Page 290 - The Book Thief

Again, at the Hitler Youth meetings, Tommy Mller was having his problems,
and Franz Deutscher was just waiting for Rudy to step in. It didnt take long.

Rudy and Tommy were given another comprehensive drill session while the
others went inside to learn tactics. As they ran in the cold, they could see the
warm heads and shoulders through the windows. Even when they joined the rest
of the group, the drills werent quite finished. As Rudy slumped into the corner
and flicked mud from his sleeve at the window, Franz fired the Hitler Youths
favorite question at him.

When was our Fhrer, Adolf Hitler, born?

Rudy looked up. Sorry?

The question was repeated, and the very stupid Rudy Steiner, who knew all too
well that it was April 20, 1889, answered with the birth of Christ. He even threw

in Bethlehem as an added piece of information.

Franz smeared his hands together.

A very bad sign.

He walked over to Rudy and ordered him back outside for some more laps of the
field.

Rudy ran them alone, and after every lap, he was asked again the date of the
Fhrers birthday. He did seven laps before he got it right.

The major trouble occurred a few days after the meeting.

On Munich Street, Rudy noticed Deutscher walking along the footpath with
some friends and felt the need to throw a rock at him. You might well ask just
what the hell he was thinking. The answer is, probably nothing at all. Hed
probably say that he was exercising his God-given right to stupidity. Either that,
or the very sight of Franz Deutscher gave him the urge to destroy himself.

The rock hit its mark on the spine, though not as hard as Rudy might have
hoped. Franz Deutscher spun around and looked happy to find him standing