Max and Moritz - Lampel the Teacher

Max and Moritz Play a Trick on Lampel the Teacher - Why it can be dangerous to smoke a meerschaum pipe

Two rascals called Max and Moritz lived in a village. They loved playing tricks on the people who lived in the village. Here you can see all the things they got up to.

Teacher Lampel taught the children at the school. Max and Moritz did not like this strict teacher and they wanted to play a trick on him. One Sunday, when Teacher Lampel was playing the organ at the church, the rascals slipped into his house. Teacher Lampel liked smoking a pipe and was especially fond of his long meerschaum pipe. The boys got hold of this pipe. Max held the pipe firmly while Moritz pulled a bottle of black powder out of his pocket. Carefully Moritz stuffed a good portion of this powder into the bowl of the pipe. Then the two of them quickly disappeared.

When the church service was over, Teacher Lampel locked the church and looked forward to coming home – and especially to his pipe. He wanted to sit in the armchair with it and enjoy a peaceful Sunday afternoon. Contentedly he lit his pipe ... and had an awful shock. The pipe exploded with a loud bang. Teacher Lampel's coffee pot, his inkwell, the oven and even the table were tossed through the air.

When at last the fumes dispersed, Teacher Lampel was lying on the floor. He had survived the explosion, but his nose, hand, face and ears were as black as pitch. Even the last few hairs that he still had had on his head were burnt off. It took a long time before Teacher Lampel recovered and was able to teach again. Only the pipe could no longer be saved.

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