The best stories read in Ladue

Till Eulenspiegel Best German Story

HANSIKA SAKSHI

staff writer German folklore of a towns fool, Till Eulenspiegel, playing immature pranks on people he meets seems like an amusing tale. From exposing his behind to the townspeople while riding a horse to cutting a hole in spew either purely out of mischief or for his personal gain. His last name, Eulenspiegel, most literally translates to “owl mirror” and has means “wise mirror.” We follow his antics from his birth to eventual death when another prank including the progression of the story, we start to realize that as his name suggests, he is truly a mirror of the people, and his pranks represent the grave shortcomings of society. He shows the people who they become when inadequacies without blarney. I thought the book was insightful and causes the reader to reconsider their role in society. This entertaining book approaches serious topics in a lighthearted, enjoyable manner.

The Conference I Did Not Give Best Spanish Story

CLAYTON COUGHLIN

a&e editor Amongst stories of spaceships, spousal manipulation and fruitbased metaphors, the tale of a professor spending the night in a haunted mansion stands out more than any other. In this quick read, a professor travels to Rhode Island for an educational presentation and stays in a historical mansion — one murder. Once night fell, the phantom of Colonel Greene, a man who was killed in that mansion years before, woke the professor from his slumber. In the morning, the professor wrote were missing. Without his dentures, the professor could not give his presentation, hence the title of the story. When I picture the professor up on stage unable to give his presentation, I laugh, but at the same time wonder where his false teeth are. Is the phantom of Colonel Greene real, or did the professor, spooked by a nightmare, just misplace his false teeth? Personally, I think that Colonel Greene is somewhere roaming the halls of his mansion with a new set of pearly whites. Maybe it’s because I’ve never watched dramedy, maybe it’s because I’ve been blinded by the convenience of Google Translate, but prior to reading this novella in its original form, I had never realized how much could truly be lost in translation. I own an English copy of this book young to understand or enjoy SaintExupéry’s philosophies. Recently, however, as we began tackling Le Petit Prince in French, I reopened the English version expecting the same whimsy and emotion I encountered in class, only to be met with a lukewarm feeling once again. So sure, even in English, you’ll still be able to follow a little prince’s journey through various planets and still catch some of the philosophies regarding love and happiness. But, if you also want to smile at a rose’s witty jokes, marvel at a fox’s eloquence and cry along with a distressed young prince, then grab a copy of this book en français, some snacks and a English to French dictionary (by which I mean your nearest Google Translate).

The Little Prince Best French Story

JOANNE SUNG

a&e editor

Till Eulenspiegel Colonel Greene Little Prince

ill ust r a LONG STORY SHORT t i on by | JOANNE SUNG