The great problems that tormented Kuno Kohn constantly, as soon as he was able to get his thoughts together to some degree, were mainly death and God. At the age of four or five he did not believe in death, at least not in his own. And he prayed to the dear God daily before he lay down to sleep. "I am small, my heart is pure, no one shall live there but God alone". But if he had done something during the day that seemed sinful to him--and that almost always happened--he would add (sitting in bed or standing if it was particularly bad) long and remorseful monologues until he fell asleep, overfatigued, with fingers still folded and tears in his eyes. If darkness and fear came, he always prayed. Gradually his doubts increased, to the point where he had to believe in his own death and abandon his faith in God. When he started school, there began the fullness of suffering which some children find there. NOTES ABOUT THE NOVEL Lunatic asylum: Bryller, Lola. Drowning in the sea: Kohn, Maria. Suicide: Schulz, Paulus. Surviving: Spinoza Spass, Laaks, Mechenmal. I. Appearance in the schoolyard. Peter Paulus for Kohn, Laaks against him (Kohn had filled his pants, Max Mechenmal). Later, Kohn joining Paulus against Laaks. Jealousy scenes. Because of Laaks' intrigues, Paulus fails the College Board Exam and shoots himself dead. Farewell letters (touching for Kohn, official funeral, Kohn runs away from it). Senior teacher Dr. Bryller takes no action, even encourages Paulus, his favorite pupil, to kill himself: Kill yourself before it is too late (as long as you are still capable of it). It doesn't have any purpose, of course, but will give you something like satisfaction. (God is a temporal phenomenon.) The corpse was carried well-packed in a box to the graveyard, where it was buried for eternity under a cloakroom marker. II. Scene Kohn, Laaks in bathtub. Laaks made an attack on Max's femininity.--Laaks and Kohn meet. Kohn greets him, Laaks catches up. Invites him to visit. "No, Mr Laaks". Kohn trembles--"Would you like to take a bath?"--"I have already bathed."--Moonlight shines on the two in the bathtub. In hairy nakedness--his hairy legs, like a woman's--a man's man. III. Scene in homosexual bar. (You see, my boy, that's life--he pinched him tenderly on the bottom.) IV. Abortion scene. The variety dancer Lola Lalà: The clever woman said jokingly: When women break down, they remain standing for a long time.--Farewell, young lady. Lola Lalà, alias Lene Levi, runs as though insane. V. Burglary scene at Lola's: --The professional burglar Benjamin, lying under the bed, didn't know what to think. His head shook and his skull hit a senseless bedpost, which gave off a fixed tone. Benjamin was frightened. The lamp fell over. The curtains ignited immediately.