Page 67 - The Book Thief

frustration in coping with the girls lack of ability.

Still, initially, Hans appeared a little uncomfortable holding the book and
looking through it.

When he came over and sat next to her on the bed, he leaned back, his legs
angling over the side. He examined the book again and dropped it on the blanket.
Now why would a nice girl like you want to read such a thing?

Again, Liesel shrugged. Had the apprentice been reading the complete works of
Goethe or any other such luminary, that was what would have sat in front of
them. She attempted to explain. I when . . . It was sitting in the snow, and The
soft-spoken words fell off the side of the bed, emptying to the floor like powder.

Papa knew what to say, though. He always knew what to say.

He ran a hand through his sleepy hair and said, Well, promise me one thing,

Liesel. If I die anytime soon, you make sure they bury me right.

She nodded, with great sincerity.

No skipping chapter six or step four in chapter nine. He laughed, as did the bed
wetter. Well, Im glad thats settled. We can get on with it now.

He adjusted his position and his bones creaked like itchy floorboards. The fun
begins.

Amplified by the still of night, the book openeda gust of wind.

Looking back, Liesel could tell exactly what her papa was thinking when he

scanned the first page of The Grave Diggers Handbook. As he realized the
difficulty of the text, he was clearly aware that such a book was hardly ideal.
There were words in there that hed have trouble with himself. Not to mention the
morbidity of the subject. As for the girl, there was a sudden desire to read it that
she didnt even attempt to understand. On some level, perhaps she wanted to
make sure her brother was buried right. Whatever the reason, her hunger to read
that book was as intense as any ten-year-old human could experience.

Chapter one was called The First Step: Choosing the Right Equipment. In a short