Below is an image of Oswald, also known as the Night Wanderer. He is part of a book called “Slovenly Peter: or, Cheerful Stories and Funny Pictures for good little folks”.
The tales in this book are anything but cheerful! They are often creepy and accompanied by weird art. Not what I would want my “good little folks” to read.
Back to Oswald. This image is accompanied by a poem, a lesson if you will. The moral being that those who wander in the night will turn into a bat. If I were still a child, the idea of turning into a bat might have seemed like a good thing.
What other tales does this book have?
Well, the book’s namesake, “Slovenly Peter”, is just 10 lines describing a child who doesn’t bathe, brush their hair, or cut their nails. Short and not so sweet. However, the image is fabulous!
I didn’t read the whole book, but feel free to do so. Maybe with this knowledge, you too can turn into a flying mammal!
Full Book: “Slovenly Peter” (1900) by Heinrich Hoffman, on the Internet Archive.
Did you know?…
The author of this book, Heinrich Hoffman (1809-1894), originally created these tales as cautionary stories for his 4-year-old as a Christmas gift. [1]
Hoffman was a psychiatrist who made efforts to help people who suffered from mental disorders and/or epilepsy. [2] On theme with the oddness of his book, he was also a Freemason. [3]
Sources
[1] Heinrich Hoffman – Britannica
[2] “Not only Struwwelpeter: Heinrich Hoffmann (1809–1894) and his thoughtful observations on epilepsy” – Science Direct. By Francesco Brigo.
[3] Dr. Heinrich Hoffmann – Lambiek Comicclopedia