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KARL OLSBERG * PHILIPP ACH
THE VILLAGERS
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THE VILLAGE In a world made of cubes, there’s a village at the edge of a deep ravine. Nightwalkers, Smackskulkers and other dangers threaten the peace, but the villagers know how to defend themselves.
NANO is a mischievous pickle who is full of nonsense – at least that‘s what Birta, his teacher, thinks. Nano, on the other hand, thinks he‘s smart, brave and inventive.
Ever since Maffi‘s father KOLLE was bitten by a Nightwalker, he has superpowers when he gets angry.
Priest MAGOLUS considers himself the most important villager. Everyone else thinks he is a show-off lazybones.
MAFFI is Nano‘s best friend, if sometimes a bit too cautious, he thinks. Unfortunately, she is usually right.
BIRTA is Magolus‘ helpmeet and the village’s teacher. She is mean and totally unfair, Nano and Maffi agree on that.
Nano‘s father PRIMO is the village protector. He used to be an adventurer, just like his son. That‘s why he often has sympathy for Nano‘s pranks. GOLINA is Nano‘s mother. She is quite strict, but he loves her anyway.
ASIMOV, the Iron Golem, finds the »pug noses«, as he calls the villagers, quite strange. He is very strong and smart, only afraid of water.
In the village at the edge of a deep ravine, everything is going as usual.
N A N O!
g the Stop disturbin !! class right now
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Z
ZZZ
Nano and Maffi are happy that school is finally over.
Well, yes. But Birta is the helpmeet of priest Magolus. We have to do what she says.
PAH!
My father doesn‘t always do what Magolus says either!
If you go on like this, you‘ll get into trouble with your parents again, Nano!
But Birta is a real pain!
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When he sees Asimov, the Village Golem, Nano gets an idea.
HA!
I know how I can anger Birta without getting caught.
That‘s what you said last time when you chased that pig to Birta‘s house.
But Nano can’t be discouraged. In the library of Maffi‘s grandfather Nimrod, he finds what he is looking for.
You want to build a Snow Golem?
PSSST!
Not so loud!
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To build a Snow Golem, you need a pumpkin …
Are you sure that’s a good idea?
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... and snow.
That’s surely going to cause trouble!
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Nano stacks the two snow blocks on top of each other and places the pumpkin on top.
You shouldn‘t! Magolus is with her now!
Even better!
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Save yourselves!
HEEELP!
A monster!
HIHIHI!
UH-OH!
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Birta‘s screaming alarms Nano‘s father Primo, Maffi‘s father Kolle and the Golem Asimov. Together they fight the Snow Golem.
AL AR M! AL AR M!
Monsters are attacking the village!
Where did he suddenly come from?
AR RR G H !!!
OH NO,
a Snow Golem! That‘s surely going to leave rust spots again!
Let‘s get out of here!
But it‘s just getting fun!
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As if there wasn‘t enough chaos already!
Hm. Who could have built the Snow Golem?
ARGH … when . . . I . . . catch . . . that one . . .
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There was a movement back there! Let‘s go!
Just you wait!
Crap, my father has discovered us! Quick, we need to hide somewhere.
I knew it!
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On the seashore lies the boat of fisherman Olum.
Come on, get in!
Crap! Whoever did this seems to have vanished into thin air. Or he jumped into the sea.
Yuck, water!
Not a word.
W H E W!
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AFTER A WHILE ...
A LITTLE LATER …
I don’t hear anything anymore. Do you think they’re gone? Let’s wait a little longer!
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Why is this boat wobbling so weird?
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OH N O !!!
Suddenly a strong wind comes up as well ...
Why didn‘t you bring the oars?
. . . that drives the boat further out to sea.
And what do we do now?
Swim ashore?
Why me? You jumped into the boat first.
Can you even swim?
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Nope, you?
After drifting at sea for hours, the boat is finally washed up on the shore of a small island ...
M O O B KA
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Great!
The boat is in ruins!
OUCH!
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Now we have to stay on this island forever.
COOL!
Then at least the adults can‘t boss us around anymore!
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And what if there are monsters here?
PAH!
There are no monsters here! And if there are, I can handle them!
Nano and Maffi decide to explore the island.
Maybe we‘ll find a treasure!
How did I even get into this? 38
IN THE LATE AFTERNOON ...
We should find a place to stay for the night.
U NNNG H
AAAH!
There‘s a cave over there. We could sleep in there.
ARE YOU CRAZY?
There must be Nightwalkers in there!
know? How can you
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We need to build a house. Do you know how to do that?
