XXII: A Rascally Trick to Step Into Another Man’s Shoes explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• Deception and Appearance

  Oliver uses a magical trick to create a false appearance of guilt, deceiving the colonel and the entire camp.

• Folly and Wisdom

  The colonel and others are easily fooled by the provost's sorcery, demonstrating the folly of relying on appearances and superstition.

• Greed and Money

  Oliver's envy and desire for Herzbruder's position drive him to commit a treacherous act, highlighting greed as a motive.

Characters to notice

• Oliver

  Oliver conspires with the provost to frame young Herzbruder for theft, using sorcery to produce a false accusation.

• Ulrich Herzbruder

  Young Herzbruder is falsely accused of stealing the colonel's cup and is banished from the camp, despite his innocence.

• Simplicissimus

  Simplicissimus is present at the christening feast and witnesses the magic trick, noting his own embarrassment when his tight Croat breeches are filled with puppies.

• The Provost Marshal

  The provost, a sorcerer and villain, performs the magic trick that produces puppies and frames Herzbruder.

Key passages

• “’Tis commonly the custom in war to make provosts of old tried soldiers, and so it came about that we had in our regiment such a one, and to boot such a perfected rogue and villain that it might well be said of him he had seen enough and more than enough.”

  In war, it's usual to appoint experienced soldiers as provosts, and our regiment had one who was such a complete rogue and villain that he had seen more than his share of evil.

  Introduces the provost as a seasoned and wicked character.

• “For he was a fully qualified sorcerer, necromancer and wizard, and in his own person not only as wound-proof as steel, but could make others wound-proof also, yea, and conjure whole squadrons of cavalry into the field”

  He was a skilled sorcerer and necromancer, immune to wounds himself and able to make others immune, and could even summon entire cavalry squadrons.

  Describes the provost's supernatural abilities.

• “And no sooner had the rogue mumbled some words than there sprang out of each man’s breeches, sleeves, boots and pockets, and all other openings in their clothes, one, two, three, or more young puppies.”

  As soon as the villain muttered some words, puppies began jumping out of everyone's clothing—from breeches, sleeves, boots, and pockets.

  Depicts the magical trick that produces puppies from the soldiers.

• “Last of all one sprang out of young Herzbruder’s pocket, the nimblest of all, and had on golden a collar. This one swallowed all the other puppies, though there were so many a-sprawling in the tent that one could not put his foot down by reason of them. And when it had destroyed all, it became smaller and smaller and the golden collar larger, till at last it turned into my colonel’s cup.”

  Finally, a nimble puppy with a golden collar emerged from Herzbruder's pocket, swallowed all the other puppies, then shrank while the collar grew, transforming into the colonel's cup.

  Climax of the trick, framing Herzbruder as the thief.