Les Burdett's story of Frankie

Author: Les Burdett

Nationality: British

Junior stood up and put his arms around them both, but as he did so his wooden leg slipped on the stone floor, sending them all hurtling to the ground. Helga and Frankie died, crushed in the arms of their son. Junior's wounds from the operations had not yet healed and, as his head hit the floor, out flipped his brain. It bounced once and then went straight into the sack in the corner of the laboratory.

"Goot schot," Junior said to himself, and then he died.

The following morning, Boxing Day, Heir Klaus went to his shop to await the return of Frankie and payment for all the toys he had given to the children. By four o'clock in the afternoon he was getting rather impatient and decided to go to the castle to collect his money.

Arriving at the castle he knocked on the front door; there was no answer.

“Frankie, it iz I, Heir Klaus zee toymaker, please come to zee door,” he called out in vein.

He tried several more times, but still no answer.

“I go fetch zee town constable, I vant my money!”

When the constable arrived, they tried several more times to get an answer; but nothing.

“I haf zee shkeleton key, Heir Klaus, ve open zee door.”

They pair went inside where they discovered the lifeless bodies of Frankie, Helga, and Junior, in a heap on the laboratory floor.

“I vill fetch zee undertaker und zee priest,” said the constable, “you rrremain here Heir Klaus, make szure zat nobody else comes in.”

While the constable was away Heir Klaus tried to find Frankie’s money to pay for the toys. He searched everywhere and had just discovered a locked cabinet when the constable walked back in.

“Vot iz it you are doing, Heir Klaus?” The constable asked. “I haf bought zee priest to szay zee blessing for zee departed szouls, und zee undertaker to rrremove zee bodies. Ven zey haf finished I must scearch for Frankie’s last vill und testament, zen I lock up zee castle until after zee rrreading off zee vill.”

“Fadder, pleece help me,” Heir Klaus said to the priest, “I haf gifen all zee children in the village a toy for Christmas, und I haf not been paid a pfennig for zis.”

“Zat iz vonderfall, Heir Klaus,” the priest responded, “you are zee true szaint, I vill tell zee Bishop all about zis kind act you haf done.”

“but, but.”

Before Heir Klaus could tell him he wanted his money, the priest rushed off to tell the Bishop of the wonderful act of kindness that Klaus had done.

“Bishop, I haf just come from zee castle off Baron Franz von Stein. Zee town toymaker, Nikolas Klaus, haf gifen all zee town’s children zee free toy prresent for zee Chrrristmas.”

“Zis iz zee most rrremarkable act off kindness I haf efer known,” the Bishop said to the priest, “I must inform zee Pope at once, heir Klaus should be made a szaint for zis. In your next szermon you must tell zee town folk zat efery year at Christmas zey must gif zere children a present in zee memory ov Heir Klaus, or if zee Pope make him a szaint, ov Szaint Klaus.”

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