Advanced Story #3
Ze Tragic Tale of Karl ze Klown
und His Mutter
Karl sat in ze circus ring, juggling bright red balls as ze children’s laughter filled ze big tent. But behind ze painted smile on his face, zere vas no joy. Each cheer from ze audience brought a memory—sharp und cruel—of his mutter’s words."You are a klown, Karl," she had said vith disdain, her hands crossed over her apron. "Vat kind of man does zis? A disgrace to ze family!" Her voice echoed in his mind, over und over, as if it vas stitched into his very soul.
Ze Flashbacks
As Karl danced on ze stage, he saw not ze children, but ze kitchen of his childhood. His mutter stood by ze stove, her sharp eyes cutting into him like ze knife she used to chop cabbage."You vill never be anything, Karl! No von vill take a man in paint seriously!" she had said.Another memory flashed—his mutter shaking her head as he tried on his first pair of big red shoes. "Vat is zis foolishness? Shoes are for vorking, not for playing tricks!"Each laugh from ze children vas like a hammer to his heart. Ze bright colors of ze circus felt like chains, binding him to ze shame she had poured over him all his life.
Ze Evenings of Riesling
und Regret
After ze show, Karl vould retreat to his tiny vagon. Ze doll, his only companion, lay on ze bed, smiling silently. He vould pour himself a glass of Riesling. "Ach, just vun glass," he’d mutter to himself. But ze glass vould turn into a bottle, und ze bottle into two.In ze flickering light of a single candle, Karl vould stare at his reflection in a cracked mirror. Ze clown makeup vas smeared, running down his face like tears.He leaned closer to ze mirror, his red nose crooked from ze day’s vork. "Ah, Karl," he said, his voice slurring. "Dat is better. Now you look like a mess on ze outside... just like you arrr on ze inside." He laughed bitterly, ze sound hollow in ze empty room.Ze sausage und sauerkraut sat cold on ze table, half-eaten. Karl shoved another bite into his mouth, ze tangy cabbage filling his senses. "Vhy not?" he said to no von. "Ze inside is ruined, might as vell ruin ze stomach too!"
Ze Doll’s Silent Comfort
Vith a heavy sigh, Karl stumbled to ze bed. He grabbed ze doll, holding it tight to his chest. "Ah, mein only friend," he vhispered. "You don’t judge me, do you? You don’t call me names... you just... stay."He poured himself another glass of Riesling, but his hands vere shaky. Ze wine sloshed over ze edge, vetting ze sheets. "To us!" he cried, raising ze glass. "Ze klown und his doll! Ze perfect pair!"But as he brought ze glass to his lips, it slipped from his fingers, shattering on ze floor. He didn’t care. Instead, he collapsed face first into ze bed, his makeup smearing even more across ze pillow und ze doll."Zis is fine," he muttered, his voice muffled. "Just sleep, Karl. Ze children von’t laugh tomorrow... maybe ze laughs vill stop."Und vith zat, Karl fell into a deep, wine-soaked sleep, ze doll clutched tightly in his arms
.Your Turn!
Practice Exercise
Using the phonetic guidance above, try writing a short story of your own in German-accented English. Here’s your prompt: “A German scientist visits London for ze first time und gets lost in a zex museum.”