We need wood, I think. But we don‘t have an axe to cut down a tree.
Sure! You need walls, windows, a door, and a roof. Then you just put it all together.
Then we‘ll make one.
Aha. And where do we get all that?
Uh …
And how do you make an axe?
FROM WOOD, OF COURSE!
The sun is already nearing the horizon . . .
Come on, let‘s use sand blocks to build a protective wall against the monsters.
You better hurry, the sun is already setting! All right.
I‘m hurrying already!
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See? We‘re safe in here!
Z
Z ZZ
ZZ
Hopefully.
ZZ
Did you hear that?
Hear what?
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Z Z
AAAH!
A Smackskulker!
Z
H I SS !
Out of here!
H ELP! 48
M O O KAB
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Then a nightwalker comes out of hiding, too.
Quick, into the cave!
A Nightwalker!
U NNNGH
Do you think the nightwalker is following us? I think we lost him.
There‘s a light back there!
Let‘s take a look.
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Someone has already been here before.
Look, a chest!
U NNNGH 56
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You shouldn‘t! But what if there‘s a treasure in there?
WOW!
That‘s even better than a treasure!
You should leave the things. Whoever put them in the chest certainly doesn’t want us to take them.
Nonsense, no one is here!
What is it?
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Asif they heard Nano‘s challenge, a skeleton and a nightwalker approach.
Now the monsters can come!
Not so loud!
U NNNGH This is what we get from your yelling now!
ATTACK!
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WHEW!
Victory!
Aah!
!
that e k Ta
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Let‘s go back outside. Maybe we can cut down a tree with the sword and make a boat from the wood.
Let‘s explore the cave first. Maybe we can find more treasure chests.
And what if there are more monsters here?
Typical! You always worry for no reason.
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FOR NO REASON?
We almost died just now!
Z
OH NO!
Z
Z
AAAH!
A Smackskulker!
Z
Come on! Just stay close to me, then nothing will happen to you!
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QUICK!
He is right behind us!
I see that!
I think we’ve lost him.
I want to get out of here!
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I think we came from there. No, from there!
All right, let‘s go back to the beach.
We‘ve been here before.
Okay.. Okay
We’re lost.
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You don‘t say!
The two wander through the dark cave for hours.
Suddenly, Nano discovers a light in the distance.
Look, over there! That must be the exit.
This is all your fault!
Not true!
Finally!
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But it is not the daylight that Nano saw ...
WOW!
This is like an underground village!
Do you think there are people living here? Look at all those cobwebs. Obviously no one has been here for a long time.
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be At least there don‘t seem to any monsters around here.
Nightwalkers and skeletons don‘t like torchlight, everyone knows that!
I wouldn‘t be so sure.
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Maybe there are other monsters here.
I TOLD YOU SO!
A giant spider! Get out, you monster!
IT’S RUNNING AWAY! PHEW, what a horrible animal!
I hope there aren‘t more of these.
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LOOK!
Do we want to take the train?
They continue to search for an exit from the labyrinth of caves.
We don‘t even know where the tracks lead.
Then at least give me a push!
Okay then, if you’ll finally calm down.
So what? We‘ll find out.
LET‘S GO! No, thanks. I‘d rather walk.
O O H ! O O W
Aaah!
O W! I hope you‘ll stop this nonsense now.
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SHORTLY AFTER ...
Look, there‘s another railway !
W O O OA H !
You’re not going to ... again, are you?
I just want to take a quick look at what‘s in the chest.
You shouldn‘t!
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But the emeralds are not ours!
HOORAY!
Nobody is here. So I can take the emeralds!
A whole box full of emeralds!
You‘re not taking them, are you?
You bet I am! Then I‘ll be the richest man in the whole village and Mom won‘t be able to order me around.
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Nonsense, what could happen?
just Stop this nonsense, Nano! It‘s going to cause trouble again!
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U NGH
ZZ
ZZ
! T U O T E L ET ‘ S G
I think the monsters don’t want us to take the emeralds!
Beat it, nightwalker! There are too many!
FASTER!
The two friends desperately try to free themselves from the sticky cobwebs.
They’re right on our heels!
OH NO!
Yuck, that‘s disgusting!
Cut the strings with the sword!
I can‘t move!
OH NO,
now spiders are coming, too.
We‘re doomed!
H ELP! The spiders are attacking the monsters!
H O O R R A Y!
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Z
ZZ
Z
H I SS !
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M O O B KA 97
HA! The smackskulker blew up the monsters!
Uh, not all of them, I‘m afraid.
