RE: INKtober 2026 - The Cookie Thieves
I’m not sure anymore what’s more captivating: Harry Harrison’s The Stainless Steel Rat novels, or your story about Hans—who, incidentally, had a lot in common with the protagonist of that sci-fi series. Both of them loved to steal as kids, and both had a major sweet tooth, constantly devising clever schemes to get their hands on as many treats as possible. After all, back in our school days, the more sweets you had in your pockets, the higher your status—lol! At least, that’s how it was when I was a kid.
I remember how the kids whose parents were long-haul sailors or pilots used to strut around; they always had things that were otherwise hard to come by in our country—chewing gum in colorful wrappers and all sorts of candies. :)
Yes, the concept is really interesting, and the illustration completely draws you into the scene—a scene as sweet and crumbly as a shortbread cookie! :)
I have a habit of questioning the things we’re usually told. I always wonder whether the story is actually true. Because, of course, there’s always another side to the story, and besides, it’s often the case that stepmothers aren’t the culprits at all, but rather the biological parents. Apparently, someone thought this would be less shocking if it were a step-parent.
I’ve written a very long poem here before about the Three Little Pigs; I’ve got my own thoughts and version of that story too, hahaha.
I don’t think sweets really conferred any status at our school, and I do remember that chewing gum was quite a treat. I do remember competing with my little sister to see who could make it last the longest with a single piece of chewing gum – sticking it to the windowsill in the evening and popping it back into your mouth the next morning. Can you imagine? I know it was also scraped off the pavement and stuck into waffles, which is absolutely disgusting, but nobody died from it, so that’s something. Maybe that’s why we’ve all got such high levels of ‘in-münge’ And the same goes, of course, for always sitting in the cold and having an ice-cold bedroom. They say that’s very healthy too.
Now, back to sweets for a moment: apparently Hans must have really good teeth for the sweets to have no effect, or actually his saliva must be really good, because if you’ve got a waffle where everything’s rolled out and it hurts, you’re unlikely to be eating much more sweets or food anyway.
By now, Hans must look a bit like Fat Trom – assuming he’s still alive and hasn’t died of a heart attack, just like that character in the film The Seven Sins.
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We are always faced with some kind of choice—for instance, whether to be healthy or happy (lol). Sometimes these two paths are like parallel lines that never intersect—especially if your happiness comes from store-bought smoked sausage, Coca-Cola, and potato chips.
And don’t even get me started on fast food—that’s "happiness" to go (or to eat in a restaurant). But can an unhappy person truly be healthy?
I have my doubts. At that point, you’re forced to choose between physical health and mental well-being. I imagine a traveler lost in the desert who, unable to find water, would lose their sanity long before their body began to suffer irreversible physical damage.
You know, there’s a humorous—yet surprisingly wise—saying: it’s better to overeat than to undersleep! :)
If you live by that, life becomes a lot more cheerful—and, arguably, healthier, too. After all, a good mood is always beneficial; the "happiness hormones" can be more effective than many medicines. As for what constitutes an "excess"... well, I suppose it’s any food or treat that a person tries to cram into their stomach, well beyond what they actually want or can comfortably handle. :)