Growing Up With A Legend : A story from Germany.
By Greg Johnson
I grew up in a very modest neighborhood. No one in the neighborhood really had a lot of money. As a matter of fact our whole country was poor, but that would change in a few years. For you see my neighbor was going to change the past for the good of the country.
My friend and I met on a cold winter day. The neighborhood children were all throwing snowballs. Throwing snowballs is what people who don't have any money do for fun in the winter. My friend and I were only four, so we could barely throw the ball out of our own shadows. I got hit in the face by an eight year old. My friend stood up to the eight year old for me, he was very good at standing up to bullies. He marched right up to his face and said, "Listen here you bully, don't pick on him just because he is weak." We grew close in the days of our youth, my friend and I.
We separated for a while, then one day he wrote me a letter from jail. The letter talked about how his life had changed. He told me that he was writing a book in prison. He mailed me some of it so I could read it, it was very interesting reading. He talked about his trials and the struggles he was facing in his life. I could really relate to the book, for I had been through many similar struggles myself.
Well, my friend got out of jail eventually, then he set about to change the world. He figured the only way to fix things was to get into politics. So he became a member of a political party. Soon he became a leader in the party. He spoke out about the injustices that were placed upon us. He was a great speaker. He spoke of the poverty that beset our country, and talked of the hands that brought the trying times upon our nation. He talked about getting even with our adversaries in many of his speeches. When my friend spoke he had a presence that was bigger than life. Everyone in the crowds became captivated and sat engrossed by every word that came from his mouth.
My friend soon accomplished his goal to become leader of the country. He did so through the power of a united people. The people of my country were not usually quick to unite, but my friend was able to unite us all. He made us believe that together, anything can be accomplished. So, together, our country, under the leadership of my friend, set about to right the injustices that were placed upon us by other nations. All we wanted to accomplish was to get back what was rightly ours. All we wanted was the land that was taken from us by the nations that had implemented their "justice" on us.
These nations didn't want us to be strong again, so a war broke out. My friend asked me to be one of his personal body guards. I gladly accepted, for you see this was one of the greatest honors that could be placed on a person. Besides he was there for me when I got hit by that snowball. This was such an honor, to help such a great man, who was going to save our country.
We were winning all the battles land, sea, air. We were stomping out our enemies. Money began to flow into the country again. He had saved our country from ruin and for that he will always be known in many hearts as a national hero. My friend always accomplished his goals. Who is my friend you say? What, you don't know? I thought you would know, because everybody knows about my good friend Adolf Hitler.
The story was written from a perspective that many American school children would never hear. This story was written as a German statesman might see it. The story is a fictional depiction based on historical facts. It makes Hitler seem like a good person(which I don't believe is true) because of the perspective it takes. I believe that it is important to teach our students to analyze all that they read or watch or hear. It is a fact that every article written by men has a bias in it. If a student is able to recognize biases he or she will be a better student of history.
Bibliography:
I worte this fictional story based on the knowledge I have accumulated over the years using no other sources.
Questions
1) Who did you think the friend was in the story?
2) Why did the friend talk about Adolph Hitler as a hero?
3) What does this tell you about historic writings?
4) How can you apply this when you read a book or story?
5) Does anyone know what Hitler's body guards were called?
6) How did the two people in the story meet?
Outline
I. Setting the Scene (poverty)
II. Meeting Friend
III. Letter from Jail
IV. Friend in Politics
V. Leader of Country
VI. Body Guard
VII. War and Hero
VIII. Summary and Explanation
Props: German clothes(poor, SS uniform, Captain Suit), snowball, letter, crown, pistol
Answers:
