The Boy in the Striped Pajamas: Chapters 9–12

‘Not your own personal history. I mean the history of who you are, where you come from. Your family’s heritage. The Fatherland.’

‘Then this is what I am here to change,’ he said in a sinister voice. ‘To get your head out of your storybooks and teach you more about where you come from. About the great wrongs that have been done to you.’

You could probably jump out of it and not do too much damage to yourself, he considered, although he couldn’t imagine the circumstances in which he would try such an idiotic thing. Perhaps if the house were on fire and he was trapped in there, but even then it would seem risky.

The one thing Bruno tried not to think about was that he had been told on countless occasions by both Mother and Father that he was not allowed to walk in this direction, that he was not allowed anywhere near the fence or the camp, and most particularly that exploration was banned at Out-With.

During all this time he never saw anyone anywhere close to the fence; nor did he find any doors to let him inside, and he started to despair that his exploration was going to be entirely unsuccessful.

The boy was smaller than Bruno and was sitting on the ground with a forlorn expression.

‘Well, because Germany is the greatest of all countries,’ Bruno replied, remembering something that he had overheard Father discussing with Grandfather on any number of occasions. ‘We’re superior.’

He wished they could get off the subject as he was starting to think he was entirely wrong and made a private resolution to pay more attention in future in geography class.

The house would have to be cleaned from top to bottom, the windows washed, the dining-room table stained and varnished, the food ordered, the maid’s and butler’s uniforms washed and pressed, and the crockery and glasses polished until they sparkled.

All these preparations and fine clothes seemed a little extravagant, all the same, because Bruno and Gretel weren’t even invited to dinner; they had eaten an hour earlier.

‘When the Fury arrives you will stand in the hall quietly and prepare to greet him. You do not speak until he speaks to you and then you reply in a clear tone, enunciating each word precisely. Is that understood?’

‘I’m twelve but he’s only nine,’ said Gretel, looking at her brother with disdain.

A little flustered, Mother and Father followed him inside and Mother gave instructions to Lars that he could start heating up the soup.

Later that night Bruno overheard snippets of Mother and Father’s conversation.

Bruno opened his mouth to contradict him again — he didn’t really believe that eleven people could live in the same room together — but changed his mind.