Moritz hard at work trying to reach hazelnuts in three tall trees. They make the acquaintance of a dignified owl, Dr. Loy, who is suddenly scared off by the sound of an approaching motor. The children watch bemused as King Fatback's royal limousine approaches. The King himself, a pig, accuses them of stealing his nuts. They are taken to the castle and introduced to the caretaker, a matronly cat named Miss Bellmouse, who places them in separate rooms. Life at the castle is a regimented series of rings, gongs, bells, and buzzers that announce one dismal activity after another: sleep; lessons taught by the unpleasant teacher-dog, Mr. Prouch; brainwashing lectures given by the king's overbearing cousin Clemens; flavorless meals; and a weekly trip to the playroom.
The children rebel at every possible turn despite being held against their will. They talk back to Mr. Prouch and, when he loses his spectacles in a rage, make their first escape attempt. However, it fails when they find themselves caught climbing over the castle's surrounding wall. They also start a food fight at dinner one night.
One day, while alone in the playroom, Robert discovers a hole in the wall behind a large wardrobe. The hole leads to a dusty store room that contains what they first think is a gray hose but which turns out to be the trunk of Holger, the elephant, who is locked in the next room and is sticking his trunk through a hole in the door. Holger tells the children about Crown Day, an impending holiday in which he will be forced cart the king around in the Royal Litter (a box-like seat which straps to Holger's back) so that all the animals may see and honor the king. The children suggest the idea of stealing the king's crown, though no one ventures a specific plan.
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