Von Kindern und jungen Hunden

"Von Kindern und jungen Hunden" by Rudolf Presber is a collection of short stories written in the early 20th century. The work blends gentle satire and affection to observe human foibles through vignettes of animals—especially dogs—and the quirky adults around them, with a particular eye for the art world and petty bourgeois manners. The opening of the book tells the tale of Flocki, a pug–poodle cross whose cunning appetite and perpetual grubbiness shape the lives of his doting owner, the still‑life painter Eleonore Eikötter, and her neighbor, the landscapist Emil Steinbrink. Flocki “critiques” Eleonore’s edible still lifes by barking to hasten their completion and then devouring the models, while Emil and Eleonore drift into a daily, companionable routine. Tensions flare when Eleonore’s sharp‑tongued sister Adelgunde arrives and a trivial restaurant spat leaves Eleonore upset; soon after, she falls into a fever, deliriously invoking painters and her dog, and dies. Flocki remains untroubled, Emil helps with the arrangements, and a sealed envelope labeled “My Will” is found, prompting plans to consult Eleonore’s lawyer; the will’s contents are not yet revealed.

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