The Book Thief Chapter 42

The Whistler and the Shoes

• It's fall and Rudy has been having the same troubles at Hitler Youth.
• It's late in October and Liesel sees Rudy coming, his face covered in what looks like mud.
• Rudy tells Liesel to smell him. She realizes it's fertilizer (made from cow dung).
• Franz, the Hitler Youth leader, made Rudy do push-ups in a newly fertilized field.
• Between Hitler Youth and the Viktor Chemmel incident, he feels like a big fat loser.
• He needs a little success. He feels the need to thieve.
• Rudy and Liesel agree to meet the next day to pull some job or other.
• At first, they can't think of anyone or anything to rob.
• Then Liesel gets an idea.
• She takes him to the mayor's house.
• She expects the library window to be open, but it's closed.
• Unfortunately, they will have to watch the place for a few days, until the time is right.
• A week passes and then—they find the window open.
• Liesel is both relieved, and terrified.
• Rudy wants her to get some food for him, but she has other ideas.
• She wants to steal The Whistler.
• Leaving her shoes with Rudy, she goes in through the window and grabs the book.
• Uh oh. She hears people walking on the floor above her. Rudy sees a light come on.
• She makes her way out the window, and they run.
• When they stop a safe distance away, Rudy sees the book and realizes that Liesel didn't even try to get him any food.
• Liesel realizes that Rudy has left her shoes behind outside the mayor's window.
• Ashamed, Rudy tells Liesel to wait and then goes back for her shoes.
• After what seems like forever, he comes back successful and smiling.
• He asks for a kiss but Liesel refuses, again.
• Rudy asks what The Whistler is about, and she tells him it's about a killer on the run from the police.
• When Rudy leaves Liesel at her door he says, "Goodbye Saumensch. […] Good night, book thief" (42.137).
• This is the moment Liesel officially gets her nickname. She likes it a lot.