Uh-oh! h! The spiders seem hungry!
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And we‘re stuck here!
But rescue at the last second is near!
A STRANGER! I hope he helps us ...
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The stranger frees the two from the cobwebs.
What are you two doing down here all alone?
What did he say? Thank you, stranger, for saving us!
No idea.
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You two better come with me! I’ll lead you out of the cave.
It’s way too dangerous for you down here!
Give him back the emeralds, Nano. Then maybe he‘ll help us.
NO!
If he finds out I have them, he‘ll kill me for sure!
Oh no! If he finds out that I have his emeralds ....
I‘m afraid we don’t understand you!
Let‘s get out of here before he realizes we took his emeralds.
WE???
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What’s wrong with him all of a sudden? Nano, stay here!
A A AH ! Wait up!
Don’t be scared, little one! I won’t hurt you!
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Please, stranger, you have to help me save my friend!
Nano? Can you hear me?
If only I knew how to help the little one!
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U NGH C lic k !
Please don‘t go away, stranger!
Great, now I‘m all alone!
U NGH
CLICK!
U NGH RATTLE! Stay here, little one! I’ll be right back.
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I have to find Nano!
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U NGH
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Of course!
PHEW,
that was close.
U NNNGH
Get lost, skeleton!
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Quick, let’s get out!
UNGH At least I landed in the water. Meanwhile, somewhere deep down . . .
RATTLE!
Click!
Where am I?
rattle!
UNGH 116
I wish I hadn‘t taken those stupid emeralds!
After Nano has wandered around in the darkness for a while ...
There‘s a light!
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CRAP! I thought the light was coming from a torch.
Oh? What are you? You‘ re cute, aren’t you?
H A O W
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Take that, you Jell-O!
UH-OH!
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O H NO !
HE L P!
I think I‘ve lost the slime monsters. But how am I ever going to get out of here again?
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Kids! Where are you?
Nano! Where are you?
Maffi! Where are you?
I think I heard Maffi‘s voice!
UNNNGH!
Maffi, is that you?
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A A AH !
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Did I just hear Nano‘s voice?
Damn it! I can‘t use the bow with the torch in my hand.
Bloß
Gotta get away! 130
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M O O B A K
NANO!
UNGH!
MAFFI!
There are too many!
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We must not give up!
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THE STRANGER!
HOORAY!
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Thank you for saving us!
You don’t seem to be hurt. Thank God!
You don’t have to pay me for helping you. I was happy to do that.
Here, I stole these from the box. I‘m sorry.
Emeralds? Where did you get them?
Oh no, he won‘t take them! He must still be angry.
YOU STAY HERE!
But the stranger will kill me!
Come with me, I’ll lead you out of the cave!
Can you please lead us out of the cave?
Don’t be afraid, kids!
Follow me!
I think he wants us to follow him!
The cave exit! We’re saved!
FINALLY!
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Outside it is now daytime again ...
If only we could tell the stranger somehow that we need a new boat to get back home!
Unfortunately, he doesn‘t understand us.
I understand! You are stranded with the boat and can’t get away from here.
What is he doing?
Maybe he‘s building a house.
Dad has a workbench like that, too! You can make lots of cool things with it.
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Here, you can row home with this.
Nano, what is it this time?
We thank you, stranger!
I forgot something!
STUPID ME!
LET ME GO! I still have to get the emeralds!
Are you crazy? You‘re coming with me! 151
Take care, kids.
What a pity! The beautiful emeralds! You better be glad we got through this adventure in one piece!
That was pretty exciting!
Of all people, Birta is the first to discover them in the village.
A little too exciting maybe. I hope you learned something from this.
Of course I did: Never throw away emeralds!
S IG H !
. You skipped class today That‘s extra homework!
We should have stayed on the island ... 155
What are we going to tell our parents about where we were last night?
But when Nano tells about his adventure at dinner, his parents don‘t believe a word he says ...
... and then the stranger built us a boat and we could row back home.
I‘m going to tell them the truth.
The boy really has too much imagination.
But then we‘ll definitely get in trouble! If we lie, we‘ll be in trouble even more.
Fine. See you tomorrow.
See you tomorrow.
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At his age, I made up such adventures, too.
Sleep well, now!
Someday I‘ll get those emeralds ...
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ISBN 978-3-7432-1121-6 1. Auflage 2021 © 2021 Loewe Verlag GmbH, Bindlach Umschlag- und Innenillustrationen: Philipp Ach Redaktion: Sarah Braun Printed in the EU www.loewe-verlag.de