pranks that give expression to boyish impulses to incommode teachers,
stern neighbors, and maiden aunts. These are told in the naively
impudent language of the school-boy in _Tales of Bad Boys_ (1904) and
the continuation of this book, _Aunt Frieda_ (1906). The philistine
population of the little town, Bavarian administration of justice,
scenes in the Munich street cars, and many another subject of that
kind, Thoma humorously treats in _Judge Charlie_ (1900) and _Tales of
the Little Town_ (1908), in the broad anecdotal style which he has made
his own.

His other subject is peasant life. In this too he begins as a satirist,
with his collection _Agricola_ (1897); and the manner in which he at
first indulges in grotesque exaggeration of popular traits appears best
perhaps in the introduction to the book, "adapted from Tacitus":

The German plain from the river Danube to the Alps is inhabited by the
Baiovarii. I regard them as the original inhabitants of this land,
self-raised, as they call themselves in their own tongue. It is
difficult for immigrants to mingle with them. It is certain that
foreigners could never be confounded with the autochthonous folk.

Since this Germanic stock has remained free from contamination through
intermarriage with alien nations, it constitutes a separate, uniform
race. Hence the same figure in all the representatives of this numerous
nation, the same uncommonly developed hands and feet, the same hard,
impenetrable formation of the head. Like their ancestors, they are fit
for violent assault, and fond of it. They show great capacity for the
endurance of fatigue and tribulation; the only thing they cannot endure
is thirst.

This people is equipped with manifold weapons; but even in these they
have more regard for usefulness than for beauty. Widespread is the
short dagger which every mature man carries in the fold of his garment;
but the use of it is not permitted--on the contrary, the powers that be
seek to get possession of all such; whereupon the common man replaces
the lost weapon by another. As missiles they have earthen mugs, with
handles which make them likewise adaptable for delivering blows. At
their gathering places every man, when strife arises, seeks to possess
himself of as many of these as possible, and hurls them then uncommonly
far. Most of the Baiovarii carry a sort of spear, or in their language,
"chaser", made of the hazel of their forests, with blunt end, supple,
and ver