On Fri, Jul 17, 2020 at 11:08 AM Spencer Dawkins at IETF <spencerdawkins.ietf@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > > Carsten, > > On Fri, Jul 17, 2020 at 9:16 AM Carsten Bormann <cabo@xxxxxxx> wrote: >> >> Grüße, Carsten > > > deleted to > >> >> [1]: https://de.wikisource.org/wiki/Der_Struwwelpeter/Die_Geschichte_vom_Suppen-Kaspar > > > I'm using a browser that translated automatically into English. > > Why do I not already know this story? I too used a browser which translated into English -- sadly though I'm still mystified. I understand all of the (translated) words, but I'm unable to parse the meaning of the story/idiom - healthy kid used to like eating soup, but then for some reason claims/decides that he no longer eats soup, and dies. I did manage to find (on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Struwwelpeter): Die Geschichte vom Suppen-Kaspar ("The Story of Soup-Kaspar") begins as Kaspar (or "Augustus" in some translations), a healthy, strong boy, proclaims that he will no longer eat his soup. Over the next five days, he wastes away and dies. Is this a "someone (unreasonably) digs their heels in, and then is sufficiently unwilling to change that they suffer bad consequences"? Note: I really am not being snarky; it seems that the Suppen-Kaspar (and other Struwwelpeter stories) are well understood within Germany. I understand the morals behind the other stories in the series, but the Suppen one I sadly don't get -- I did find a much longer English translation (https://germanstories.vcu.edu/struwwel/kaspar_e.html ), but I *still* don't get the underlying message - *why* did he decide he didn't like soup? What's the moral? Do what your parents tell you? Be flexible? Don't "cut off your nose to spite your face"? Idioms fascinate me, W > > Thank you for making my day! > > Spencer -- I don't think the execution is relevant when it was obviously a bad idea in the first place. This is like putting rabid weasels in your pants, and later expressing regret at having chosen those particular rabid weasels and that pair of pants. ---maf
